The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-09-05
Disclosure Results From Street
Battle Early Today.
One Policeman May Die From
Wounds Received.
FIND KANSAS BANK LOOT
Police Are Searching City for
Gang Members.
Three of Officers AssaiIants
Wounded in Fight.

Kansas City, Sept. 5.-One police
man was dangerously wounded, an
other injured and three of their al
legged assailants were wounded in a
downtown street skirmish here early
today.
The oftIce=s, members Of a newly
created police squad to curb motor
car thievery. were searching for the
owners of a car said to have contained
rifles, ammunition and quantity of
ro-glycerine. and had entered the
dark hallway of an old building in the
business district when the alleged
bandits opened fire. and a running
fight Of several minutes duration be-
gan.
A pretentious arsenal. also contain
ing checks and papers bearing the
name of a Kansas bank which was
recently robbed. was found in the
house later, according to the police,
who believe that the headquarters of
an organized band of bank robbers
and motor car thieves was revealed by
the shooting.
Think officer VIII Die.
Patrolman ]. H. Ford was shot over
the heart and. 1t is believed. will die.
PatrOlman George Burns was slightly
wounded. Three men. slightly wound
with riot guns were taken to the hos
pital. A fourth man in a running
fight for three blocks with another Of
ficer escaped. but is believed to have
been wounded.
Following a steady increase in mo-
tor car stealing for several months.
and what seems to have been a sys-
tematic robbery of Kansas banks. the
police department recently detailed
squad Of patrolmen to patrol the
downtown streets at night for the de-
lection OF criminals who were believed
to maintain headquarters in Kansas
City.
Find Haven I'm Kansas City.
Complaints from Kansas and Mis-
souri, sources, frequently made to the
Kansas City police and officials. have
charged that repeated bank robberies
IN the two states. bold robberies of
motor cars that have not been con-
fined to this city alone, and several
bands which have followed the pro
fession" of robbery regularly and es-
capped detection here. One such in
stance pointed out was the murder of
the sheriff and a deputy sheriff of
Lafayette county, Missouri, several
months ago. Three men had been ar
rested by the sheriff for stealing a
motor car, and he and his deputy were
taking the men in an automobile to
Jail when the officers were overpow-
cred and killed. 1t was apparent to
officers who investigated the case that
the trail of the three bandits led to
Kansas city, but altho numerous sus-
poets were arrested all were released,
and so Tar the murderers of the La
fayette county officers have not been
apprehended.
BaiIeyvilIe Latest Victim.
Bank robbers in high powered auto
mobiles have followed their calliug
without interruption in Kansas. Yes
tefday the bank at Baileyville, 1T
northeast Kansas, was robbed iOi
in
cash, the robbers escaping as in every
case OF the numerous Kansas bank
robberies this summer.
Among property said to have beer
found by the police in the alleged
bandit headquarters were liberty
bonds worth $4,000.
Men taken in the raid in Kansa.
City early today are believed to have
been implicated in the robbery of the
Baileyville State bank at Baileyville
Nemaha county, this week. The banl
is one OF string of institutions under
the control OF Willis J. Bailey, of At.
Gibson, former governor. Severa
thousand dollars in cash and liberty
bonds were taken from the bank.
Walter E. Wilson. state bank com
missioner, left this afternoon for Kan.
sas City. where he will aid police of
ficers and detectives in an effort tC
round up other members OF the gang
For some months it has been the opin
ion OF Wilson that men guilty of Kan,
sas bank robberies were operating
from three central points. One Il
Kansas City. another Joplin and 6
third city is Wichita.
Messages received by Commissions
Wilson indicate that the headquarteri
of the Kansas City men revealed pa
pers taken from the Baileyville bank
Three men believed to have been con
nected with the Baileyville robbery ar,
in hospitals.