The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1924-05-29
D. w. Nadeau Of Tacoma
Audited, Irrigation and
Oil Company Books
FRIENDS BELIEVE
MISTAKE is MADE
Two Of Four Accused Men
Visited Rattlesnake
Wells Last Saturday

Kennewick friends and acquaint-
ances of d. w. Nadeau, arrested in
Tacoma Tuesday and accused of be-
ing one of the bandits who robbed
the Anacortes bank last month, re-
fuse to believe that he could have
In any way been connected with the
robbery.
Mr.. Nadeau, who is a certified pub
lie accountant and secretary of the
Tacoma Lions club, is rather well
known here. He has visited here
Z number of times and upon two oc-
casions was here for several weeks
while auditing the books of the CO.
lumbia Irrigation district and the
Walla Walla Oil, Gas and Pipe Line
company.
Other men held with Mr.. Nadeau
are:
Russell E. Evans. president of the
Evans Self-Sealing Fruit Can COM
pany, who claims to have an income
of more than $4,000 year, former
captain in the intelligence division
Of the navy and now member Of
the naval reserve.
Lawrence H. Lee, electrical engi-
neer retained by the City of Tacoma
on the Lake Cushman hydroelectric
power project: member of the Taco
ma Orpheus club, Worshipful Mas
ter Of Destiny Lodge, A. F.. and A..
NJ, and graduate of the Massachu-
setts Institute of Technology. II
Warren L. Ridley, Nadeau's broth
er-in-law, employee of the Walker
Cut Stone company of Tacoma, furn-
ishing some for construction of the
state capital buildings at Olympia.
The Citizens State Bank of Ana
cortes was held up last month and
robbed Of $4,000 in one Of the most
spectacular bandit raids in Northwest
history. Just before 8 o'clock in the
afternoon an automobile drew up in
front of the bank and three men
alighted from it, the third remain
ing at the wheel of the car. AS the
men entered the bank they fired to
intimidate the officers and employees.
One Of the bandits struck w. 7. Odlin
president of the bank, on the head,
knocking him unconscious.
Ordering Reno Odlin, cashier, to lie
face down on the floor, and Miss
Agnes Erholm, teller, to stand facing
the wall with her arms above her
head, the robbers scooped up $4,000
in cash and currency from the two
cages and escaped to their automo-
bile, on the way robbing a patron Of
the bank of $500 which he was about
to deposit.
Firing to frighten pedestrians, the
men drove away at high speed and
outdistanced pursuers, after colliding
with another automobile on the high
way. An organized hunt over the
entire section was carried on for sew
eral days, but the robbers were not
caught. Recently picknickers dis
covered the spot where the robbers
had camped and abandoned checks
and papers carried away in the rob-
berry.
According to the story told the OF
ficers by the prisoners, they were
away from Tacoma at the time of the
robbery and were in speed boat on
a hunting trip in Alaska. They cited
q clipping in newspaper telling Of
their Alaskan trip.
The officers say that Evans Tor
merly lived at Anacortes and that two
or three days before the robbery he
was seen there several times. The
officers also claim they have evidence
that speed boat which exactly an
swers the description Of one owned
by Evans and Nadeau, the Doreen,
was seen tied up at a wharf on
Fidalgo Island by woman who saw
four men leave in it, the time being
after the robbery. The automobile
used by the robbers was stolen m
Bellingham and was found abandoned
near the spot where the speed boat
had been anchored.
Officers went to Tacoma some time
ago where they obtained small pho