The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1925-01-15
WOMAN'S COURAGE
FOILS BANDITS
GrappIes 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
tionaI Meeting of Bankers.

When the wave OF crime against
banks. which has reached unprec
edented 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 resolute 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 il
In report to the protective authori
{ ties OF the Association. follows:
while was posting my ledger.
with my back to the door, | heard
commotion. When | turned around
there were two men back OF the coun-
ter. with handkerchiefs over their
faces The larger made jump for
my gun. before | realized what was
happening. The robbers each had a
gun pointed at me, and one said. Lay
down or | will shoot you!' said, 7
will not lay down and you viii not
shoot me- This conversation was re.
peated several times. told them TO
cut out their foolishness.
"A man who was Ia the corridor
when the bandits came laid down on
the floor, face down tried 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 nv
knees and hit me over the head. This
iolted my glasses and lifted my hand
waving 1t In front of his face and
telling him to wait a 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
seen, we must make our getaway
He then grabbed me rather roughly
and said: Come on herei You are
coming along!
Struggles With Robber
"Fere 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 it from one side
TO the other, and of course he was
determined to point II straight at me.
told him, y will not go and am not
afraid of you. You viii not shoot me-
I'VE fought to the back door of the
bank. When we got there. he raised
his arm to fire at Mosbv. l grabbed
him around the neck. and he fred be
fore | could get his hand | am posi-
tive that this man was never Rugged
so tightly. nor ever will be. as | hug
god him. realizing that | must fight
for my life The man tried his level
best to kill me. What the other man
was doing do not know. NY man
was trying to pull me ont the back
door to their car. which was still run.
ming. was determined he should moi.
ar. C. Lapsley. the mayor, or Ed
Mosby shot the man in the arm. There
was a Jerk and ont the door we went
Things were coming my way now. I
pulled the robber into the weeds. half
on his back and half on his left side
"The rohher finally said I will give
up said, Give me your gun He
answered, I will not: know Won will
shoot me- So the struggle kept on.
We got back on our feet I meant TO
have his gun and would fight him until
! got H. We fought through the back
room behind the counter He begged
me not to take him. and asked him
again for his gun and he said. No, 7
know you will shoot me- We strug-
gled through the front door and then
Constable Mosby said Drop your gun
or will shoot you' The bandit gave
mp and the men took charge OF him.
One Bandit Killed
"I wondered about the other bandit
and started to look for him and found
him in the closet in the back OF the
Dduh uyih6. N. -. l<otpoAt1 tOiu utt
afterwards that when the bandit and
I lurched through the back door the
larger man with his gun in his right
hand and the sack OF money in his
left. stepped up to the door. They
both fred at once. The robber drop
ped his gun and the money, but they
could not see what became OF him.
1 "1f all towns had as brave men as
we have here bank rohbing would be
a thing of the past You can under.
stand the remarkable craftsmanship
that was displayed. when I tell you
that In our struggle at the back OF
the bank the men took several shots
at the rohber. but were very careful
not to hit me. The robber got a shot
in his right arm and a glancing shot
in his left
"All during the shooting and fight.
ing. felt confident I would get the
best of my man. I felt that the man
would not shoot me. and like all West
srn women did not lose my nerve.
Bank robbers as a rule, are towards
and II one shows that he Is not afraid