The producers news., 1926-12-10
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By CHARLES E. TAYLOR -
THE PLENTYWOOD ROBBERY

The most unfortunate event OCCURRING
IN sheridan county since the Fa1mer-Labo
officials went into office, occurred Tuesday
evening, November 3Oth when two masked
men, appeared in the office of the county
treasurer, and at the point of guns ordered
Ihe treasurer and his deputy to lie down
on the 1IOor, face down, and keep still on
the threat oil DEATH while they went thru
the safe which the treasurer was inst ahout
to close, taking about $4,000 in cash
which he had in the safe, together with
about S6O,O0O worth of bonds and 2 few,
county warrants, all except $4,000 worth
OF which had been put up by the several
banks In the county as security for county
FUNDS, $4,000 of these bonds belonging to
the county, having been purchased by the
county last year, and $1,000 of Sheridan
county bonds, the property of Charley Ross
Ol Ihe North Raymond country, which had
ee n left with the county treasurer for
safe keeping. 1t was one of the LARGEST
hauIS made IN the west for some time. with
the possible exception of the holdup of the
bank at New Rockford, N. D.. about six
weeks ago, when bandits took over $780,
OOO IN cash and negotiable instruments. in
Droau daylight, In the middle of the dav on
Cne most prominent corner in that citv and
Speo away without leaving a trail or a clue
behind them.
Inc Sheridan county robbery was but
one OF series of rObberies that has occuy-
Ied IN the Northwest during the past two
Stlu halI mOnthS-Only a couple of weeks
before the Plentywood robbery. bandits
That answered the description of the thieves
that robbed the county treasurer. robbed |
bank IN the center of the city of Malta at
ABOUT 3 o clock and got away, taking S8.50O
along with them. Several people sittino in
!he MOTEL lobby afterwards remembered see
ing big car pa ked in the front of the
OanK Tor a while, which after few min
uIes orove or. No one thought thing
ABOUT 1t until an hour later. the cashier
worked himself loose, got the "gag" off and
gave the alarm. A few days later a store
Vas robbed IN the same town, and later the
pool hall was raided, the bandits getting
t11uS cOIsloefaOle ~ sum from big poker game
that was running at the time.
Robbery is alleged at Wheelock. N D.
where the bandits are believed to have kill
ed the cashier of the bank. A few davs
later bank near Crosby was held up.. Be
sides this there has been minor bolduns of
oil stations and store breaking.
For the past several years there has been
lot OF car stealing going on in Minnesota
and Dakota, in fact all over the United
States-a number of hot cars have found
their way into this section of the country :
and there is no doubt but there are local
parties who have been engaged in these ac-
tivities. :
But the facts show that there is as little
'oI CneSe activities here in Sheridan county
or about Plentywood as in any other conn {
ty IN this section of the state. S
oh
headquarters OF bandit gang is mere |
moonshlne-I Havre paper in a rabid
article the other day insinuated this. Yet
everybody knows that if there is A robbers t
roOst any place in the northern and eastern 9
part OF this state, that place is Havre. In {
1 Ct that city has a national reputation {
and 1t is not too great stretch of the imag- |
nation to believe that people in Havre. !
haVng connections right here in Plenty (
wood, know something about the Plenty 9
wood hOldup il
Just as soon as the news of the robbery :
OF the Sheridan county treasury was broad .
casted, the political enemies of the Farmer ,
Labor officials got busy with their politi- :
cal propaganda The writer was well aware =
that the most would be made out of the :,
Whole affalT-that he would be charged :
with the planning and the instigation of 4
the affair and in on the "divey." Every y
body knew that such an opportunity would =
not go unexplOited here in Sheridan coun- =
ty-and IN m any quarters in the state =
outside, but we are surely surprised that af- !
ter all OF the experiences of the past-of -
the fake kilograms and dispatches sent out 9
about Sheridan county officials that some =
OF the big dailies are still inclined to swal- =
low the balt-hOOk, line and sinker These i
papers may get wise sometime.
In reporting the robbery at Plentywood. A
al sorts Of stories were published stories K
that were false and insinuations that are q
3aseleSS were given publicity. It was evil m
dent on the face of the stories that the 8
wish was the father Of the thought in ev- ~
cry instance and any amateur reader could q
see that the articles were inspired-were w
and malicious. A.
Joe DOlin's paper, the Medicine Lake &C
Wave, come out with strong insinuations I'll
that the job was an inside one. working it. Fl
sell INTO frenzy and brain storm The bc
article was written right here in Plenty OF
wood, we have every reason to believe. bv 81
l ~. Mckee Il, g Olson orJ r N,,-4o5 /