The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1922-06-12
THREE BANDITS
Get $1,262 AT
PERSHING BANK
Three Unmasked Men In an
Automobile Stage Bold Day
light Robbery Overlook
$2l 900 In Liberty Bonds.
CASHIER LOCKED UP

PERSHING, Ind. June 12-silver
and currency amounting to s1.262 was
taken fro mthe Jackson Township
State bank here by three unmasked
motor bandits at 11:15 Monday morn
ing.
They made their escape without en-
countering any opposition, driving east
on the National road
The men overlooked about s21,003
in Liberty bonds and gold to the value
of s45, The bonds and the gold were
in the lower compartment of the bank
safe. Only the upper compartment.
containing the silver and currency.
was opened All the money in that
compartment was taken.
Cashier Alone in Bank.
| Marshal Steffenson. cashier, was
alone in tn ebank when the robbers en-
| tered DR.. A. Ehle, assistant cashier,
| had just left TO go to his home for
| dinner.
I While one bandit covered Steffenson
with a revolver his two companions
opened the upper compartment OF t1s
safe and secured it's contents. Stef-
fenson was then backed at the point
of a gun into the vault and the heavy
steel door was closed upon him.
Having disposed of Steffensen. the
three bandits walked calmly cut of
the bank, entered their touring car
and then drove rapidly out of the town
toward the east. It is believed thc*
went south after driving a short dis
g i
Wadman and a deputy took up the
pursuit soon after he reached Perish
ing, and secured a description of the
bandits and the car they were in
Robbers Are Young.
Lee Hartman president of the Jack
son Township State bank, reports that
the bandits drove a Buick touring car
bearing Kentucky license numbered
102, $50. 1t had a Rex top. Two of
he men, he said, wore blue serge
suits The third bandit wore no coat.
He had a reddish beard of several
days growth and was about feet
: 10 inches in height. All were young
, Taen.
In staging what is considered the
boldest daylight robbery in the Grim
inal annals of Wayne county. the
three bandits worked expeditiously.
They were fleeing with their loot with
in Is minutes after they had driven
into Pershing.
Returns to Bank
DR. Ehle appears TO have been the
only person who noticed the men after
they left the bank. AS he was walk
/ ing toward his home he saw them as
f they were about TO enter their car.
Noticing that their pockets were wei
fIo- IEs
!. might have taken place. He hurried
. to the bank as the bandits were
: speeding east along the National road.
! When he reached the bank he imme-
diately noted the absence of Steffen-
r son and guessed that he might have
:. been locked in the vault Acting on
|. this surmise, he opened the bank
& door and Steffenson stepped out, none
Q the worse for his experience.
:, Steffenson states that when the
r bandits entered the bank one of the
; men stepped up to the counter and
: asked the whereabouts of Oscar Jane
: son. Before Steffenson could reply a
= revolver was pressed against him with
the warning to throw up his hands
and remain silent. He had no other
? recourse than to obey. As the robber
kept the gun pressed against him the
| OInoT Two mSn IOSl uO llIuS III OpCniIS
!. the upper compartment of the safe
! and making a clean sweep of the sill
Der and bills it contained. Having
$ done this they assisted the robber
/ who was covering Steffenson in fore.
o ing the latter into the vault and clos
ing the door
No Pursuit Organized.
When the news spread through
Pershing that the bank had been rob-
bed there was great excitement but
no pursuit was organized because the
bandits had obtained too great start.
= Within a short time after the rob-
/ berry the president of the bank, Mr..
} Hartman. telephoned a report TO the
sheriff and to police headquarters in
i Richmond. He asked the police 10 i'm
mediately notify the Palladium so that
n description of the bandits and OF
:. their car could be broadcasted by the
o Palladium wireless.
2 Monday afternoon President Hart
a man advised that the banks loss was
:, fully covered by insurance.
n Three Richmond policemen, Officers
: Vogelsong, Hennigar and Rocker, were
: sent to Pershing to assist the sheriff
e in his investigation.
Seen in Cambridge
1t is believed that the bandits spent
) some time in Cambridge City before
going to Pershing. Lon Boyd, OF the
j Wayne Trust company, Cambridge
= City, states that three men answering
the description of the Pershing rob,
bers, entered that institution Monday
!, forenoon and attempted TO sell some
!. maps. They also attempted to sell
: maps to a Cambridge City lumber
= company.
IS Following receipt of the news Of the
!, robbery, The Palladium Immediately
:. sent out a description of the bandits
:. and their automobile through the wire
less station.
'' ,e PRESIDENT HARDING BACK