The Clio messenger., 1918-05-03
boy BANDIT ROBS
MT. MORRIS BANK
HOLDS UP CASHIER VANDEWALK.
Err IN BROAD DAYLIGHT
Robber Caught After Running Gu
Fight and Landed Safely in the
County Jail

Probably no more thrilling incident
has ever happened in the history of the
erstwhile quiet village of Mt. Morris
than that which took place at about 2:30
O'Clock Tuesday afternoon when lone
bandit attempted the robbery of the
bank in that village. The scene had all
the dash and daring of the wild west in
the palmy days of the James Boys. the
principal features being as follows:
At about the hour above stated tall
youth drew up to the front door of the
bank in new Ford Touring car, walk
ed inside, and presenting businesslike
looking revolver at the cashier, DR..
Vandewalker, and the latter's wife,
commanded them to hold up their
hands and walk into the bank vault.
There was no alternative but to comply
and the cashier and his wife were soon
safely locked in their own vault. The
robber then appropriated the cash
which was on the counter and in the
outside till, amounting to $3.50. He
then came out of the bank, got in his
car and started to get out of town ON
the Plank road. In the meantime it is
said that boy passing the bank had
noticed the hold up and running to the
elevator had given the alarm. Men
from the elevator arrived on the scene
just as the robber was getting into his
machine, but not in time to stop him,
although they Immediately spread the
alarm about the neighborhood. 1t now
happened the robber found the road he
had taken was closed for repairs and he
attempted to double back through
the town. This is where he came to
grief. When he got abreast the bank
DR.. H. Graham, armed with revolver,
commanded him to stop, but instead of
complying the bandit opened fire on the
doctor with one hand and attempted to
steer the speeding car with the other.
The machine swerved across the street,
ran over the tongue of an agricultural
Implement and brought up a more or
less complete wreck against telephone
pole.
At this point the robber ran across
back lots to the railroad track, down
the track and across lots to a place in
the road, where he encountered man
near an automobile. He pointed his
gun at this man and commanded him to
crank the car. The man cranked for
dear life, but the exigencies of the
moment were not conductive to good
cranking and the car failed to start.
By this time the crowd which had been
augmented by everybody who could
muster anything in the way of artillery,
ancient or modern, got too close to per-
NIT of further delay and after taking a
shot or two at the closest of his pur-
suers the fellow once more took to his
heels. The pursuers, too, were taking
shots at their quarry, and it is said
that he received charge or two of shot
in the legs. He had also been slightly
wounded in the hand by a shot from
DR.. Graham's revolver, and one of the
bullets from his own gun had made a
slight wound in the arm of Chas. Hunt,
one of the pursuing posse. In the
meantime DR.. and Mrs. Vandewalker
had affected their release from the
vault by means of a screw driver and
hashlight which had previously been
placed there in anticipation of some
such emergency.
Fred Scarrer, motor cycle deputy,
joined in the chase and when the fellow
stopped from exhaustion. took him in
charge without struggle. The way
back to the village was rough one for
the would be robber because the crowd.
which now numbered about two hun
dred, were vociferous in their demands
to lynch him. But he is said to have
taken the matter very coolly and looked
the mob in the face with half amused
smile. The young fellow gave his
name as Russell Smith, his age as 20,
his home as Flint, and his occupation
as baker. 1t is said that he has a
prison record. Within an hour after he
had held up the cashier, he was behind
the bars in Flint and the money had
been recovered.