The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1923-09-27
BURGLARS LOOT
DEPOSIT BOXES
BREAK INTO ENNIS BANK AND
TAKE AWAY MUCH LOOT,
BONDS AND CASH.
Cut Telephone Wires and Block
Communications; Robbery Not
Discovered Until Six Hours After
Its Commission.

lSOiatlng the town Dy cutting
telephone connections in both di-
rections, bank robbers forced an
entrance to the Southern State
bank at Ennis, in Madison county.
and after rifling between 25 and
80 safety deposit boxes, escaped
with an unknown amount of loot,
including Liberty and other bonds,
jewelry and possibly cash.
A general alarm was sounded
warning police and sheriffs to be on
the lookout for the robbers.
At least two and possibly three
bandits are believed to have taken
part in the robbery, n of whom
stood guard outside while the otheds
entered the bank. With all roads
leading into Ennis almost as hard as
pavement it was impossible to even
determine the direction they had
taken after the robbery.
Toward the Park
1t is believed, however, they may
have headed up the Madison river in
the direction of West Yellowstone,
near the park, where an exceptional
ly rough country would afford them
ample means of concealment. Several
other avenues of escape could also
have been taken by them, either in
the direction of Virginia City, Norris
or east toward the West Gallatin
country.
Boring a hole in the door of the
main entrance, the robbers forced
the lock by apparently inserting a
heavy iron rod. Entrance to the
safety deposit vault was gained in a
similar manne Using a steel drill,
they had bored a hole in the heavy
lock and then forced the catches by
driving in an iron rod.
Under sheriff B. 0. Bannell of
Virginia City, who is now investigat-
ing the robbery, declared the bandits
had left no trace of their identity.
Robbery of the bank was discovered
on the morning following the rob-
berry at $3.50 o'clock, when assistant
cashier Ennis arrived.
Door Wrecked
The heavy front door had been
badly splintered and eft standing
partly ajar. The interior of the bank
and safety deposit vaults was in
chaos. Pieces of silverware, papers
and other valuables Uttered the
floor, while the locks to the safety
deposit boxes were lying in a heap in
one corner. Every vault had been
Cashier Hugh Wakefield de-
clared there were no means of de-
termining the amount of loot OBJ
until depositors made their
reports. 1t is known, however, that
jewelry and Liberty bonds were
The bank officials declared
The depositors had been warned some
lime ago not to cave too many val
in their vaults.
This warning was sent out to the
customers soon after the robbery of
he bank at Sheridan almost a year
lgo when thousands of dollars in
-aluables and securities were stolen
till a more recent robbery was at
Ielmville about six weeks ago when
he bank was broken into. In this
Instance, however, the robbers were
away without gaining en-
rance to the vaults.
AS yet no person has been found
n Ennis who reported seeing any
uspicious characters around the
own earlier in the night. Inasmuch
S the little town is a fishing resort
listed every week by hundreds of
trangers the robbers could have
cen about the village for several
avs without attracting special at
Mrs. Ennis, wife of the assistant
asher, was the only person who
ould throw the slightest light on the
obbery. She declared she had been
wakened about 2 o'clock in the
forming by the sound of hammering.
While listening to the hammering
be also heard the clock strike 2 o.
1t is in this manner that the
our of the robbery was fixed.
Paying little attention to the
Disc, however, Mrs. Ennis went
ack to sleep and did not hear the
eparture of the robbers, who I'M
oubtedly had an automobile.
When the robbery was discovered
n effort was made to locate Sheriff
Longold of Virginia City and it was
cen cut. Further Investigation
lowde the town had been isolated
the east by cutting the wires
bout a quarter of a mile outside I
lie village. To the west, the line
ad been cut near the edge of town. /
ladder which had been obtained 6
,me distance away and which had {
cen left standing against a tele- t
none pole showed the name in
hich the robbers had reached the |
i
observation-disclosures is assuming
-e attitude that she should not pay !
lck to America the three billions she
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