The Sauk Centre herald., 1916-07-20
HIGHWAY ROBBERS
BUSY; HALT THREE
VICTIMS SUNDAY
THUGS KNOCK DOWN, BIND AND
THROW YOUNG FARMER IN
MANGER-ROB HOME
BARNEY HOFFMAN ASSAULTED
GEORGE WHITCOMB BECOMES
SUSPICIOUS AND FOILS FOOT
PADS WITH STIFF PUNCH

Three holdups were perpetrated in
the city and vicinity last Sunday. In
the morning in broad daylight at the
farm home Of Robert Kinsella in
Ashley town the 17-year-old son was
knocked down by two thugs, securely
bound and the entire premises of the
farm ransacked. In the evening Bar
ney Hoffman was knocked down in
town by a trio of highwaymen and
robbed. A few minutes the same trio,
it is presumed, halted George Whit
comb but the latter suspected their
purpose, struck one Of the men and
in the mixup made his getaway.
The Kinsella holdup occurred at II
o'clock in the morning. All the mem
bers Of the family had driven to
church at Padua except the son. He
was sitting on the sill of the barn
door looking into the building when a
slight noise caused him to look around.
He barely had time to note the pres
ence of the two men and that ione
wore high lace boots when he was
tumbled over by a heavy blow on the
head.
When he regained consciousness he
was lying in a manger in the barn
and bound hand and foot. The young
man must have lain in the manger
senseless about two hours as he states
that he worked for about an hour to
release himself from the bonds about
bis hands before the other members of
the family returned from church.
They arrived home at 2o'clock, just as
young Kinsella had partially succeed
ed in freeing himself.
The house had been thoroughly ran
sacked and rs cents taken, but $40
hidden away was missed by the rob-
bers. Mr.. Kinsella sought to telephone
the police but after several attempts
suspected something wrong and on in
vestigation found the telephone wires
cut at the rear of the house. The case
was not reported to the police until
Wednesday afternoon. Young Kinsel-
IL had only fleeting glimpse of the
two men and could give no description
except that one wore high lace boots.
The Hoffman holdup occurred or
Pine street between Second and Third
streets about 9 o'clock at night Hoff-
man and Whitcomb had made an ap-
pointment to meet at Second and Pine
streets and from there to go to the
lawn social being held at the st. Paul
parsonage. Charles Dicks, Jr., who
was sitting on a porch in the block,
says he saw Barney sauntering along
and as he approached the Foslein
home was met by three men. It was
getting dusk but Dicks says he saw
thetrio stop and talk with Barney a
moment. Then a scuffle ensued, Bar
ney fell to the ground and the three
men ran. Dicks ran to where Barney
was lying and picked him up. Barney
was dazed but recovered quickly and
found that his pocketbook containing
about So was missing. He had been
struck a heavy blow over the left ear.
Dicks and Barney set out toward
the Northern Pacific railroad yards
toward which the trio had run but had
gone only short distance when
George Whitcomb came running up
breathless and said three men had at
tempted to hold him up at the inter
section of Main and Second streets. He
was on his way to keep his appoint
ment with Barney when, he says
three men stepped up to him and act
ed so suspiciously that he struck out
at the one nearest him, landingon his
face, and then setting out at full run
down Second street. The men did not
follow him. Neither of the boys re-
ported the holdups to the police.