The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1930-07-17
WILLMAR BANK
HELD UP TUESDAY
Five Armed Bandits Secure
Over 100000 in Cash
and Securities
WOMAN BADLY INJURED
Machine Gun Barrage Threw
the Citizens and Bank
Employees Into Panic

Willmar, July 16-Five armed
bandits held up the Bank of Will
mar Tues. forenoon subdued 25 en-
ployes, officials and custmers, kept
police and citizens at bay outside
the bank with whitening hail of
machine gun bullets, and escaped
with $1,000 in cash and bonds.
In a desperate effort to appre-
bend the bandits, every highway i'm
Minnesota and four adjoining states
was under heavy guard Tuesday
night, and descriptions of the ban
dts were being broadcast in every
direction.
-Four men, captured in the Min
neapelis loop Tuesday afternoon,
are being held while police investi-
gate their identity and possible
connection with the raid. The men
were unarmed, and only one put up
a fight. No large sum of money was
found on them. ,,.
The raid on Willmar was one of
the most spectacular daylight hold
ups in the history of the state
reminiscent of the days of Jesse
James and his bank raids.
The bandits literally "shot up the
town." and before they had finish
ed two women-mother and her
daughter, had been shot down by
gun bullets.
One of the bandits is known to
have been wounded during a gun
fight with citizens that occurred
just as the gunner were speeding
away from the city, leaving behind
them a populace that was stunned
by the suddenness and sheer audac-
ity of the raid. A second may have
been hit.
The raid, one of the most daring
and successful in the long annals
of bank banditry in this state, was
accomplished in eight minutes.
The desperadoes struck swiftly,
cowed the community into submits
sion, and then roared away, head
ing along the paved highway No.
10 toward Minneapolis.
"They took the town as we'll as
the bank" one of the victims re-
marked a short time after they had
disappeared.
Police throughout the section of
the state were notified and ambus-.
cades were laid along the leading
highways.
The raid-reminiscent of James:
brothers days when bandits "shot
up the town" as an aside to a rob-
bery-was planned with the utmost
daring. The Bank of Willmar is
one richest in it's district. It has
many employees, and it stands at
Fifth street and Litchfield avenue,
in the heart of a community of
5000 persons. It was believed to,
be impregnable against any day.
light holdup.
Against those defenses, the five,
bandits threw themselves with
reckless abandon. l
They drove up to the bank in a
large sedan at 1925 A. M. and got
into quick and deadly action.
The driver kept at his wheel,
glancing here and there for any
sign of resistance.
The lookout unlimbered his ma
chine gun, and set it roaring out
round after round of slugs. He
sent loaded spray along Fifth
street, and then another along
Litchfield avenue. Citizens fed i'm
terror as the random bullets smash
ed windows, and buried themselves
in the walls of buildings.
Two motorists, venturing into the.
line OF fire had their windshields
shattered about their ears. They
were Ole Barnstad and ]. H. Will
son.
Fronts of the Odd Fellows build
Ing and the Tallman Investment
building, across from the bank,
were clipped with bullets until they
looked as If they had stood a siege.
The courthouse, a block away, was
hit.
The sound of this machine gun
fire announced the grim, purpose
OF the pistol-armed bandits as they
burst into the bank. The rs oc-
cupants had already guessed their
purpose when they appeared.
When the bandits came in with
drawn guns, several employees push
ed signal buttons in their cages and
the burglar alarm began to sound
in the downtown district. Citizens
began to pour out of stores and
offices, but they darted back under
the machine-gun menace Of the
lookout.
The trio entering the bank vast
ed no time in preliminaries.
Lie down or we will kill YOU"
ordered the leader Of the gang, a
man about As years old. This is a
hold up. We mean business"
Most of the victims dropped i'm
mediately.
George Robbins, a vice president.
was somewhat slower than the rest.
and he receivd a vicious kick that
sent him sprawling.
Get down with the rest he was
told.
One Of the bandits stood guard
over the prone victims. His COM
panions went expertly about the
business of ransacking cash draw
ers and vault There -wsre large
sums lying about and they helped
themselves.