The Monmouth inquirer. [volume] (Freehold, N.J.) 1865-1933, 1925-01-08
KlDMAN,S COURAGE
FOILS BANDITS

4 @A~~R eONN%~AAO1
/ edented proportions. was under dis
cussion at the recent meeting OF the
American Bankers Association at Chi
4 cage. and defense measures were an
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 it
in report to the protective authori-
s ties Of the Association. follows:
While was posting my ledger.
with my back TO the door. heard e
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 q
gun pointed at me, and ona said, Lay
down or VIII shoot your said. I
WIN not lay down and you VIII not
shoot me- This conversation was rp-
peated several times, told them to
cut out their foolishness.
"A man who was IN 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. I kept thinking that
some one would come in or see us.
@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
5oIted my glasses and lifted my hand,
waving It In front Of his face and
telling him to wait a minute. 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 m0negs Don. we are
seen. we must make our getawayls
He then grabbed me rather roughly
and said: Come on herel You are
coming alongl'
Struggles Win Robber
~Here is where our struggle began.
An the time we fought over HIS gun,
I did not try to take It away from
him, but kept moving II from one side
to the other. and Of course he was
determined to point It straight at me.
told him. win not go and ] am not
afraid of you. You win not shoot ma!'
I'VE 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 that this man was never Rugged
80 tightly, nor ever win be, as hug
ged 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 stfIl rum
ming, was determined he should not.
en- G. 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 now.
pulled the robber into the weeds, half
on his back and half on his left side.
~The robber finally said. Z win give
up / said. Give me your gum Ha
answered, Z win not: know you w4fl
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 IL 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.
know you win shoot me- we strug-
g1ed through the front door and then
Constable Mosby said. Drop your gun
or win shoot you.' The bandit gave
mp and the nen took charge Of him.
One Bandit Killed
Fl wondered about the other bandit
and started 20 look for him and found
him IN the closet in the back of the
bank dying. r. @. I.Apsley told me
afterwards chat when the bandit and
! lurched through the back door the
larger man, with HIS gun In his right
hand and the sack Of money IN hts
lefk, stepped up to the door. They
both AIRED at once. The robber drop
pad his gun and the money. but they
could not see what became OF him.
asIg all towns had as brave men az
wa have here, bank rcbbing would he
thug Of the past. You can unders
"a. 4.