Pocahontas star herald., 1923-05-04
.SMITAVILLE HAS A
WHOLESALE ROBBERY

Identified men broke into the Citizens
Bank and escaped with S20000.00 in
Liberty Bonds, $4,000 or $4,000 in
silver and lot of postage stamps
They also broke into the postofiice
and stole several packages broke in
to a store, rihed the stock and stole a
car belonging to DIR. Guthrie Of that
town and made their escape, travel
ing in northerly direction.
Three men, supposed to be the rob
bers, passed through ImbOden at an
early hour Saturday morning and
crossed Spring river into Randolph
county. On this side of the river it
is supposed they separated, two Of
them going in the direction of Dalton.
the other coming this way. A posse
took up the trail of the two who went
toward Dalton and pursued them. so
closely that they left the car and took
to the woods. About four o'clock Sat
urday afternoon two men stopped at
the home of Ollie Crawford, who lives
on the Jim Brown farm. and made
some inquiries as to how to reach GER
tain points west Mr.. Brown was at
CrawfOrd's home at the time and the
men having been previously notified
to be on the lookout for strangers, he
surmised that these mighe be the men
wanted. Stepping back into the house
presumably TO get guide book he
secured u shotgun and re-appeared
and ordered the men to get their
hands up. One Of the supposed rob
bers made an attempt to draw a gun,
but Mr.. Brown and Mr.. Crawford
were too quick for them and both
were forced to surrender
A search Of the men and their be-
longlngs revealed two revolvers, some
nitrO-glycerine, fuse, saws and other
tools such as burglars usually have in
their possession. A part of the stolen
loot was found in a handbag carried
by the men, some silver, stamps. cou-
pom Liberty bonds, ETC.. The men
gave their names as Albert Stevens.
age 24. of Ft. Worth, Tex. and Robert
Gordon. age 2S, of Illinois. Mr.. Brown
and Mr.. Crawford held their prison
ers under guard and telephoned Sher-
itf Gullett, who in company with
Deputy Perrin, went out and got the
men, brought them to town and
placed them in the county Jail. The
next morning Sheriff Neill Cole and
! deputies from Lawrence county came
over and took charge of the prisoners
conveying them to Walnut Ridge
where they were placed in Jail
Regarding the third party to the
robbery, it is reported that man an
swering the description given by the
other two, passed through POcahOn-
tas at an early hour Saturday NORM
ing. but officials here not having been
notified Of the robbery. thought moth
ing of 1t until later in the day. The
same. man passed through Biggers a
few hours later going in the direction
of Poplar Bluff. but no further trace
Of the man is obtainable.
A dispatch from Walnut Ridge to
the daily papers Tuesday stated that
upon their arrival there. upon being
questioned closely by Attorney II. l..
Ponder they made clean breast Of
their past and a full confession as to
their part in this affair. They con.
tessed that they were both escaped
convicts from Oklahoma. They stat
ed that the third party, the man who
escaped and Is known as Frank" 4"
planned the Smithville robbery. That
they waited outside the town until
the lights went out and the people re-
tired for the night. Then they dug
into the bank and through the vault
ana finding that the safe was Of such
make that they could not blow It,
they took what money they could find,
together with S2O,OOO.OO in Liberty
bonds then burglarized the store.
stole tthe automobile and escaped as
above stated. They had planned to
go into Missouri and then switch back
10 Mammoth Spring and rob the bank
there Saturday night. Finding that
the Liberty bonds were registered and
therefore Of no use to them they were
burned.
a preliminary hearing was had at
Powhatan Tuesday afternoon where
each waived preliminary examination
ana asked that a special term Of court
De called Immediately so that they
could enter a plea Of guilty and begin
serving their sentences.
The reward Of $4,000, that Is al
ways paid for each and every bank
rohber that is convicted, will 90 to
jim Brown and ollie Crawford.
Each will receive $4,000.
Later-Wednesday's Arkansas Ga
Zette reported that the nrisnners had