The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1920-12-23

One of the most daring ana sue
cessful bank robberies ever pulled OF
in the history of Michigan took place
in Clio shortly before one O'Clock
Wednesday afternoon when three
men entered the Clio State Bank,
held up the assistant cashier, L. Har-
ry Alexander, the only person pre-
sent beside themselves, went Dehind
the counters, packed up all the money
and securities in the vault and safe
and at the cashiers window ana al
ter dealing the bank official pio"
in tn, back that felled him senseless
to the floor, walked unnoticed and
unhindered the entire length OF the
business street to where confeder-
ate was in waiting for them in an
automobile into which they climbed
and drove rapidly out of town.
At the time when the robbery was
committed the cashier OF the Dank,
Chas. E. Taylor, and the two young
lady bookkeepers, Miss Nina Gilmore
and Miss Ruth Chappell, were out to
dinner and the assistant cashier, l.
II. Alexander, was in the bank alone
The whole affair had evidentally
been carefully planned in advance
and there can be little doubt but tnat
the bandits had been in town before,
perhaps on several occasions, and
Knew perfectly the practice that was
maintained at the bank during the
noon hour. They seized upon an oc-
casion that offered every facility Tor
the perpetration of their crime.
Waiting until they knew there was
but one person in the bank they walk
cd in and one of them asked Mr..
Alexander for change for twenty
dollar bill. The latter opened the
money draw for the purpose OF COM
plving with the request and when he
looked I'D he found the stranger
had him covered with a revolver and
immediately commanded him to
throw up his hands. There was moth
ing for the bank official to do but
comply. and the other robbers went
behind the counters and rapidly
packed up the money and securities.
Nothing more is known as to what
took place in the bank, because at
this iuncture some one of the rob-
hers dealt the assistant cashier
violent blow in the back which felled
him unconscious to the floor. The
bandits then left the bank, and as no
one outside had any knowledge OF
what had taken place and few people
were on the streets at the noon hour,
they walked the entire length of the
street without arousing any susplc-
ion whatever as to their character,
although it is said thatAsome persons
noticed that the three men appeared to
be carrying something under their
coats. That something was ten thou
sand dollars in cash and about twen-
ty-fiye thousand dollars in United
States bonds, the biggest bundle of
loot secured by robbers in the state
of Michigan in years.
Every circumstance favored the
bandits in the commission of their
crime, First, the fact that only one
.Sunarmed man stood in their way;
second, that for some little time
no one knew which way they went,
and third, that the state bank exam
iner was making an examination of
the institution and all the cash and
securities had been made conven-
lent for his inspection, so that all
the bandits had to do was to gather
them up.
News that the robbery had taken
place was first given by John DAILY
who entered the bank to transact
som, business just about the time
Mr.. Alexander regained conscious
ness, and was informed by the latter
of what had happened. This, prob
ably was not more than five minutes
liter the robbery had occurred, be-
cause Eugene Miller who was one of
The first to reach the bank, afterward
recalled seeing a Chevrolet sedan with
the motor running, and the driver at
the wheel, standing by the roadside
a short distance east of the Vienna
Street bridge. This being true he
probably passed the three men who
had committed the robbery on their
way to the car, but failed to notice
them. Mr.. Miller says he noticed this
driver had his coat collar turned up
and his hat drawn down over his
eyes, rendering his identity diff
cult. VIM. Conlee who lives near
where the robbers had parked their
car also passed them when he was
returning to work after dinner, but
did not notice them particularly,
, save to observe that they were not
large men and appeared to be of
dark complexion. Mrs. Kent McLain
observed the car standing in the road
in front Of her residence, noted that
the driver lighted cigar and smoked