Iron County news. [volume] (Hurley, Wis.) 1913-1950, 1925-01-10
bNAN'S. COURAGE
| FOItS BANDITS
GrappIeS With Armed Robbers
Who Attempt to Hold Up
Her Bank.
EUNARMED, WINS LONG FIGHT
'0t 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 al the recent meeting OF the
american Bankers Association at Chi
cage, 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 II
in. report to the protective authori-
ties Of. the Association. follows:
while was posting my ledger.
with my back to the door. heard a
commotion. When i turned around
there were two@nen back of the coun-
ter. with handkerchiefs over their
faces. The larger made a jump for
happening. The robbers each had a
gun pointed at me. and one said. Lay
down or ! will shoot youl' | said, I
will not lay down and you will not
shoot ne This conversation was re-
peated several times. told them to
1ut out their foolishness.
"A man who was in the corridor
when the. bandits came laid down on
the floor. face. down. I tried to argue
Witbethe robbers and they began to
ret rough. but something within me
seemed to realize that they were gel-
ting confused. kept thinking that
some one would come in or see us.
"Tne larger man got busy with the
money. while the smaller one took
care OF me. He ierked me to my
knees and hit me over the head. This
jo"ed my glasses and lifted nv hand
waving it in front of his face and
telling him to wait a minute. took
my glasses off and put them on the
table. Lifting my hanG caused this
man to lookup and he-saw we were
observed from across the street. Then
he saw Constable Mosby. with his
gun. and said to the man who wa
gathering the money. Don. we are
seen we must make our getaway
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 it from one side
to the other, and OF course he was
determined to point IL straight at me.
Il told hina 4 will not go and I am not
afraid0f you. You will not shoot me-
We fought to the back door of the
bank. When we got there. he raised
his arm to fire at Mosby. I grabbed
him around the neck, and he fired be-
fore could get his hand. am posi-.
tive thaG this man was never Rugged
so tightly. Moreover will be. as hing.
Eed him. realizing that I must fight
for my life. The man tried his level
best to kill me. What the other man
was doing do not know. My man
was trying to pull me out the back
door to their car which was still run
ming. ! was determined he should not
r. G -Lapslev the mayor. or Ed
Mosby shot the man in the arm. There
was a Jerk and out the door we went
Things were coming my way now.
pulled the robber into the weeds. hall
ion his back and half on his left side
The rebber finally said. 4 wiu-give
up I=said. Give me your gun 4He
answered. Twill not. know you VIII
shoot me- So the struggle kept on
We got back on our feet meant tc
have his gun and would fight him until
got It. We fought through the back
iroom behind the counter. He begged
sme not to take him. and asked him
again for his gun aSd he said. No.
know you win shoot me- We strug
gied through the front door and Their
Constable Mosby said. Drop your CUR
or viii shoot you The bandit gave
op and the men took charge Of him.
One Bandit Killed
7 wondered about the other bandit
aBd started to look for him and found
him in the closet in the back Of the
bank dying r C.1Lapsley told me
afterwards thatzwhen the bandit and
llurched through the back door the
larEer man with his gun In bis right
banda and the sack Of money in his
left, stepped up TO the door. They
both fred at once. j. The robber drop
ped his gun and the money, butathey
could not see what became OF him.
III all towns had as brave men a,
re have here. bank robbing would h
thing of the past You can under
stand thee remarkable marksmanshi,
that was displayed. when I tell -yor
thatte in our struggle at the back o.
De bank the men took several shot,
q the robber~ but were very careful
10 bit me. The rohber got a shot
=. his right arm and "a glancing sho-
= his left.
~All during the shooting and fight
20. felt confident would get thu
IS OF ny man felt that the mar
~onld not shoot me. and ike all West
= women did not lose ny nerve
49, robbers, as a rule. are coward,