The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-03-26
State Bank of Kelly in Nemaha
Co. Robbed of 5000.
First National of Overlook
Damaged but Not Looted.
BANDITS ESCAPED IN AUTOS
Frightened by One Man After
Explosion in Overlook.
One Woman Took a Part in the
Affair at Kelly.

Two Kansas banks, the First Ma
tional at Overlook in Usage county.
and the Kelly State bank at Kelly in
Nemaha county, were wrecked and
robbed by bandits early today. The
Overlook bank was damaged to the
extent of $4,000 but the bandits did
not reach the banks funds The Kelly
bank was robbed CT 5000 and was also
badly damaged. In both cases the
bandits escaped in automobiles. Both
raids were between l and o'clock
this morning.
Five charges of nitrogl-cerin were
used on the Overlook bank and four
on the Kelly bank. Telephone wires
were cut in both instances. The fact
that Miller Burress was on the street
at OVERLOOK and beard the explosions
saved the bank IN that town $4,000
when the bandits were frightened
away
Three men were engaged in the
Overlook robbery and four men and
a woman in the Kelly robbery. AT
Kelly today pieces of bills were found
scattered over the bank office. Five
hundred dollars of the amount taken
was in paper money and the probabil-
ties are that it was so badly mutilated
that it will be of little use to the rob-
bers. If they attempt to use 1t, IL may
lead to their arrest
The Overlook Robbery.
The First National bank of Over
brook was wrecked between 1 and
o'clock this morning by three men
who escaped in an automobile after an
alarm had been spread over town, but
they failed to reach the banks funds.
The final door to the safe stood be-
tween the bandits and S10,O 600 when
citizens began to gather and they ran
to the automobile and escaped.
Miller Burress, citizen of Over
brook was on the street about three
blocks from the bank when he heard
the bank and heard another explosion.
Burress did not approach nearer but
began shouting for help. He at
tempted a ruse which worked sue
cessfully. He attempted to make the
bandits believe that the town was al
ready organized.
give of you men go south. the
rest of you go down that street there.
Now come here fellows and watch this
street." he shouted.
Burress Saved Bank.
Burress gave orders like he was
placing forty or fifty armed men at
advantageous points around the bank.
The lookout standing in front of the
bank reported to the men inside and
after the fifth charge had been ex-
ploded all three rushed out of the
bank, jumped into the automobile and
drove out of town.
Immediate efforts were made to
spread the alarm to nearby towns and
it was then discovered that the tele-
phone wires leading in and out of
Overlook had been cut at the central
station.
Interior Is Wrecked.
The only effect of the series of ex-
plosions was to wreck the interior of
the bank. The big outside door of the
safe was blown off, furniture and fix
lures were broken up and the plate
glass windows destroyed. But the one
inside door behind which there was
$4,000 in money was not touched by
the explosions. The bandits were
frightened away.
j. A. Cordes, cashier of the Over
brook bank, said today that the dam
age would total $2,500 but that not a
cent of the banks funds was taken.
I saw the three men and the car in
which they left" said Mr. Cordes,
but none of us was close enough to