Free trader-journal and Ottawa fair dealer. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1920-1927, 1922-12-20


daring bandits early this
morning looted the safe
Of between $3.50 and $500 in cash
and stamps, and amidst OF fusilpde
OF bullets from the police weapsns
escaped in waiting automobile. j
the robbery was committed at
about o'clock and FIVE minutes
later the bandits, headed toward Chi
cago. were seen speeding over the
hard roads at a terrific clip. All
cities along the route, including OF
tawa, we're notified to be on the look
out for the bandit car, but 80 far no
arrests have been made.
Phone Girl Gives Alarm.
Warnings that the postotfice was
being robbed by yeggmen were given
by telephone operator who, alarmed
by the detonation of the heavy charge
exploded in the government SAFE,
called the police.
/ Three officers armed themselves
with rifles and riot guns and rushed
to the scene. AS soon as they camb
into the block occupied by the post
Office volley of shots from five bandit
outposts met them. The police. sui'-
prised at the suddenness OF the at
tack ducked for shelter and returned
the fire
( AS soon as the shooting began three
men who had been at work fl the poat.
Office came running out into the street
and joined in the battle. Half hun
dred shots were exchanged by the
bandits and the police officers befors
tho ri nf +afphf f,i,,Atpni- an,
iEto their machine and raced at brea..
neck speed toward Peru.
4 The police reported that one OF tho
crew. Of eight appeared to have been
wounded. He was seen to double over
and later blood was found near the
I postoffice entrance Owing to the dis
lance they were forced to keep from
tho bandits the police said they could
not obtain any descriptions whiGh
would help them in identifying tho
sang or any Of its members,
Ore of the officers in describing his
experiences said that after they had
received the report that yeggs were
at work in the postoffice they grabbed
up their weapons and started for the
scene. The second they put in their
appearance near the government
building volley of shots was fired
at them by five men, apparently posted
outside to prevent any Interruptions
while their pals blew the safe. The
guards were posted at points of van.
tage near the postoffice and when they
opened fire their bullets raked the
streets for several blocks.
At a disadvantage in being seen and
not able to see their foes the officers
were forced to jump into dOorways and
rr, m these places Of shelter return the
FIRE The battle ragged for several
minutes before the three inside men
came running out of the postoiiice
door aud leaped into the automobile.
As the car started away the POLICE
Jumped out orto the sidewalk and
fred half a dozen times at the ma
chine Some of the bandits with their
hands and arms proturding from the
side curtains returned the shots.
The telephone girl who gave the
.1arm saii she heard the auto drive
IN to the postotfice and then was
.tartled into activity when a reyerDef-
ating blast gave warning that the safe
uad i en- blown. She witnessed most
of the gun battle from a window in the
exchange.
In their haste to make n getaway
before a posse could come to the aid
of tine ro1icc the bandits 0Feilookod
many vauables in the safe they had
Aown. They appeared to be IL
search Of only stamps and cash. .
Similarity to the Denver mint roH-
berry. in which gang Of bandits est
mated at from five to eight secured
SGo0. 0o0 last Monday, has given rise
to the theory that the Spring Valley
lob was performed by the same out
fit of desperadoes.
Their apparent fearlessness and the
clocklike precision with which the
crime was carried out strengthens tina
belief that they We're old timers III
the criminal game and had their plans
we'll laid before tackling the robbery.
Last reports from Denver were thae
the mint robbers. who killed guar1
in one of the boldest crimes of his
tgr,y. we're headed toward Chicago.
Tkav would have had just about time
I eonugh to reach Spring Valley in their
fight from the west to be there last
night.
I That the haul was not as big as ex.
pected ii would be is proven by the
report from the postal department
that only $500 at the most was seized
as loot. The bandits had hopes. po-
! lice believe. of getting large sums of
money which usually pass through the
Spring Valley postoffice at this time
of year. when foreigners, who consti-
tute major portion Of the city's popa-
lation. send money to relatives for
Christmas Gifts.
officials Here Notified.