The Glenwood post., 1925-01-08
I. &C.. ~....... 80 : COURAGE
.FOAS BANDITS
Grapp'es With Armed Robbers
Who Attempt to Hold Up
Her Bank.
UNARmED, WINS LONG FIGHT
One Bandit Killed and Other
Wounded When Men Come to
Rescue-Story Told at Ma
tional Meeting Of Bankers.

| AotAs UVCSuSA VI OdiINCI os
When the wave Of crime against
banks. which has reached unprec.
sdented proportions. was under dis.
cussion At the recent meeting of the
American Bankers Association at Chi
cago. and defense measures were up
for consideration, the bankers were
told how one resoluts woman defend
ed herself against two armed despera.
does in her little Western bank The
woman was Mrs. Mary Clearinghouse.
cashier Of the State Bank of Vera,
Oklahoma, which she conducts single.
handed. Her own story, as she told 1t
in report to the protective authori-
ties of the Association. follows:
while l was posting my, ledger
with my back to the door, l heard
commotion. When l turned around
there were two men back Of the coun,
ter. with handkerchiefs over their
faces. Tho larger made a jump for
my gun. before I realized what was
happening. The robbers each had
gun pointed at me. and one said, Lay
down or will shoot your said. 4
will not lay down and you will not
shoot me- This conversation was re-
-peated several times. told them to
cut out their fooIishness.
"A man who was in the corridor
when the bandits came laid down on
the floor. face down. trieo to argue
with the robbers and they began to
get rough, but something within me
seemed to realize that they were get
ting confused. kept thinking that
some one would come in or see us.
1.-THE larger man got busy with the
money. while the smaller one took
care of me. He jerked me to my
knees and hit me over the head. This
jolted my glasses and lifted my hand,
waving 1t in front Of his face and
telling him to wait minute I took
my glasses of and put them on the
table. Lifting my hand caused this
man to look up and he saw we were
observed from across the street. Then
he saw Constable Mosby. with his
gun. and said to the man who was
gathering the money, Don. we are
|
He then grabbed me rather roughly
and said: Come on here! You are
coming along!'
Struggles With Robber
Here is where our struggle began.
All the time we fought over his gun.
did not try to take 1t away from
him. but kept moving II from one side
to No oth T.
determined to point 1t straight at me.
l told him. I will not go and am not
afraid of you. You will not shoot met
I'VE fought to the back door of the
bank. When we got there. he raised
his arm to fire at Mosby. grabbed
him around the neck. and he fired be
fore I could get his hand am posi-.
tive that this man was never hugged
80 tightly. nor ever will be. as hug
ged him, realizing that I must fight
for my life. The man tried his leve1
best to kill me. What the other man
was doing do not know. My mar
was trying to pull me out the back
door to their car, which was still run
ming, was determined he should not
'R. C. Lapsley. the mayor. or Ed
Mosby shot the man in the arm. There
was Jerk and out the door we went
Things were coming my way row.
pulled the robber into the weeds. hal
on his back and half on his left side
"The robber finally said. I will give
up said. Give me your gun He
answered, 7 will not: know you will
shoot me- So the struggle kept on
| yo Han ~ 4.
have his gun and would nght him unit
got 1t. We fought through the bach
room behind the counter He begged
me not to take him. and asked hin
again for his gun and he said No
know you will shoot me- We strug
gled through the front door and thel
Constable Mosby said, Drop your gul
or will shoot you The bandit gav'
up and the men took charge of him
One Bandit Killed
'T wondered about the other bandi
and started to look for him and fount
him in the closet in the back OF tn,
hank dying. r. C. Lapsley told MI
afterwards that when the bandit ant
I lurched through the back door tn
larger man. with his gun in his rirh
hand and the sack OF money in hi
left. stepped up to the door The
both fred at once. The robber dror
ped his gun and the money. but the,
could not see what became OF him.
'Tf all towns had as brave men "a
we have here. bank robbing would b
thing OF the past. You can under
stand the remarkable marksmanshi
that was displayed, when I tell yo
thai in our struggle at the back o
the hank the men took several shot
at the robber. hut we're very caretu
not to hit me. The robber got a she
In his right arm and glancing she
in his left.
"Ali during the shooting and fgh,
t.r SaIt oopHdopf would cot N