The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1911-06-17
thing which preventedsa the robbers

thing which prevented the robbers
from applying enough nitroglycerine
to io9ppee ny tthhe safe, ,nhF9'ln adf aida ~
sTWicce beffobre tie fR same Is ob gHt
,P'qppps,kyy' has basp, bbr9ksn into, tbs
tirst tin time being two * years, ago when
the n sc safe was bloWnl by three tment who
came to4 Bemidji, on "a, railroad Yal0r
cinede and were met at tthe) Red Lake.
bridge west of ttown by Sheriff, Hazens
and Deputy Sheriff Andrew Johnson
andsAl. Benner, who at that time was
Member of the Bemidji police force.
When ordered TO halt, the robbers
Opened fire, Johnson , Being seriously
wounded while a return volley from
the robbers killed Swan johnson
while the other banditSescapeds tt
Is believed that the escaped bandit,
is eth er the man now, know + s,as,
"Bean"''pr Davis" who at that time
may have gone by the name Of
ssVahdecfr" alias leonard. Ss
- '~g%,st~ I A3tti y Z SSSsi E,S&N%S! Ffgsi
/ 6 !, Hap Plans Complete. z = z5
Arrangene nts forA the expedition
to. Puposky were complete down, to
the minutest detail : Not only did
the Red Lake road .placeasits train
service at the disposal Of Sheriff Haz-.
en- and tDetectives Fielding but the
Bemidjiz telephone xchange, was
placed by Manager A: iE:; Harris com:
pletely in the hands of the: officers.
Automobiles for every. emergency
were provided by c. w. Jewett.
For three days, Sheriff Hazen and
Deputy ~. Helmer had been lying
in wait. The first inkling of the.
wide spread conspiracy was present.
ed by: two Bemidji persons who were
furnished detailed information by q
former convict which involves prom
inent twin city persons as well as
| persons in Bemidji and Cass Lake.
Say Dumas Came Here. "a r,g
DR.. Dumas came to Bemidji We'd
nesday and held aHconsultation with
party of professional robbers in
Guiding Davis and Bean and two
others, say the detectives, and it was
at this meeting that the details of
the robbery at Puposky were worked
OUT 1t is said that he paid sCur1ey
| Davis a questionable compliment of
being the most expert cracksman and
handler of E""soup" in the west, to-
which Davis replied, j "You fatter
| me. -: - ~ y = 49, &} a &
Said to Admit Revenge Motive. '''
j It is said; that DR.. Dumas frankly
admitted that he cordially hated the
owner of the sPuposky store which
he said was a former, Winnipeg man.
and asked the boys present to do
this job to accommodate me-" and
while there would 1sa1oty be much
money in it, there would be a good
deal of satisfaction. According to
these plans, the robbers were to pro-
coed to Puposky TO look over the
field OF action, crack the safe and
then destroy the building with dyna-
mite and fire. The men were then:
to: hasten to concealed automobile
at safe distance from Puposky and
then for wild ride to the outskirts
OF Bemidji and on to lCass Lake
where DR.. Dumas, according to the
plan, was be In. waiting to receive
his "pals' and to provide means s'., Of
escape. ,~.s,, =;
Said to Have Been Sealed in Blood. !
1t is said that this pact was sealed
with a cross mark beneath a skull
and cross bones, made with blood
scratched from his arm. This pact
IS presumed to have been sworn to-
o.! on Athe life Of all present and that
death awaited any man who "peach-
ed Or got cold feet w
Or. Dumas was 70 leave s 1o1n the
midnight train toiprepare the ;neces- |
o0r' \ soup' spending the time be- !
tween 2the close of the conference.-the,
train tine hn in5 SOCIAL conversation~at,(
me Commercial CLUB rooms 1t. ISL
further said that the mayor did leave
and that when he got to| Cass Lake
he proceededs$to boil ups the dyna-
mitte.sGwhie III, II is@alleged, was, stolen
.fEoso'the 2. Neil Lumber company of
lass ass "a ke, and that he stewedy this,
'terr'fc1y powerful liquid with !
steady nerve Until it was Of a proper
con consistency. When nea properly pre-
pared the explosive vas placed ii a !
grip and was brought to Bemidjis and
turned oyer sto Davis and Bean. !
mus equipped, the the robbers, were
ready. to1do business. s. 4