The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1922-12-19
BANDITS SECURE
| HAUL Of 100000
At DENVER MINT
Two Masked Men Stand Off 30
Government Employees
HAD SAWED OFF SHOTGUNS
Robbery Transpired While Mon
ey Was Being Transferred
to Federal Reserve Bank
HAD SAWED OFF SHOTGUNS

dits. armed with sawed.off shot-guns
and without regard for human life,
today fatally wounaed Charles Linton,
guard Of the Denver branch Of the
Kansas City Federal Reserve bank,
stole 100000 In currency OF 50 de-
nomination at the doorstep of the
government mint and escaped. The
robbery occupied less than minutes
time. Every highway in the state Is
guarded and police and federal au-
thorities have dispatched armed
squads in pursuit Of an automobile oc.
cupied by seven men, who were seen
speeding northward soon after the rob
berry. One OF the occupants was bleed
ing profusely. according TO the report,
The robbery occurred while the
money was being transferred from
the mint to a Federal Reserve deliv-
cry truck. Fifty packages of curren.
cy of $4,000 each We're seized by the
robbers. Witnesses differ as to the
number of men participating in the
holdup
Denver police unhestatngly de
clared the holdup was the largest and
the most sensational ever executed
in Colorado.
With sawed-off shotguns, two Of
the bandits bombarded the front door
Of the mint as they leaped from their
automobile.
Fifty government employees sum
moned by an alarm bell seized shot
guns and rushed to the doors OF
windows OF the mint, shooting at the
holdup men, who returned the fire
and at the same time calmly pro
ceeded to load the 80 packages Of
currency into their own car.
The four members of the Federal
Reserve bank crew employed in the
transfer of the funds, J. f. Olson
cashier G. T. Linton, j. Adams and
William Ravener. had just left the
entrance Of the mint and were walk
ing toward their machine standing
near the curbing. when another cal
containing the bandits drove up along
side OF the wire-inclosed truck.
According to witnesses, two OF
three men carrying guns leaped from
the car and, with shout OF Hands
up opened fire on the Reserve bank
employees.
Guards OF the mint and other in
side employees then rushed out upon
the steps of the government building
to shoot al the robbers.
Linton. according to the police. at
tempted to throw the money into the
grilled.back compartment OF the Re
serve truck at the holdup command
and he was shot by the leader OF the
bandits. Linton was later removed
to the county hospital where he died
without regaining consciousness
Employees and government guards
employed at the mint were afraid to
shoot freely at the bandits for fear
that they might kill members OF the
Reserve bank crew.
Their work of transferring the cur
rency which they had taken from the
guards 10 their own car completed
the bandits reentered their automo
bile amid rain of bullets from
guards in the second story OF the mint
and sped toward the civic center.
AS the car gathered impetus, the
leader OF the highwaymen, standing
on the running board, turned toward
the government building, as though
to fire final volley at the guards. AS
he did so Peter kiedinger, a guard
who was on duty at the main en-
trance fired with a rifle at the bandit
who was seen TO crumple up on the
running board and was pulled inside
the car by the driver kiedinger Is
positive he wounded the fugitive.
So terrific was the guniire during
the clashes that 40 bullet holes car
be counted In the transom above the
main entrance to the mint and in the
windows of the second story. TIL,
granite walls of the government build
ing likewise are clipped where the
bullets struck. Buildings across the
street likewise show the intensity o
the fire of the guards. Windows III
various stores and apartment houses
over the stores were ridden and man,
narrow escapes from bullets on tn,
part of the roomers were reported L
police headquarters.
Il had just come out of the min
with a sacktul Of currency when tn,
bandits automobile drove up besid
our truck, said William Havener
ldriver OF the Federal reserve truck
Il heard somebody say hands up AM
then there was shooting. dived unde
my car to escape the rain of bul
let's. They could have shot me easil
enough. 1t was all over SO quickly
/ though II seemed a long time. Th
|, automobile drove away and cam
/ out from under my truck and got Il
= 1t. was afraid the mint guard
A would shoot me as they were shootin
! IN my direction at the bandits
, j. r. Olson, cashier of the Denve
Branch bank, In charge of the guard
who were transferring the none
a from the mint to the truck, probabl
!. had the most precarious position c
o anyone participating.
I'VE had just gotten the none
. from the mint when car drove Il
and heard some one say hands III
a started to rush into the mint fc
help The guards inside the nil
y started TO shoot at me.
Il never held up my hands. Ate
, one OF the mint guards had shot I
~ me. ! screamed for him not to sho,
me but to shoot at the bandits. WI