Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1913-11-04
AN ATTEMPTED
BANK ROBBERY
Three Masked Men Undertake to
Rob the Exchange Bank
at Blairsburg, But
Fail.
J.R. WALTERS KILLED BY BULL.
Man by Name of Snelson Commits
Suicide Near Homer-Some
Other Tragedies.

county ny f. u. ana j. w. Lee: AL
attempt to rob the Exchange Bank
of Blairsburg was made October "a
1896. o. w. Hicks, special CORES.
pendent to the Freeman, gave the
following account:
An attempt was made by three
masked men to rob the Exchange
Bank of harrisburg Sunday morning
at o'clock. One of the robbers is
lying at the harrisburg hotel with
two bullet wounds in his body, one
in his chest and one in the abdomen.
The two other men escaped. For
two days the robbers were in this
city, and Saturday night they took
hand car and made the trip to
Blairsburg. The two men gained en-
trance to the bank through the
front door of the building. While
two were at work in the bank the
third was stationed outside. A hole
was drilled through the top of the
outside safe, and to make their work
sure they inserted dynamite enough
to blow open a dozen safes. The
great iron doors were hurled twenty
feet, the safe was wrecked and the
entire building was damaged. The
noise of the explosion brought half
the people of Blairsburg from their
beds. James Corners, an employe at
the harrisburg creamery, was the
first citizen to arrive. When he saw
the havoc that had been wrought
he uttered yell and retreated to
the hotel across the street. 1t was
this cry that frightened the burg
lars. They had prepared another
charge of dynamite for the time
locks on the interior OF the big safe.
This they did not explode. They
hastily left the bank through the
rear window, and as they were pass
ing the northwest corner of the
building the third man, who gives
his name as Edward Gillicon, rush
ed around the corner. Twice the
fleeing burglars shot at him, each
shot taking effect. A volley was fir
ed by the bandits at the crowd
which had rapidly gathered, but ow-
ing to the darkness the other shots
u RI
to the hotel, where physicians prob
ed his wounds. He Is a young man
about twenty-siX years of age, fair
complexion, and his hands give no
evidence OF toll. Efforts were made
to induce him to tell the names OF
his associates. but he declared he
did not KNOW them.
Theories are advanced as to why
the robbers shot Gillicon. One is
that they mistook him for citizen
and the other is that, as it was i'm
possible for him to escape, they
thought to kill him to prevent any
testimony he might offer against
them. Gilicon says he never met
the men until two days before in
Webster City, when they were
drinking together and they gradual
ly approached the subject Of robbing
the harrisburg bank. He fell in
with them and showed willingness
to assist. They explained that they
had looked over the field and every
detail of the building and it would
be an easy job.
To brighten Gillicon into a full
confession threats were made OF
lynching, but they proved of no
avail. He stoutly maintained he did
not know even the robbers names.
Sheriff Sinclair drove to Blairsburg
before daylight Sunday morning.
When he searched Gillicon's clothes
he found a number of skeleton keys
and other tools used by robbers. He
had a number OF gold watches,
chains, ETC., IN his outside coat
pockets.
At the November term of the dis
trict court Gillicon plead guilty to
the charge of burglary, and was
sentenced to five years service a,
the penitentiary at Anamosa.
James r. Walters, employed or
the B. c. Mason farm in Independ,
ence township, was killed by ar
angry bull November 6, 1897. II,
had gone into the feed lot and in
passing the bull, pricked him in thu
side with a shovel to make him ge
out of the way. The bull turned
suddenly and struck Walters in thu
breast with his head with such force
that he died within twenty minutes