Evening star., 1925-11-24
BAND Of ROBBERS
TERROR|zES TOWN
CassopoIis, Mich, Citizens
Driven to Cover by Barrage
While Safe Is Blown.
By the Associated Press.

by lhe Associated Press
CASSOPOLIS Mich. November
24.-Armed bandits terrorized Cassop-
oils for nearly three hours early to-
day. firing at every resident who
dared to appear on the street, and
finally roared out of town to the stac-
cato accompaniment of their own re
volvers after failing to rob the First
National Bank
Their number was Variously esti-
mated by excited Cassopolis residents
at from five to ten. From the con
fusion of scores of accounts by per
sons whose temerity led them to see
what all the shooting was for. and
whose better judgment almost as
quickly sent them out of sight and
gun range. this is what happened
The bandits entered Cassapolis
shortly after am. today. They
bound the night watchman and three
other men who were in two all night
restaurants, cut telephone and tele-
graph wires leading out of the city
and for two and one-half hours owned
the town. At 4:45 am. after an in
effectual attempt to break the vault of
the First National Bank, the bandits
left in an automobile, heading toward
Niles.
Citizens Driven to Homes.
During the time they held undis-
puted possession of this CaSs County
seat town the bandits fired between
100 and $50 shots (again the accounts
of eyewitnesses are at varianice), and
only one shot was fired in return.
Revolvers and sawed-off shotguns
were used. and the targets were any
who appeared on the streets or who
Shn O. n +
residences near the business section.
George Jones. stock buyer. was
the only casualty. AS he emerged
from his house he was greeted with
a volley. A shotgun slug inflicted a
neck wound, and he retreated into the
house.
The gunner worked methodically.
Immediately upon arrival two of them
took guard positions outside Patrick
Wallace's aIl-night restaurant. The
others entered the place and forced
Wallace, Clyde Benham. night watch
man, and Hershey Cooper to line up
against the wall. Each prisoners
hands were bound behind his back
Leaving a guard over the men, the
other bandits went to another restau-
rant and treated its proprietor, John
Barney, similarly.
Then the wires were cut. Only one
stand was overlooked-the wire con-
Meeting Cassopolis with Niles-and it
was over this wire that a telephone
operator soon afterward sounded the
alarms.
Safe Door Dynamited.
The front door of the First National
Bank then was forced the robbers
taking their four prisoners inside with
them. The outer door of the safe was
dvnamited, no effort being made to
deaden the sound Of the explosion, and
the noise brought several persons to
the street and to windows.
Then the guns Of the bandits on
guard spoke. There apparently was
no effort to kill. The revolver and
shotgun barrage was a sinister
warning
Five charges of dynamite were ex-
ploded, the outer door of the vault
being torn away, but the inner door
withstanding the bandits efforts.
A Mrs. August. night telephone op-
orator. notified officers at Niles while
the bandits still were at the bank and
roads leading out of Cassopol1s were
Immediately placed under guard.
Dr. James kalsey offered the only
resistance the gunmen met. Called by
the telephone operator, who told him
there was trouble at the bank, DR..
TIalsey drove downtown. One of the
bandit guards began shooting under
his car. Dr. Kalsey fired shot at
the man and then drove away amid
storm Of shotgun slugs from the
bandits gun.
Shooting came from so many quar-
ters during the raid that many per-
sons believed 10 men must have par
ticipated in the invasion. Only five
men were seen, however. Two wore
masks and appeared youthful. Each
of the others was described as so or
more years old.
Main street today looked like a
thorou ghfare that had stood the siege
of an invading army. Windows were
shattered and exploded revolver and
shotgun shells were lying in the
streets. The walls of buildings were
marked with bullets. !.
Bandits Shoot Policeman.
CHICAGO, November "a NS.-Five
or six robbers held up bank messen-
ger and his guards. shot a policeman
in a pistol fight and escaped with
approximately $4,000 being taken
from one bank to another.
Radio Prosrams-Page 80.