Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1909-11-19
ONE KILLED AND
ONE WOUNDED IN
A BANK ROBBERY
Youthful Bandit Makes Demand
for Money and When Re-
fused Shoots to Kill.

Fawcett, cashier of the Merchants
National bank, of New Albany, Ind,
was shot and killed, and President J.
X. Woodward, of the same institution,
seriously wounded, by a man about Il
years old, who entered the bank just
before noon today and attempted to
hold up the officials and their assist
ants.
The bandit ran to the Ohio river and
started for the Kentucky side in a skiff.
The New Albany police were notified
and after a hot pursuit in a motor boat,
captured the robber n landed him
in the New Albany Jail.
Stole Auto in Louisville.
The man came to New Albany in an
automobile, the property of Mrs.
Walter Escott, a resident Of one of the
most fashionable districts Of Louisville,
and the chauffeur, James r. Tucker,
a negro, who was arrested, made the
announcement to the police that the
man who did the shooting took pos
session Of the automobile this morning
in front Of Mrs. Escotts residence and
forced him at the point of q revolver
to drive him to New Albany.
The man who is a stranger to the
New Albany and Louisville police, en-
tered the bank by a rear door, a re-
volver in each hand. He gave the COM
mand Hands up everybody; get into
the vault" There was a rush for safety
by the clerks and several persons who
were transacting business in the bank.
Shoots With Deadly Intent.
President Woodward advanced toward
the robber and attempted to talk to
him. The robbers response to Mr..
Woodward's question as to what was
wanted, was two shots which struck
the official in the arm and stomach, in
ficting dangerous wounds.
Cashier Fawcett then rushed forward,
but before he could reach the fallen
president, was shot in the neck and
breast, dying a short time later.
The robber walked quickly out the
front door, dropping one of his revolv-
ers just outside the building. Turning
the corner to where the automobile
stood, he jumped into the rear seat
with the command to the negro: Get
out of this as fast as you can"
Wounds His Driver.
But the automobile stood still, the
negro thoroughly frightened at the
course of events, refusing to move. The
robber jumped TO the ground, drew a
revolved and sent a bullet into the
negro's back.
An instant later the robber ran to the
Ohio river where he jumped into a
skiff. He had pulled out some distance
into the stream before the astonished
citizens of the town knew what had
happened.
Owners Of river craft then engaged in
q race for the desperate. The police,
however. in a motorboat, distanced all
followers and in a short time had their
man at bay on an island. The arrest
was made without a fight.
The Y1riGOnpr WAS tn len on hoard the
launch and soon was in New Albany.
At the dock were about 200 men who
wanted to take the prisoner. Cries Of
'hank him! Lynch him! He killed Faw-
cett!" startled the police.
Police Dupe Mob.
Captain Davis, of the New Albany
police, in charge of the capturing squad,
ordered the man to lie down. The
apparently PROSTATE form of the pris-
oner was carried from the boat to the
patrol wagon. The crowd, however,
wanted to see the prisoner and surged
around the wagon. With his DOT on
the captive's neck, Captain Davis stood
up in the wagon and addressed the
persons who were noisily demanding
vengeance.
THE man, is dead; we saw him take
some poison just as we uabbed him."
said the police officer.
The patrol wagon drew away from
the threatening crowd, but instead OF
going to a morgue it went to the New
Albany Jail, where the prisoner was
locked in q cell. In the meantime the
crowd discovered that it had been
duped, and the Jail was soon sur
rounded by a mob of rapidly growing
proportions. Once more the police
adopted a move that probably saved
the prisoners life.
An automobile was summoned by
telephone and through a back door the
captive was rushed into the machine
and whirled through the streets OF
New Albany to the state ~reformatory
at JeffersonVille, five miles away and In
IL minutes the prisoner was safe be-
hind the immense outer wall and
prison bars Of that institution.
Apprehension is felt for the recovery
OF Mr.. Woodward. He was taken to a
hospital. where he underwent an oper-
alton. His intestines had been per-
forated. The negro chauffeur has a
dangerous wound in the spine.
Mrs. Escott knew nothing of the
tragedy until called upon to come
across the river and identify her ma
VI. -