The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1921-01-07
THROW UP HANDS,N|X
Attempt To Hold Up Shop
Owner Last Night
WOW! THE UGLY WEAP0N
Walter Stanton Did WatchfuI
Waiting Act While Bandits
Flourished RevoIvers

Wearing handkerchiefs as masks,
TWO highwaymen attempted to hold
up Joseph Mocol. proprietor of the
. small grocery store opposite the
Franklin school at eleven o'clock
last night, but owing to the presence
OF Walter M. Stanton in the store,
IL IS thought that the men were
frightened, when Mocol refused to
throw up his hands.
According to the statement of Mr..
Mocol to The Free Press, Officer
Louis Lille this forenoon, he was
working behind the counter about
eleven o'clock last night when a man
partly opened the front door and
thrust long revolver through the
aperature, levelling it at his head.
At the same time Mr.. Mocol says
that the bandit kept repeating hands
up" Instead of complying Mocol
says that he kept edging over toward
large butcher knife, intending to
throw it at the man.
Turned Gun On Woman.
Mrs. Mocol, the aged mother of the
proprietor of the store, became very
much frightened and began to talk.
1t was then that the man turned
the gun on her Walter NJ. Stanton
acted entirely too uneasy to suit the
bandit and he switched the muzzle
of the weapon toward him. All this
time a second bandit was standing
just outside the door another muir
derous looking gun in his hand. The
man who entered the store was dis
gpised by a dark blue handkerchief,
which he wore over the lower part
of his face, while the highwayman
Just outside the door wore a black
handkerchief in the same manner.
Mr.. Stanton says that the gun, &C
cording to his best judgment was a
thirty eight calibre, but it looked as
big as a Krupp output. The man
wore a gray checked overcoat, a
dark hat, and overalls which looked
as If they had been washed several
times and frayed at the bottom. He
was a heavy set man, and the part of
his face not hidden by the mask was
very red. His hair he thinks were
light brown. He did not get a very
good look at the man outside the
door, and he admits that the guns
attracted his attention more than the
clothes at the time.
500 In the Store.
hot hn l.
ed at his head by the stout bandit,
who entered the store, looked three
feet long, and the calibre big
enough to shove his fist into. He says
that he had about 500 in cash in the
store at the time. Just a few moments
before the bandits put in an appear
ance, Stanton, who lives next door,
entered the store. Mr.. Mocol thinks
that this was fortunate thing tor
him. He thinks that the hold UP men
thought that he and his aged mother
were the only ones in the store.
Whether some one was approaching
the store or not, Mr.. Mocol is not able
to state, but the bandit on the out
side signaled his pal and he backed
out of the store. The two men ran
around the corner to Lafayette street.
The police were notified and Officer
Robert Kelley responded, but when
on the scene no one was in sight. Mo-
col says that he answered: Moth
ing doing" when he was told to hold
UP his hands.
Frank Brabender, who was in the
Mocol store this morning, stated to
The Free Press that Wednesday night
he was followed by two men answer
ing the description of the two bandits.
He eluded them and got inside his
house at AIT Vine. street, Then he says
that the two men tried to force their
way into the place, even shouting
through the window and wanted to
know il he had the roll" on him
that he had flashed down town. Bra
bender says that he is now armed to
the teeth, and will slaughter anyone
attempting to rob him in the future.
The police think that the men who
tried to rob Mr.. Mocol are two local
men, and are now working on that
theory. 3