Coulee City dispatch. [volume] (Coulee City, Wash.) 19??-19??, 1917-08-02
BANDITS ROB BANK
AT MEDICAL LAKE

AT MEDICAL LAKE
Two highwaymen, armed with
automatic revolvers, robbed the
First National bank Of Medical Lake
of $14,O21 at 1920 b. m. Tuesday,
after compelling the two occupants
OF the bank to lie face downward
on the floor. Then they escaped by
locking Assistant Cashier Fred Kir-
choffer and Arthur Nail in the bank
vault.
The robbery had been so carefully
planned that it was completed be-
fore any one went into the bank or
suspected the motives of the pair,
who made there escape in roadster
bearing cardboard license No. 13.
Fred Kirchoffer, the assistant cash
ier, said of the robbery:
"B. w. Hughes, the cashier, had
gone to lunch and was in the bank
with Arthur Nail, when two men
entered. One of them approached
the cashier window and asked if
could cash a travellers check.
II stepped to the window and he
showed an automatic revolver into
my face.
Hands up, there; hands upl he
ordered, and l was given no chance
to do anything to prevent the rob-
berry.
mo sooner had l got my hands up
than younger man, or at least he
appeared more slender than the first
ran around behind the window and
ordered us to get down on the floor.
There was nothing to do but obey
and we both did as he commanded.
"The smaller robber then began
to gather up the gold outside the
vault. We remained on the floor,
face downward, and knew we were
covered by the gun in the hands OF
the man at the window.
"Well hurry up, there; hurry upV
said the man at the window, who
seemed to think the slender man was
spending too much time gathering
up the money. The money from the
vault was then taken.
'We were Immediately ordered to
get into the vault and the door was
closed. That was the last we saw
of the robbers. l do not think it
was more than three minutes from
the time they locked the vault dool
until I had used screwdriver on
the lock and we were able to give
the alarm.
"It seems the robbers had taken
pasteboard and made a number 13
on heir roadster. They had selected
the number which was on car al
Camp Comfort across the lake.
This caused some confusion in the
pursuit.
"The man at the window weighed
about 180 pounds. He had large
piece of court plaster under his left
eve and wore black shirt. He was
about 80 years old. We could moi
tell about the other man, but think
he was slender.
"We had about $4,000 in gold out
side the vault. This was gathered uI
first by the robber. The gold was
in denominations of SIS, $40 and 500,
as was the paper money taken from
the vault later. The men put tho
money in a wooden box which was
secured while they were robbine
the vault.
eve were obliged to have consid-
cradle cash on hand on account
of the amount of grain business
done at this time of the year.
Sheriff George L. Reid, who went
to Medical Lake after stationing dep
uties to watch the highways and
warn the officers in other towns
and counties, said last night that nc
one pursued the automobile III
which the robbers made their es-
cape and he was handicapped fol
descriptions.
"Some of the residents who think
thew saw the robbers declare the!
were in a green five-passenger tour
ing car" said the sheriff. "Some
saw it looked like a Ford. One man
declares there were three men III
the automobile and others say there
were two.
"The robbers took 500 silver dol.
lars and $500 in half dollars. Ther}
was a $50 bill while the currency
in SIS bills was of the series from
2121 to 2135.