The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1921-02-10
Robbery Takes Place a
Few Minutes After
Council Ad-
journs
LOCKED IN VAULT
]. J. Quillan Forced Into
Vault at Pistol
Point

]. ]. Quillan, city clerk, was held
up and robbed at the city hall on
Wednesday evening at few minutes
after 1 o'clock and relieved of about
SITS. The bandit showed Mr.. Quillan
into the vault, slammed the door and
locked it, scooped the money out of
the drawer, where Mr.. Quillan was
working on his accounts and van
ished.
When the city council adjourned
some of them stood around in little
groups and talked for short time.
One or two at time they passed
out and Mr.. Quillan did not realize
just when the last one went out, but
as he remembers it, 1t must have
been within two or three minutes
after the last ones left and when he
was working with pencil and paper
that he felt presence near him and
looking up looked into the barrel of
six shooter close to his face and a
voice behind mask said, "Get into
the vault and keep your head shut"
Quillan glanced into the eyes just
above the mask and at the same in
stant hand showed his left shoulder,
turned him around and he was on
his way into the vault. In another
instant the door slammed behind him
and he felt that he heard the lever
work that threw the bolt into the
socket. Mr.. Quillan commenced
shouting for Mike Bischoff, who with
his family occupy the rooms ad-
joining the vault on the west. Mr..
Bischoff was not at home, but Mrs.
Bischoff heard and she thought 1t
was a new arrival in the Jail just
under the vault. They sometimes
put prisoners in the Jail who were
noisy for time and she did not pay
any attention to 1t. The shouting
continued for some time, perhaps
twenty or thirty minutes inter-
spersed with tapping on the wall.
Mr.. Quillan was using the handle of
his pocket knife to tap the west wall
Of the vault and this helped to con-
vince Mrs. Bischoff that 1t was not
In the prison, but that it was on the
office floor or in the vault. With this
thought in mind she went thru the
hall and into the front office or coun-
I'll chamber and looked at the vault.
Fhe door was shut as 1t should be,
)ut muffed voice kept informing
Ter that it was Quillan and he
wanted the officers to help get him
,ut. 1t explained that he had been
'obbed and stuck into the vault and
ocked in there. Mrs. Bischoff was
ceptical and said It was not Quillan's
'oice, but some other man in the
'ault. However, she telephoned to
he sheriff's office and Deputy Ezell
hurried to the scene and the tele-
'hone operator turned on the red
light signalling for the night patrol
nan. Mr.. Quillan was the only man
n town who knew the combination
II the safe and former clerk L. J.
chapman was the only one accus-
omed to working the dial. Mr..
chapman was summoned and Quillan
tarted instructions thru the door by
which Mr.. Chapman finally opened
Mr.. Quillan could give very little
description of the robber because he
lad only a glance Of him and then
he two men were looking into each
,ther's eyes. He entered the room
md advanced to the desk with such
tealth that he attracted no atten-
ion until he was raising his pistol
o Mr.. Quillan's face Mr.. Quillan
that he was rather short
# stature, had a light colored over
'oat or mackinaw and there was
mask over his face. He had his coat
ollar turned up. That much in
ormation Mr.. Quillan got as he shot
glance into the mans face and was
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