The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1927-05-20
WHEELOCK BANK
ROBBERS TAKEN
CONFESSES MURDER OF THE
CASHIER-LONG LIST OF
OTHER CRIMES
Farmers Press (williston, May 12]

Farmers Press CWilliston, May -
A gang of robbers and murder
ers that has been preying OF
towns of the northwest the pas
year was broken up last Monday
by the arrest of five men in Ano
ka, Mimi. The men caught in
clude Slim Gibson and Jack Nor
throp, who were believed to have
taken part in the Wheelock bank
robbery November ~, 1926.
The other six men held are Les
ter Northrop, alias McLain, and
his brother, Jack; Frank Barge,
Peter Peterson, Joe Schmidt and
AWE SteXinmetz.
In a confession to the officers
Monday night at Minneapolis. Glib
son stated that he had gone into a
bank at McGregor, n. D., alone on
the night of November 6, 1926.
and had blown the vault open, but
obtained no loot.
There were three of US" Glib
son said, naming the two others
who were with him. They were
John Northrop and Lester Barge.
ION the morning of November
u, l 26, we drove into Wheelock.
were too early. The bank
hadn't opened yet, so we drove
around the country for a while
and came back at $50 a. m.
"The bank was open then and
one of the others went inside the
bank. We we're looking around
he bank when I heard a noise in
he back room. l walked in and
his cashier (Peterson) grappled
With me. In the fight my gun
vent off and he fell to the floor
The other fellow got the money
md he beat t.. The three of us
rot S97 apiece out of the loot.
Says Pal Held Out
Bank officials reported a loss of
800 in the robbery and when Glib
ION heard this, he accused the
ither man whom he named as his
'artner in the robbery of having
the difference himself.
He said that the three escaped
nto Minnesota after the robbery.
A check on the banks fund
bowed that the robbers had miss
d some money in the vault and
100 in silver which had been lay
ng on the counter.
Peterson, who was shot twice in
he head, died about two hours
forwards on November u. He
led without regaining conscious
.ess.
The crime was first discovered
" G. o. Hougen, an employee of
he First State bank of Wheelock,
which is situated across the street
rom the Citizens State bank.
Rewards amounting to S16,0 600
offered for the arrest of the
ersons who participated in the
illing and warrants charging muir
er and robbery were issued for
he arrest of Lester Barge, 26,
ohm Northrop, SO. a relative of
and Ray Moore, 80, an ex-
1t later was learned that
ToOre was serving a sentence in
4 Ohio prison at the time and
oud not have been with the trio
no committed the crime.
Sheriff Marshall and States
ttorney Lake left Wednesday for
noka to lay their evidence be-
re the Minnesota authorities.
II. Lake will go by way of Bis
ark to secure extradition papers.
nited States Marshall Gunwald-
IN, who is also going to Anoka,
ated in a telephone talk to the
leriff here that he believed one
the men caught was VIM. Barge I
no broke jail here last August.
List Of Part of Grimes
Frank "Slim" Gibson, also known
"Slim" McClain, who was the
leader. in a signed confess
on admitted that he had had a
Lrt in the following crimes: :
The murder of Frank Dahlin, F
wn marshall of Isanti. Gibson's
nfession said he shot DahIin
ice as the gang was attempting
break into a warehouse at Is
I'll, December 81, 1926. :
The shooting of Gus Peterson, ,
station attendant at Isanti, in
robbery April %. Gibson con-
ssed that he was the man who
ndcuffed Peterson to a post and
en- shot him.
Two r~obberies at Zimmerman,
inn. In the last robbery, May
a gang of five men stole 1000
tires from the shop of j. w.
agney. They engaged in a run
lg gunfire with deputy sheriffs -
10 attempted to stop them. Two n
the five fled into the woods
nth of Elk river, shooting Ed G,