The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1915-03-11
COLORADO BANDIT
LIVED AT MILLER
Killed a Cashier i'm Bank at Hax-
tun, Col.

dt IldAlun, IOIOrduO, Dy Il Ddnult
who robbed the bank. The robber
gave the name of bill Thomson,
and said that his home was at Miller
So. Oak. He may have given the
officers an assumed name. A o
federate by the name of Rose was
also arrested, who said his home was
at Sioux Falls.
The graphic story of the holdup
and murder appears in the Denver
News, from which the following ex-
tracts are taken:
Sterling, Colo, Feb. 25.-John
Brunke. "a years old, assistant cash.
Ter of the Farmers State bank of
HaXtun, Colo, 81 miles east of here,
was shot and instantly killed after a
slngle-handed battle with a bandit
at z o'clock this afternoon. The
robber seized all the cash in sight,
amounting to S., 900, and attempted
to make his escape on horseback.
Three miles northwest of the town
he was surrounded and captured by
a posse of citizens in automobiles,
after a running battle with rifles
and revOlvers. He gave the name
Of Bill Thompson and was recogniz.
ed as a ranchhand working near
HaXtun.
Harry Rose, 80 years old, a livery
stable man was arrested shortly af-
terward under suspicion of being an
accomplish in the robbery. Both
men we're struggled aboard the
train to Sterling tonight, as it was
feared that the crowd would make
another attempt on the Haxtun
Jail.
The killing of Brunke. occurred
while the cashier, Emil Larson, was
at luncheon. The bandit entered
the bank and asked to have a check
cashed. When Brunke's back was
turned, he slipped in behind the
counter and grabbed him from be-
hind.
The assistant cashier tried to get
a revolver from a drawer when the
robber fired. The bullet went
through the back of Brunke's neck
and came out through his mouth.
Another shot pierce his right shout
der and a third was fired point blank
into his abdomen.
The sound of the shots brought
crowds to the streets. They saw
Thompson ride eastward for 100
yards along the main street, then
turn in his tracks and start west
ward. AS his horse swung around,
silver and gold coins rolled from the
riders pockets.
The alarm spread immediately and
iiioiiipSoh lOtS OuI VI IOWH llIluS
over his shoulder. Meanwhile Lar
son had returned to the bank and
discovered Brunke's body. As the
news of the murder spread a half
dozen automobiles were crowded
with armed men and started IN pur.
suit.
The fugitive could be made out
easily riding across the fat prairie
to the north.
The pursuers opened fire at once
the drivers put on full speed.
Thompson turned and fired back,
many of his shots striking the auto
mobiles, but wounding no one.
Finally, as the machines were
closing in on the robber, Ralph
Hicks, n of the leaders of the
posse, stood up in his car and
brought down Thompson's horse
with a rifle shot. The rider fired
again as he fell, but in the tangle a
shell got jammed in his automatic
pistol and he threw down the wea-
pom ard fought the men who rushed
in on him with his bare hands.
Paul Beckman, manager of the
Farmers Grain and Trading com.
pamv of Haxtun. finally brought the
desperate down with a blow from
the butt of his rifle. Thompson,
knocked unconscious, was loaded
into an automobile and brought
back to town.
During his flight the robber had
scattered the stolen money over the
prairie, not a cent being found on
him when he was captured.
Members of the posse recovered
$4,000 of the stolen $1,000.
After the capture of Thompson, a
coroner's jury was promptly as
semble], with j. T. Monteith as