The Mankato free press., 1923-09-21

were loaded with number six shot.
he thought this too light and lid
not try to shoot the bandits.
Phone Operator Awakened
Mrs. Anna Tresemer, in charge
OF the telephone central office at
Cleveland, was awakened she
thinks about midnight by a noise
on the side OF the house. She was
al a loss to know the meaning OF it
and went into the next room and
asked her son what he thought
about 1t, Just then she saw two
men cross the street and go into
the bank. A short time later she
heard the burglar alarm in the bank
ringing and hurried to the switch
board intending to warn the people
of the presence OF robbers in the
bank. 1t was then that Mrs. Thesm
er discovered that the telephone
wires had been severed The ladder
from the Milwaukee railroad yards
TO climb up and cut the wires was
still standing against the building
Yesterday afternoon. All telegraph
wires were also cut. Mrs. Trese
mer says that she could look from
her windows and see the bandits
patrolling the streets. She was ter
ibly frightened by the repeated
explosions and shooting on the
street.
Saw Three Men In Street
L. II. Allen, one of the merchants
OF Cleveland, in a statement to The
Free Press, said that he lives three
or four blocks from the First State
Bank. He was awakened by the ex-
plosions at the bank and got up,
but did not turn on the lights. After
hearing several shots and explo-
Sions he saw three men walking out
In the street and two others drag
ging a sack behind them on the
sidewalk. The sack, il later devel-
oped was the one containing the
loot. He heard one OF the men say:
I'VE will go in here and get a cal"
The dam thing is locked" said
another voice.
Il don't give a dam, will go in
TO the house and make the guy give
up the key"
Immediately following this, Mr..
Allen stated a man walked up to
the door and pounding on il yelled,
Hey you get up and give us the
key Of your machine and be dam
quick about it." Mr.. Allen stated
that he did not have thing TO de-
fend himself with, and kept still
Soon the bandits went across the
street, and stole the mail carriers
car, but the owner did not know
that until he was afterwards in
formed by Mr. Allen.
Saw Strangers In City
Hiss Dette Hunter, who operates
an ice cream parlor Just across the
street from the First State Bank,
stated TO The Free Press that on
the afternoon proceeding the roo
berry of the bank two young men of
medium height, spent quite a while
in the parlors chatting and eating
She Is sure that they were two OF
the gang which took part in the
robbery. She would be able TO
Identify Them.
William hunter. father of Miss
Dette Hunter, hearing the shooting
and explosions, said that he tried
to leave his home, which is around
a curve in the street and. some dis
tance away from the bank, and
give the alarm. He had no more
than got the door open, when he
was accOsted by one of the robbers
who said. Get back there or | will
blow .. your dam head Off" Mr..
Hunter says that this prevented his
giving the alarm to anyone outside
jf town.
Mrs. Charles Cook who lives
next door to the Hunters, stated
that she heard the bandit threaten
Mr.. Hunter, and an instant later
the man fired two pistol shots near
the robbers demanding Of L. H.
Allen that he come out and give
them the key to his automobile.
A number Of forty five calibre
automatic pistol shells were found
in the Danielson car Abandoned
along side of the road. In the bank
the robbers forgot Gladstone
bag containing Telephone
or telegraph pole climbers, chisels,
punches, flash lights, some dyna-
mite, "a unionalls made in the twin
cities and other odds and ends. On
the floo- were found a number of
Milwaukee railway crow bars and
other tools. .-r
Found silver Dropped
After the bandits had driven out
Of town, L. H. Allen found about
S25 in silver, which had been drop
ped by the thieves. In addition to
this he found the cash recepticles
taken from the bank which had
been thrown away in his garden.
Guy Hankins who lives two
blocks rom the bank, but who pn-
crates a store close to 1t, was
awakened about two o'clock by
shooting but thought that it was
lone boys celebrating.
Frank Flowers, cashier of the
First State Bank stated yesterday
that the bank is capital
tzed S25, 900, and has a surplus of
$4,000 Everything was fully COW
cred by insurance.
Charles D. Brown, manager Of
the protective department of the
Minnesota Bankers Association was
on the job yesterday afternoon and
came to Mankato last night In the
hopes of finding some Of the rob-
bers. who he thinks perhaps hid in
this city.