Omaha daily bee., 1919-10-24
five BANDITS
CAPTURED WITH
THEIR PLUMBER
Police Say They May Be Same
Gunner Who Looted Raj
ston Bank Near This
City Sept. 20.

oioux lily, Ia, OCT. Z3.-(Spe-
cial.)-Fivc bank robbers, with
about $1,000 in cash and currency
from the bank at Wcstfieid. Ia,
which they robbed in broad day.
light Wednesday morning, we're
halted in their dash for liberty in
a high powered automobile and
captured by pslice here without a
shot being fired.
Culver Kennedy, 10 years old, son
Of c. r. Kennedy, and we'll known
in Omaha and Council Bluffs, was
driving the car in which the rob-
bers were speeding on their way
to safety. They were intercepted
at the end of the Broken Kettle
pavement in the northwest section
Of Sioux City.
May Be Omaha Bandits.
Police declare that the methods
used by the Sioux City bank robbers
were remarkably like those of the
men who robbed the Ralston state
bank near Omaha on September 20
and made their escape with $4,000.
Harry benson, the taxicab chauf-
feur, who drove the Ralston robbers
from Omaha to the scene of the rob-
berry and later was forced to drive
them at terrific speed in their flight
until the machine broke down near
Ashland, Neb., may be called to
Sioux City in an effort to identify
the men.
Surrender Without Fight.
Young Kennedy, prominent in the
younger sets of Omaha, Council
Bluffs and this city, stopped his
car when commanded by Captain
O'Keefe of the police force, who
covered the five men with his auto
matte rifle. All were Immediately
cowed into surrendering.
Kennedy told the police that he
was forced to become an accomplish
of the quartet of bandits at the point
of gun. He was driving to Sioux
City from Haywarden, he said, when
the four gunner halted him. and
climbed into his car. One Of the
men sat beside him and kept re-
volver pressed against his ribs dur
ing the entire trip.
He says he was ordered to drive
to Westfield, where the robbers d.
rected him to stop in front of the
bank. He and one of the robbers
remained outside while the three
others went into the bank.
One Of the robbers stepped up to
Frank Anderson, cashier, and
poked a revolver against his stom-
ach, saying, put 'em upp Ander-
son complied at once and was
driven, with his assistant, ]. V. Con-
verse, into the vault. The three
bandits seized a cloth currency
sack, filled with silver, and loaded
leather grip with stacks OF silver
and one large bundle containing
$4,000 in currency.
Locked in Vault.
Then they closed the vault door
and escaped. Twenty minutes later,
Tom Haynes, another bank en-
ploye, appeared and released An
derson and Converse from the vault.
The alarm was spread and a de-
scription of the men and machine
telephoned to surrounding towns
and cities.
AS soon as report of the rob-
berry reached the Sioux City police
station, three machines were sent
out by Jens Nielsen, desk sergeant:
Captains O'Keefe and Shannon and
Chauffeur Wheelock occupied the
first machine, Chief Gus Danielson
of the detective department the sec
ond. while Commissioner OF Police
]. B. Mann and Detective Harry
Luce were in the third car.
Captain O'Kecfe Instructed his
driver to halt his machine across the
road at the last bridge inside the
pavement on the Broken Kettle
road. Then he stepped forward and
took his stand with high powered
automatic rife.
The machine soon appeared, con-
tanning the FIVE men, and O'Keefe
raised his rifle and ordered them to
surrender. Although the bandits
carried FIVE revolvers and quanti-
ties Of ammunition, they threw up
their hands.
They were relieved Of their guns
and brought to the station where
charges Of investigation were
placed against them. The robbers
gave the names Of James O'Keefe,
San Francisco; Lee Darlington. 922
Fourth street, Sioux City, rs; Harry
Smith, Seattle, Is, and w. Cullon,
San Francisco. FL.
The guns found in the possession
of the men presented wicked ap-
pearance. Four are revolvers OF
large caliber and the fifth is q
heavy automatic. Two OF the guns
were found on the floor Of the ma
chine and the remainder were con-