Washington telegraph., 1925-02-06
j. E. BEARDEN
Sheriff and Ex-Officio Collector for
Hampstead County, Arkansas.

"A man who was in the cory,Ao-
when the bandits came laid down q,
the foor, face down. I tried to arrrs
with the robbers and they began "A
get rough, bat something within me
seemed to realize that they we're gee.
ting confused. 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 nv
knees and hit me over the head. This
tolted my glasses and lifted nv hand.
waving 1t In front OF his face ana
telling him to wait minute. 7 toot
my glasses of and put them on tina
table. Lifting my hand caused TN,
man to look up and he saw we wers
observed from across the street. Then
ne saw Constable Mosby, with hi,
gun, and said to the man who wax
gathering the money, Don, we ara
soon, we must make our getawayv
He then grabbed me rather roughly
and said: Come on here! You ar,
coming along!'
Struggles With Robber
Here is where our struggle bex.,
All the time we fought over his run
1 did not try TO take II away from
MIN, but kept moving 1t from one side
70 the other, and Of course be Wa,
determined to point It straight at m.
l told him, 4 will not go and am not
afraid OF you. You will not shoot mep
We fought to the back door OF the
oank. When we got there, he raised
MS arm to fre at Mosby. I grabbed
MIN around the neck, and he fired be. |
fore could get his hand. am pos,.
i've that this man was never hugge6
% tightly, nor ever will be, as hur.
geo him. realizing that I must feht
Tor my life The man tried his Ieye,
best to kill me. What the other ma,
wos ooinr - ~s-,---..-- |
was trying to pull me out the bacl
door to their car. which was still run
ming. I was determined he should not
"R. c. Lapsley, the mayor, or Ed
Mosby shot the man in the arm. Their
was a Jerk and out the door we went
Things were coming my way now.
/ pulled the robber into the weeds. hal
on his back and half on his left side
The robber finally said, I will Civ
up said, Give me your gun II
answered. 7 will not; know you VII
shoot me- So the struggle kept on
We got hack on our feet. meant l.
have his gun and would fight him unit
got II. We fought through the bacl
room behind the courter. He begge
| me not to take him. and asked hir
again for his gun and he said, No,
know YOU will shoot me- We struj
gled through the front door and the
| Constable Mosbv said. Drop your gu
| or I will shoot you The bandit CAV
no and the men took charge Of him.
One Bandit Killed
IL wondered about the other band
and started to look for him and foun
him In the closet in the back OF tn
bank dying. r. C. Lapsley told m
afterwards that when the bandit an
7 lurched through the back door tn
larger man, with his gun in his rigf
hand and the sack OF money In HI
left. stepped up to the door. The
both fred at once. The robber droI
ned his gun and the money, but the
could not see what became OF him.
1T all towns had as brave men a
we have here. bank robbing would !
a thing OF the past. You can unde
stand the remarkable marksmansh'
that was displayed. when tell ~
that in our struggle at the back
the bank the men took several shc
AZ the robber. but were very caref
not to hit me. The robber got sh,
IN his right arm and a glancing sh,
in his left.
4 -All during the shooting and igh
ing. I felt confident I would get u
best of my man. felt that the ma
would not shoot me, and like all Wes
ern women did not lose my nerv
Hank robbers. as a rule, are cowart
and ~ one shows that he is not afra
~ them they will lose their nerve"