The Butler weekly times., 1918-01-17
ARMY OFFICER TURNS BANK
ROBBER
Captain Lewis ]. Whistler Robs the
Army Bank at Camp Funston.
Murders Four and Serious
ly- Wounds Another.

Camp Funston, Kansas, Jan. H.
c. Fuller Winters, vice-president; Q.
NJ. Hill, clerk; ohm w. Jewell, ed
itor of the Wrench and Camp; Carl
Ohleson, SON OF cantonment con-
tractor, were brutally murdered and
Kearney Wornall, cashier of the
Army Bank was perhaps fatally
wounded tonight at o'clock by Cap
tain Lewis J. Whistler, who had
robbed the bank.
The bank had closed for the day
when the captain knocked on the
door and asked to be admitted.
Those on the inside seeing that he
was an officer, let him in. He COW
cred them with a revolver and made
them go behind the counter, where
he lined them up with their faces to
the wall and ordered Wornall to tie
their hands behind them. He then
tied the hands of Wornall himself.
After helping himself to what money
he wanted he started to go out when
caustic remark on the part of VIM
ters cost himself and his companions
their lives.
"You know him, don't you," said
Winters to Kcarney Wornall, whom
the officer had compelled to tie the
hands of the others at the point of his
service revolver.
"Slre I do" said WOrnall.
The captain-bandit was half way
out OF the door. He turned back.
"You know me do you" he asked.
u sure do. you black scoundrel,"
rejoined Winters.
For moment. the robber hcsitat-
ed as if studying some scheme of es-
cape. A moment later the hesitancy
vanished and he came back and COM
menced swing a small ak that he had
borrowed from the supply company
earlier in the evening, He was not
satisfied with giving the death. blow
to each victim as they struggled help
lcssly, but pounded and mutilated
them almost beyond recognition.
Wornall was the last one struck and
for some reason the fiend did not
complete his task SO thoroughly as
with the others. At any rate few
minutes later the cashier was able to
struggle from the building and was
found on the street i'll dazed condi-
ton by sentry. No one saw the
murderer as he left the building.
After he left the bank he went to
his quarters where he changed his
clothes and washed some of the blood
from his hands. The clothes were
afterwards found, soaked with blood,
between the foot of his cot and the
wall. He then went to cafe, where
he ordered cup Of coffee and a piece
Of pie. Saturday morning he attend
ed a meeting of officers where the
murder was discussed. About noon
an order was issued that all captains
report at headquarters and have
prints of their fingers taken. Shortly
after. two o'clock in the afternoon
two shots were heard in the captain $
quarters and investigators found the
luddled form OF the murderer ON the
floor. He had committed suicide by
placing the muzzle OF service rifle
to his head and pulling the trigger.
The first shot only made flesh
wound but the second went through
the head causing instant death. The
body was taken to the hospital where
Wornall who had regained con-
seriousness identified him as the ROB
ber and murderer.
Whistler was about 40 years old
and was a veteran OF the Spanish.
American war, and previous to enter
ing the training camp last summer
was a railway postal clerk with a run