The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1919-08-07
DAYLIGHT OLDUP
Of DEMPSTER BANK
THREE DARING ROBBERS RAID
STATE BANK AND MAKE
OFF WITH BOOTY
RODDER CAR FOUND NOW N BROOnNes
A Thrilling Chase Takes Place Satur-
day Night and Sunday Morning
Without Definite Success.

The Dempster State Bank of Demp-
ster, Hamlin county, was robbed in
daylight last Saturday morning about
nine o'clock, while A. r. Cochran, as
sistant cashier was the only person in
the bank. Three men drove into the
little town, which is composed Of a
railway depot, bank, two stores, black
smith shop and two elevators, and go
ing to the bank two of the men left
the Cadillac roadster they were driv-
ing and entered the building. They
asked for permission to talk owe the
phone by long distance and after the
conversation offered Mr.. Cochran a
dollar to pay the toll. AS he turned
to make them the change they pulled
guns on him and ordered him to cut
the telephone wires and then backed
him into the vault. They swept up
the ready cash in sight, both in the
vault and on the counters, and after
a shouted warning left the bank, en-
tered their car and drove of to the
west. Mr.. Cochran luckily had a screw
driver in the vault and from his knowl-
edge of the construction of the interior
of the door was able to get out in a
short time. He notified Earle L. Co
bel, the cashier, who was at his home
some little distance away and on his
arrival word was sent to the county
seat and to Brookings to Geo. L. Cohel,s
president Of the First National Bank,
who is also president Of the. Dempster
institution. war and Paul Cobel OF
the First National, with a couple of
young men to assist them, took the
high powered Franklin belonging to
Mr.. Cobel and went to Arlington and
west to do what they could to spread
the alarm and head off the robbers.
Nothing more was heard of the men
until about 9 o'clock that evening the
marshal at Arlington notified Sheriff
Nolan that a woman at Como had re-
ported to him that a car was stuck
in the old cry lake bed along the
Chicago & Northwestern tracks be-
tween Volga and Arlington. Sheriff
Nolan took some deputies with him
and went to Como, meeting the Airing
ton men near there and they all went
to the old lake bed and after consid-
cradle difficulty located a car in the
high weeds. They took possession of
the car and while debating the stu
ation saw lights approaching from the
north. They turned out their lights
and secreted themselves to await de-
velopments. While the approaching
car was at some distance and the
lights shining down the road they had
just left, they saw indistinctly the
form of a man come out of the weeds
and grass and go forward to the car
which had stopped. Shortly the lights
of the strange car yer put out and
that was the last trace of it. The
posse with Sheriff Nolan had moth
ing but revolvers and they say that
the form Of the man was too indis-
tinct and too far OF to warrant in
discriminate shooting. Also that the
strange a was out of range. After
this the posse separated and secured
the country. later coming to Brook
ings because Of the impossibility Of
getting service over the long distance
lines. Then abort one o'clock several
other cars, including the captured car
with H. H. jennings and James Isom,
started south and searched the coun
try in all directions south, east and
west. Messrs. Jennings and Isom
state that when ear Trent, south of
Dell Rapids, they suddenly came upon
a car by the roadside and as their
lights first struck it they discovered
sewers men with pointed guns aimee
at them. They were several hundred
feet away and being out OF range with
their revolvers, considered that it was
safest to back awcy and turn back.
They circled around and made Sioua
Falls in a short time and getting help
there searched all that part of the
country. Several cars were out from
here and more from Sioux Falls, Blu,
no trace Of the robbers was ever had
after this glimpse in the dark. Fail
ure to get in touch with other towns
eltner from the farm houses or from
the towns that the posse went into
during the nights search, was a very
serious hindrance to the plans of the
officers and impeded their taking con-
certed action in the work of running
down the culprits. From evidence col
lected since it SEEING that after the
car got stuck some time Saturday, that
the men made many efforts to buy a.
car, hire one or get help. They al
ways selected houses without rural
phone connections, and finally pur-
chased a Ford n from a man named
Jeppleman. living three or four miles
south Of Arlington. While all at
tempts to purchase or rent we're re-
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