Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1920-04-30
BANK LOOTED
u DIRECTOR KILLED.

"do pOoISN iool Al < ~ oS NV
ernor Richie, Of Maryland. 1t
is possible the State will add to
this reward offer.
Five bandits walked into the
and First National Bank
at Sandy Springs, Nd, a suburb
of Washington, Monday, shot
and killed Frank HallOWell,
wealthy farmer and bank direc-
tor, locked five other directors
and employees i'll the vault, knock
ed the banks president and cash
Ter PROSTATE with blows from
their revolver butts and then
looted the bank of 5000 i'll cash
and number of negotiable
bonds.
Unpursued, they then stepped
into a waiting automobile, Occu-
pied by two confederates, who
had been On guard with drawn
revolvers, and escaped.
Sandy Springs is the center of
thriving farming community
on the main road between Oluey
and Laurel.
Hallowe1l, who was slaitl1 wa $
seated at table when tile BAN
dts entered. One of them placed
revolver against the directors
breast.
Hands ny - he commanded.
Halloween, who was deaf, evil
IDENTITY did not hear Instead Of
complying lie looked up Inqulr~
lngly.
WHAT'S that p lie asked.
Fer reply the bandit pulled til
trigger and shot aim throug ,
the heart,
The murder, apparently, was d
mere incident to the gang, WHO.
perfectly calm, went about Their
work in businesS-like fashion.
| While two Of their number clear
ed the two vaults, separated by
frail wooden partition, Of all
its currency. the others tied the
hands of the occupants Of the
building. Two Of these attempt.
ed to resist. Without wocd
they were knocked doW' with
crashing blows from revolver
butts.
Asa NJ. Stahler, president Oh
the bank, was one of the two.
Fred Thomas, the banks cashier
was the other. He was beaten
down with blows on the haad
and shoulders.
The bandits were well supplied
with rope, and after knocking
| the two officials down. tied them
helpless. Alban Thomas, bank
treasurer, and Miss Sallie Brooke
and Francis Miller, clerks. were
also bound.
All were then piled into the
rif1ed vaults and locked in. tC
await probable death by suffoca.
Ition.
The bandits, taking their loot
climbed into their waiting cal
and sped away
| Half an hour later Charles S
Kirk, vice-president of the bank
walked into the institution anc
a most stumbled over the Crunl'
pied body of Hallowell. For the
rest the bank was seemingly de-
serted.
As Kirk walked about lie heard
peculiar noises coming from the
vaults.
Rushing out to d nearby III
surance office, he summoned
Douglas Farquhar, WHO knew
the combination of the vault and
opened it. Their bonds cut,
those within stumbled out, on
the verge of collapse.
According to the stories told
by those in the bank, the five
men entered through door OPEN
ing into the west section Of the
building. In this part were Jour
persons, including Director Hal
lowell and Miss Brooke. Halo
well, as already told, was killed,
and while the others were being
bound two more bandits dashed
through the doorway Of the par
titlon into the other section Of
the building, where two employees
were working.
The latter, startled by the Shot
that killed Hallowell, were hur-
rying toward the partition door
when the two bandits burst
through. They were forced to
join those already captured.
Short work was made Of rif1lng
the vaults. Their hands tied Sc
curely behind them, the banks
staff was ordered into one Of the
vaults under penalty Of death.