The Mankato free press., 1923-09-28
GLUE IN ROBBERY
CLEVELAND BANK
t.PeterL ads May Possess
information
VIEWS OF SHERIFFS
Claimed Two Boys On Hunt.
ing Trip Were Stopped
g BY Bandits

BOTH Sheriff Hugo Bolke or lie
Sueur county and Sheriff Charles
Norman -of -Nicoiiet county are now
OF the opinion that two st. Peter
lads could give officers valuable
information in regard to the sensa.
tional bank robbery staged by five
bandits at Cleveland, Mimi. Tues
day morning, when the thieves made
their getaway after Iooting the
First State Bank OF that village OF
approximately $4,000. .a-
Chief OF Police Phil Landmark
| learning that two St. Peter boys
made the statement Ihat they had
Deen stopped by the bandits while
on their way south through Cleve-
land on the night OF the robbery.
Yesterday afternoon sent Officer
Henry kachelmyer to st. Peter to
investigate. Major Kachelmyer was .
accompanied by Free Press re-
preventative. Both the scribe and
the officer received every courtsey
from Sheriff Charles Norman, Chief
or Police Michael Dempsey and
Sheriff Hugo Bolke. who arrived
there to hold a conference with
Sheriff Norman and Chief Demp-
sey. '...r ~. ~. = = =
Boys On Hunting Trip
According to the statement of the
two sherifts Melvin Rude and Clar-
ence Radke, two st. Peter boys, the
latter employed at the Lloyd Auto
Company's garage, left st. Peter
late Monday night or early Tues
DAY morning to go hunting south of
Cleveland. Clarence Radke did not
return to work for two days, and
when he did he acted frightened.
Melvin Rude after their return in
a confidential conversation with Law
Maxson, bar tender in a soft drink
parlor at st. Peter, said that he and
Clarence Radke were stopped by the
bandits, who were then shooting III,
the village Of Cleveland. but were
later let proceed on their journey.
according to the statement OF Mr..
Maxon young Rudke said pistol
shooting was then in progress In
Ine village, and as they drove soutl
after being permitted to do SO b,
the bandits, they heard a blast as
II some one had shot a charge or
dynamite.
That Ia Ford car was stopped by
the bandits while the looting of the
pank was In progress. seems to be
Dorne out by the fact that Alvin
Frleberg, a harness maker living
dlrectly across the street from the
bank. says that while the village
was In the troes Of excitement and
fear and the shooting, by the. ban
dts was taking place, a Ford car
drove into the village and was stopp
ed Jby the bandits. but he could not
see who was In the car. A short
time later. he heard the car drive
On again. 1t was also learned yes
terday that a new Ford drove
through the village.
Sheriff Had Interview
Seriff Norman in a statement tn
The Free Press to day says that he
interviewed two boys friends of the
hadke and Rude boys and they told
him that Clarence Radke and Mel
vim Rude after returning from their
hunting trip told them that they
Were held up by the bandits and
told to throw up their hands, After
OBTAINING them for a short time and
searching their old Ford car. they
Were told to beat 1t" and be Quick
about it,, The lads said that thew
stepped on the gas and as thew
were leaving the outskirts of the
village they heard blast as n
fired.
To both Sheriff Hugo Bolke anu
Sheriff Charles Norman both the
Radke boy and the Rude boy deny
that they made this statement
They seem very much frightened
and do not wont to talk The officers
think perhaps the lads were threat
ened with death II they told of the
noldup and are afraid to tell what
they know OF the affair, or else
wanted to make themselves cut big
In the eyes Of their boy friends by
stating that they had passed throuh
a thrilling experience with the bank
robbers. Sheriff Norman is still
working with the boys TO try and
make them tell exactly what ac-
cured while they were passing
through Cleveland. 1885
Sheriff Hugo Bolke. in state
mept to The Free Press YESTERDAY
evening sal dtat Mrs. Denis BALI.
the owner Of the Ford car in which
the bandits made their getaway. and
which they abandoned in North Man
kato Is very much pleased to know
that she can get her car back. She
is poor widow woman, and could
Ill afford to lose the machine. The I
car was turned over to Mrs. BALI
To-Day Dy Cnief or Police Ed Wfese
OF North Mankato, who had the
machine stored in the North Man
kato garage. .sE
Awakened BY Auto.
John Geiger, living at 724 Lyn-
dale Avenue, North Mankato. less
than half block from the spot
where the Cleveland Bank bandits
abandoned the car they stole from
Mrs. Dennis BALI Of Cleveland.>
stated to The Free Press this fore
noon that he was awakened by the
noise OF an old car passing his house
later the clock struck four. He was
surprised when he got mp at little
before six o'clock to see the car
standing along side of the road. He
says that the car was driven In from
the direction Of Main street bridge.
He did not hear any other cars drive
past after that.
l. "a