Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1920-12-08
Two Gun men Enter State Bank of Gatzke Friday,
Point Weapons at Cashier and Assistant
and Get Away with $3.50 in Cash.
SHERIFF HANSON STARTS PURSUIT
TEN MINUTES AFTER ROBBERY
Robbers Captured at Midnight South
west of Hallock by Sheriff Anderson
& Of KittsOn County after Exciting
Chase.

WtSS VI 11fsAAOCh ny 0aECA III SA1s<ACAoVA
6 Of KittsOn County after Exciting
Chase.
A%daring bank robbery took place in
Marshall county last Friday afternoon,
in broad daylight, when two masked
bandits held up the State Bank OF
Gatzke and got away with $3.50 dollars
in cash. The two bad men entered the
bank between the hours of two and
three O'Clock and ordered the cashier,
s. q. 0stgard and his assistant and a |
farmer customer to hold up their hands. |
Mr.. Ostgard was greatly surprised and
thought it all joke at first, but when
he looked into the muzzle of a 5000 /
rifle in the hands of one man and a
32-caliber revolver in the hands OF an
other man, he realized that it was no
joke and all in the bank complied with
the second demand, accompanied by a
threat to shoot to kill. Then they were
backed to one place in the building one
robber covering them all the time with
his gun while the other hurriedly ran
sacked the till and the safe, gathering
up what money they could find. That
being done and only a moments time
was required, they stepped out of the
bank with their booty and jumped into
their automobile, which was left stand
ing outside with engine running, when
they entered the bank. They drove
quickly away, going north.
As soon as the robbers had departed
Mr.. Ostgard notified Sheriff Hans G.
Hanson. at Warren by telephone Of the
robbery and in 10 or Is minutes after
the robbery was committed Sheriff
Hanson together With Leonard Win.
berg and Andrew NJ. Anderson were on
their way to Gatzke, which is small
inland trading point, twenty miles east
from Middle River and about ffty-tve
miles from Warren,s The sheriff's office
with deputy ]. p. Bordewick in charge
Immediately telephoned the fact of the
robbery to towns in Marshall, Kittson
and Roseou counties asking them to be
on the lookout for the robbers.
Shortly after the robbery was COM
mitted, Gene Williams, farmer, and
his son, came to Gatzke in their car
and as soon as informed of the robbery
they started in pursuit: The object of
Mr.. Williams was to get on the trail
of the robbers and follow that so as to
be able to give the authorities of the
law valuable information as to the d.
rection the robbers were going. Mr..
williams was soon able to single out
the track made by. the robber car in
the snow and on roads not used very
much for travel, that being the kind
Of roads sought by the robbers: The
impression of the non-skid tires would
show in the snow and in soft spots, al
though the rear wheels had mud chains
on for some distance. Farther along
In the chase only one wheel was pro-
vided with chain, the other being re-
moved, perhaps, to bewilder the pur-
suers. Mr.. Williams followed the track
of the robber car north towards Thief
Lake. where the robbers got into a
swampy country and struck poor roads.
That is probably the reason why they
turned south for some miles and then
west. Mr.. Williams followed the trail
tosa point four miles east from Middle
!; River, where the poor lights on his
ear made it impossible for him to trace
the r0bber car any further. He there
fore drove into Middle River to secure
better lights for his car, arriving there
lust as Sheriff Hanson and his party
arrived from Warren. Mr.. Williams
then accompanied the Sheriff to tn
point in the road where the trail ha(
e been lost and showed him the kind o:
track made by the robber car. TN
efforts Of Mr.. Williams to trail tn
robbers saved Sheriff Hanson a goot
three hours of valuable time ant
brought the pursuit that much close
/ to the fleeing bandits.
Sheriff Hanson now took up the tra1
Of the robber car, following it on
.-ditch grade by Breese south a coupl
't1 ess,i1ea and then west on line thru New
Eolden to Nllerth. At the Ellerth stor
ss s khe robbers stopped to buy gasoline 10
y their car. That was at six O'Clock ]
the evening. They also wanted tw
cream cans which they had along !
.8 the car filed with gasoline, but II
store keeper, Mr.. Seilstad, refused
. All the cans, they not being pa1nte
I red as the law requires, but he file
up their car. =
when Sheriff Hanson arrived at =
lerth between eight and nine o'clock !
obtained from Mr.. Seilstad the flr
lOontinued on last page