Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-02-06
COED BANK ROBBER
SOBS IN HER CELL
Girl Begs to Have Burglary
Attempt Kept From
Widowed Mother.
BY the Associated Press.

| VERMILION, S. Oak, February 5.
Desire for a university education
pressing need of $24 for freshman
tuition fees--led a 19-year-old Univer-
sity of South Dakota coed into an un-
successful attempt TO rob the First
National Bank here today.
With stolen tools Miss Marion
Meyers forced entry to the bank in
the early morning darkness, only to
meet failure and arrest
Just as she was about TO apply an
electric drill to the banks vault door,
patrolman on bis rounds n'arnle 1
her antf she fied. Al few minutes
later they found her, huddled in
fright, on rear stairway.
Her courage gone, broken and
racked by sobs, she cried herself to
sleep tonight in the county Jail,
where she will remain until her pre-
liminary hearing Monday on charge
of attempted robbery.
Wants Mother Spared.
"For heavens sake, don't tell
mother" was her constant plea, not
knowing that her widowed mother,
Mrs. NJ. l.. Meyers, was expected here
from Woonsocket, S. Oak, where she
works in a restaurant
While States Attorney III. D. Per
kins and other officials sought for evil
dence of male accomplices, -he girl
steadfastly insisted that she had been
alone. The finding Of a boy.sh cam
pus hat with her name printed on the
brim, led to her identification.
Telegraph wires in the alley behind
the bank and telephone wires within
the building had been cut in q man
ner that officials believed pointed to
the participation of accomplices.
Prof. G. c. Josey, in whose home
| the girl worked for her board and
room, said she had been little
/! queer" but had no criticism of her
previous work or behavior.
Claim Dresses Stolen.
| One phase under investigation was
| the insistence of several sales girls
| from a local store that number of
dresses found in Miss Meyers room
! had been stolen from the store last
| October
| Questioned by Perkins, Miss Meyers
declared her need of the tuition money
| for the second semester's freshman
work was her only motive in attempt
! ing to rob the bank. She intended,
!
pay it when she could.
/ Tools used by the girl were stolen
from a local garage last Monday
night, including the electric drill, and
she carried them to the bank in a
| suitcase,
/ One of the rear doors of the main
banking room was "jimmied" TO gain
admission, after she had tried hnsuc-
cessfully to climb through a transon.
fINn 1.silI n
! light socket when Patrolman Denny
| Sullivan peered into the room and
saw the tools. The girl had fled at
his approach.
Betrayed by Sobs.
| With another patrolman. Sullivan
went around the building few min
utes after his discovery, found a
broken window, and soon the girPs
sobs led them to the stairway where
she crouched.
DIR. Josey said he had given the girl
/ a place In his home at the request of
her mother, who came here with the
girl from Valley City, N. Dak.i last
Summer to get her started at the UNI
/ versity.
$50 far as I know, she did not have
any boy friends" DIR. Josev said to-
night. II insisted on her being IN the
house by 10 or 1890 each nigh. She
did not seem to have any intimate
friends, either boys or girls"
Word received today from Valley
/ City was that Miss Meyers graduated
| from the Valley City High School,
and while there worked for her room
/ and board at the home of a prominent
family. Her conduct rhere was re-
garded as excellent and she was a
prominent student" according to the
information.