The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1917-05-10
KITZMILLER BANK
MISUNDERSTOOD
Bold Holdup In Broad Daylight
Friday Morning.

First National Bank of Kitzmiller, at
Kitzmiller. Garrett county, about Has
O'Clock Friday morning, leveled pistols
at Cashier Barclay V. Inskeep and his
assistant, Mrs. Sue r. Laughlln, and
walked out with 50, 975 25 in cash.
Before leaving the bank the robbers
cut the wires and cords of the long
distance telephone but overlo oked the
local phone in the back of the building.
More than Sl3, 1000, all in paper money,
close by. was overlooked.
Mrs. Laughlin fell to the floor in a
faint when one of the robbers shouted,
Don't make an outcry or you will be
killed"
AS soon as the robbers left the door,
one of them CARRYING a bag of nickes
weighing more than twenty pounds,
Mr.. lnskeep hurried to the general
store OF the Hamill Coal and Coke Com
pany and reported the robbery. The
three men with their faces blackened
with cork, miners caps on their heads
and masked entered the restaurant of
Charles Spragne, opposite the bank
where they ate lunch. Mrs. Sprague
spoke to one of the men, thinking he
was local miner but did not notice
thar either of them were masked.
After eating their lunch the three men
walked directly across the street and
entered the bank door. One man drew
two large automatic revoYers from his
coat pockets and turned them into the
face of Cashier Inskeep, who was be-
hind the desk. The other men walked
behind the counter through a door that
Mr.. lnskeep had just opened to go to
lunch. His usual lunch hour is from
80 O'Clock to 1890 O'Clock but he
was detained about fifteen minutes on
account of some business matters. The
first man that entered the door kept the
guns pointed directly in Mr.. Inskeep's
face while the other two men ordered
Mrs. Laughlin to place all the money in
bag, Mrs. Laughlin screamed and one
of the men said eff you scream again
will kill you" Here Mrs. Laughlin
tainted and lay unconscious on the floor
while the robbery was committed.
AS the men were crossing the bridge
spanning the Potomac between Kitz-
miller and Blaine, W. Va, Mr.. Inskeep
called to Paul Junkins, who was driv-
ing wagon belonging to the Hamill
Coal and Coke Company, to stop them.
Junkins climbed from the wagon and
told them to stop when one of the men
pulled large revolver from his pocket
and commanded him to get back on the
wagon and drive on.
Junkins climbed back on the wagon
and drove it across the bridge where
he was met by a small posse that
had already been formed. Securing a
revolver Junkins and other members
of the posse started in pursuit of the
robbers while Inskeep jumped into an
automobile and started for Elk Gar
den, W. Va, to head them off at that
point. The robbers walked down the
Western MARYLAND railway tracks
about two hundred yards and then
climbed the bank to small strip of
woods with posse in pursuit,
Passing through the woods the rob-
bers concealed themselves in big
ledge of rocks and opened fire on the
posse. Paul Junkins who was leading
the posse was shot in the leg and he
quickly got behind a tree. The rob-
bers continued the fire at the tree,
three shots taking effect in Junkins'
arm and another grazing his forehead,
tearing the flesh from the skull.
Junkins remained behind the tree I'M
til the robbers ceased firing and fled
to another strip of woods nearby
through which the country road to
Elk Garden passes.
According to Junkins and other
members of the posse the hoIdup
gang was joined at the ledge of
rocks by fourth man wearing a red
sweater. While concealed behind the
rocks they took off their miners caps
which were replaced by automobile
caps. In the meantime Sheriff Donald
P. DAVIS, of Keyser, and a score of
deputies joined the posse in pursuit
of the robbers but they had made
their escape, In the investigation it
was learned that a large automobile
with man wearing a red sweater at
the wheel and the engine running was
seen standing along the county road
headed toward Elk Garden.
At Elk Garden they learned that an
automobile answering the description
with only three men in it but the one
driving wearing a red sweater passed
through that place about twenty min
utes after the robbery at very rapid
rate. Not yet knowing of the robbery
no one paid particular attention to the
car or its occupants and could not give
any more information about the car. 1t
is thought the car crossed over the
mountain by way of Hartmansvills to
Virginia or came down New Creek to-