The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1924-02-14
A YOUTHFUL BANDIT
SHOOTS UP ST. CLOUD
SERIOUSLY WOUNDED AND CAP
TURED AFTER BADLY IN
JURING POLICEMAN.
WAS A LOCAL PRODUCT
POOL HALL RAIDED TWICE IN
SAME HT-DESPERADO
AN UNFORTUNATE
(St. Cloud Times, Feb. 8, 1924

(St. Cloud Times, Feb. 8, 1924
A youthful bandit lies dying in the
hospital, and a police officer is in a
dangerous condition today as a result
of a sensational hold-up last night,
followed by the most desperate gun
battle in the history of st. Cloud.
Steve Walkowiak, alias Steve Miller,
who held up the Branch and Ub-
recken pool hall Tuesday night, came
back for more last night, and got it.
The bandit, victim of series of
unfortunate circumstances, inaugur-
ated a short-lived reign of terror in
the city, which was abruptly termin-
ated on the north court house steps
almost at midnight when he was hem
med in by four police officers, who
held him at bay. Walkowaik, fight
ing to the last, fell with a bullet from
Police Officer Roy Dragoo's pistol,
and staggering down the court house
steps, fell into the arms of the police
men.
Shot Through Throat and Lung
This morning, wounded through
the throat and lung, the bandit lay on
his hospital cot, and prayed that he
might die. Doctors in attendance,
following an exhaustive examination
of his condition, gave him little
chance to recover.
In the next room, also on a hospital
cot, lies Joe Ebnet, st. Cloud police
patrolman, shot in the leg when he
attempted to stop Walkowiak as he
fled from the Kowalkowski and Voss-
berg pool hall.
H.11-o,,,;,1r LroI>o oil yDhhoyu r,ro.
cedent, when he returned a second
time last night to the Kowalkowsh
and Vossberg pool hall, and demand
ed more money than he had obtained
in his first visit. The first time he
was given sack full of pennies. The
second time he came back, he escaped
with S275 in cash and checks, only
to fall a few minutes later with two
policeman's bullets through his throat
and lung.
Enters Pool Room Swinging Guns
Swinging a gun in each hand, Wal
kowiak entered the pool room run by
Joe Kowalkowski and Louis Vossberg
last night at 1890, and ordered the
40 men within to throw up their
hands. The lower part of his face
was covered with a white handker-
chief. He advanced steadily to the
bar and demanded money. Walter
Lenges, bartender, handed over a
sack full of pennies. With the 40
men in the pool hall backed up
against the walls, the bandit made his
way to the rear door and escaped.
Angered by the trick that had been
played upon him, Walkowaik came
back to the pool hall at five minutes
to eleven. More than 60 men were
in the place at the time, attracted
by the first hold-up. When Walko-
WAX entered the second time, he fired
one of his pistols twice, the shots
going into the floor. The occupants
of the pool hall were ordered to put
their hands up again.
He threw onto the bar the bag of
pennies which had been given him on
his first visit, and demanded "real
money" this time.
At this point, Police Officer Joe
Ebnet stuck his head in the rear
door and opened fire. His first shot
went over the bandits head and
struck the large plate glass mirror be-
hind the bar. Walkowiak uttered a
cry of rage, and made for Ebnet.
are" he shouted, and dove for the
back door, Just as he reached the
back door, and was backing out. keep
ing the crowd still covered with his
levelled guns, Ebnet from the outside
shot Walkowiak. The bullet entered
his left shoulder from the rear, and
passed into his lung.
Ebnet was waiting outside, and as
the bandit staggered out backwards,
Ebnet ran to him, thinking he had
killed him. The bandit Strengthened
up and the two men grappled. Wal
kowiak fired into the sidewalk and the
heavy .38 calabre bullet richochetted
up into Ebnet's leg, travelling from
the calf well up toward the thigh.
Ebnet fell to the ground, and as he
fell, Walkowiak fled. He ran around
the front entrance of the court house
and around the terrace to the rear.
in the entry-way to the community
room, he sank exhausted, evidently
from loss of blood resulting from the
bullet wound in his shoulder and
lung.
Three officers, stationed by Chief
of Police Ed. Brick in the Thompson
Lumber Yards, saw the fugitive run
to the entry way, and ran across the
street. Standing on the terrace,
Walkowiak opened fire on the trio
of officers, and they responded. AS
the gun battle ragged back and forth
Officer Roy Dragoo, who was station
ed near Carter hall, ran down First
street mort to the court house. AS he
approached the Court House Square,
he saw the guns from both sides
flashing in the darkness.
Joe Kowalwowslxie, standing on the
steps of the county Jail, pointed to
Dragoo which man was the fugitive.
Dragoo ran down the street between