The Mankato free press., 1923-09-21
THRONGS VISITED
TOWN YESTERDAY
Viewed Wreckage Of Ban
dts At Bank
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
Gang Not Composed of ANA
teurs, But Professionals;
Incidents Told

Galcsburg, Ill.,, September 19.
Five bandits blew the safe Of
the Farmers bank at Joy at two
o'clock this morning and escap-
ed with about $4,000 in cash.
Five charges Of dynamite were
used. Telephone wires leading
into the city were cut.
[By Staff Correspondent
Cleveland, Mimi. the scene OF a
daring bank robbery OF Tuesday
morning, was the mecca of curios .
sity seekers all day yesterday. New
er in the history OF the little viii
lage have SO many people visited
the section in one day as yesterday
."he news OF the daring holdup OF
the entire village, while robbers
worked for two hours in order TO
eiCw the vaults OF the First State
Bank spread like wild fire. People
fl ON al OF the surrounding towns
drove over in their cars. Inc First
State Bank with its plate glass
windows shattered by repeated ex -
plosions, and the interior wreckeu,
was the center OF attraction. People
who had becn driven indoors by
the bank bandits, while Lhey were
operating on the strong box OF
First State Bank, were kept busy
repeating the details OF the holdup
and robbery.
sto.en Buick Six
Christ Danlelson, the owner OF
the car abandoned by the bandits
near Cleveland. says that he now
thoroughly believes in the saying
that it is a bad wind that does not
blow somebody good" This car, 4
Buick Six. vas stolen from the
Danielson garage On the night or
Septembe s. The speedometer on
The machine indicates that the
thieves drove 1900 miles since it
was stolen yesterday afternoon,
Mr.. and Mrs. Christ Danlelson,
Chief of Police Phil Landmark,
Peter Erickson, an expert machinist
at the Danielson garage, and rep
resentative OF The Free Press
drove out to Cleveland. When the
party arrived there a large crowc
OF curious people was gathered on
the Sidewalk in front of the First
State Bank. while other groups
were standing along the street az
frequent intervals discussing the
robbery OF the night before. 1T was
then that It was learned that the
robbers in an endeavor TO start Ine
Danielson car quickly threw on the
full power and stripped a pinton on
the axel shaft This put the car out
OF commission, and 1t was then
that the bandits returned to the
main part OF the village and stole
another car with which TO make
their getaway. The damage to the
DanielsOn car was quickly repaired
yesterday and It was driven back to
this city by Peter Erickson. Aside
from being muddy the machine is
in good shape.
The man and woman who per
haps went through the most thrill
ing experience Of any Of the village
folks during the exciting two hours
of the holdup and robbery were Mr..
and Mrs. Harry Busse, who live on
the rear of a lot right next to tho
First State Bank.
- Mrs. Busse in statement 10
The Free Press yesterday after =
noon. said that she had often read
aud heard Of robbery but she never
wanted to pass through the exper-
Ience of Tuesday morning. The
last | remember after learning tnat
q man was on the front porch
threatening to shoot my husband
n he did not keep inside the house,
Was that a second robber came up
ON the back porch. ] guess l then
tainted from fright. ! never was so
frightened in my life, and Will re-
mem Der the experience as long as
live"
Mr.. Busse in his statement TO
The Free Press said that he had
intended to 20 up stairs and shoot
at the bandits from an upstairs WIN :
dow. but his wife tainted and thelr
infant child began to scream. HoI
being able to get his wife upstairs
out Of danger, he heeitated to starr
a gun battle with the robbers: EV :
ery time the bandits fired charge
of high explosives, the Busse resi-
dence vas shaken to Its foundaIion
and the windows ratified. Whlle
this was in progress, at frequent
intervals the yeggs shot their pl3
tolls In the air, he thinks TO intiml-
date anyone who was awakened Dy
the noise"
Were Expert Shots
Mr. Busse called attention TO tue
fact that the thieves were expert
shots, An electric light shield over
an incadescent' light In front OF the
T. III. Allen store had been shot al
.y one of the guards left outside
he bank by the robbers. Four Tor-
~ five calibre pistol bullet holes
we're punched In the light shield IN
a circle less than five inches in d.
smeter. The last bullet fired seems
to have made bulls eye and went
directly through the electric light
Jacob Block. proprietor of the
commerical Hotel stated to The
Free press that he was awakened
Nv the explosions and we=< to an
unstairs window. He saw Ia man
standing near the corner II the
bsnk shooting repeatedly H. the all
toward the electric light over the
Allen store. He had shot gun In