The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1923-11-09
Building Is Reduced To
Ruins BY Blast
TORCH WAS THE DEVICE
art of Vault Flew Across the
Street, Damaging Soft
Drink Parlor

" CA0SA IAAo AAS& hAho SsC" SAS oes@N
of the Klossner State bank at Klos-
ner, a small village four miles north
OF New Ulm, and made away with
about $500 in currency and silver
and $1,000 in Liberty bonds.
The bandits gained entrance to
the safe by forcing the doors Of the
bank and then burning their way
through the vault doors with the
aid of acetylene torch.
Bank Building Demolished
According to the statement OF
Sheriff William julius OF New Ulm
to The Free Press, the bandits used
four shots of high explosives on the
safe before 1t was cracked. The
bank building is badly demolished
Part Of the safe was blown clear
across the street and through the
front window OF the Martin Schno-
brick soft drink parlor and through
two show cases and then 1t fell on
the floor.
The Schnobrick family and q
large crew of highway workmen
who were boarding there were
awakened by the explosions and
watched the bandits at work In the
bank. They could see one man pa
trolling the street. and not having
any firearms in the house did not
dare to 60 out. All Of the wires
leading in and out Of town had been
cut by the bandits.
Vettsr Saw Auto
George Vetter. cashier at the
Klossner State bank, got up about
three o'clock this morning to heat
some milk for sick infant. and saw
a machine drive up to the bank and
turn or the LIGHTS. He thought
nothing OF the matter until short
time later he heard loud report.
The men at Schnobrick's place es-
innate that IL took the bandits per-
haps twenty minutes or a half hour
to get the safe open and make their
getaway.
A blacksmith by the name OF Ko-
SEX saws that on Saturday ave SUI
spiciouB men were seen lettering
about the village.
Sheriff Phil julius says that the
robbers evidently drove in round
about way in order to reach Kloss-
ner. He tracked them by a peculiar
" marked tire as far as the VII
lage of CORTLAND on the road to
Mankato and then he lost the trail.
Four Charges Of Nitro
TIE robbers used four charges OF
nitro glvcerine to blow the inner
safe of the vault after removing the
outer door with acetylene torches.
The explosions were so terrific that
wreckaee was blown through the
plate glass windows Of the bank for
a distance Of more than 100 feet.
Residents of the little village
were powerless as the bandits had
first cat all wires leading into the
place.
tically a total wreck as a result OF
the heavy charges OF nitro glycer-
inc used in blowing the inner safe.
The bandits came to the village
fully quipped with sledge-hammers.
acetylene torches and other tools
used to batter their way through
the steel vault doors.
The party left In two automobiles
headed In the general direction OF
New Ulm. Officials of the county
have no clues, but have notiyed all
surrounding towns in this section OF
the state. Klossner is a little village
Of seventy.flve people on the Min
neapolis and St. Louis railroad.
The bandits left an acetylene tank
a pair Of plyers, aud other articles
behind them at Klossner, according
to the statement OF Sheriff Charles
Norman. He verified the statement
Of Sheriff William Julius OF New
Ulm In stating that the bank was
badly damaged by the repeated blasts
Of heavy explosives.
There were four or FIVE explo-
sions during the attempt to gain en-
trance to the safe. Some of the cur
rency was burned and torn to shreds
and a number Of silver dollars were
bent by the heat Of the blasts. This
IL the second time the Klossner
bank was robbed. The first invasion
was year ago last week.
Prior to the robbery last night the
bandits ripped the telegraph i instru-
apoiis and ST. Louis depot and cut
the wires leading from the depot.
Suspects Were kot There
The western front in the World
war was never in a more armed
state than q portion of Range street
in North Mankato this forenoon
when posses under the direction OF
Sheriff Charles Norman Of Nicollet
county and Sheriff Edward Ario OF
Blue Earth county surrounded a
certain house in that city on su-
spieion that the bank bandits, who
robbed the KlossnBr bank had taken
refuge there. Each deputy was
armed with shot gun loaded with
buckshot and an automatic pistol.
A car was seen 10 drive up to the
particular residence under SUI
spicion about four O'Clock this
morning, coming from the direction
OF New Ulr1. This led officer to
think that perhaps it was the gang
OF bandits. This house had been I'M
der suspicion for long time past.
House Was Searched
The house was finally searched
by Sheriffs Norman and Arfo and
their deputies. but no suspicious
evidence was found. Then the Of
fees drove down through the wilds
of the bottom lands to an old shack
thinking that perhaps the, bandits
had taken refuge there. All that was
found there was some frozen water
melons and old tin cans. So the
search ended. ......,
Women Were Frightened
While thaT house was being
guarded in North Mankato frighten-
ed women peeked timidly out OF the
windows, and one lady at least was
heard TO remark, "That fellow with
the rife looks tough enough to be
bank robber himself. But then I
know that he must BE an officer, and