The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1931-12-28
Identified as
Wilton HOldup Men
Pair Arrested in South Dakota
Recognized by Employees
of Bank
PROBE HURDSFIELD AFFAIR
Robbery in Sheridan County
Mentioned in Connection
With Investigation

Washburn, N. D., Dec. 28.-lP-
Identified by employees of the First
National Bank of Wilton as the men
who robbed the bank Dec. 8, two men
held here were questioned further by
Mclean county authorities Monday
with a view Of determining whether
they should be charged with bank
robbery.
A new investigation also has been
launched into the robbery Of the
Farmers and Merchants bank of
Hurdsfield. Gates, and three other
men were charged with the robbery
of the bank, but were released, fol-
lowing the dismissal Of the case
against two Of the men at a pre-
liminary hearing at Fessenden a year
ago.
To Seek Gates Release
William LANCER, Bismarck attor-
ney, counsel for Gates, left for Lin
ton Monday to confer with his client.
LANCER said he would seek the release
of Gates on the charge of obtaining
money under false %pretenSes. He said
If any effort IS made to connect Gates
with the Wilton robbery, he would
produce evidence to show Gates was
elsewhere at the time.
The arrest OF Gates and his two
companions came after they had
stopped at Linton and cashed travel
ers' checks which are alleged to be
bogus. The two men were said by
Emmons county officials at Linton 70
have admitted cashing the checks.
Gates denies that he had any knowl-
edge the checks were worthless when
he vouched that they were good. He
claims to have vouched for the checks
in the belief they were valid.
Mclean county officials are In
vestigating to determine whether the
checks were stolen from the Wilton
bank.
States Attorney G. A. Lindell and
Sheriff A. J.. Loudenbeck left Monday
for an unannounced destination, but
indicated that on their return they
would be prepared to announce the
outcome OF the investigation, which
has been carried or for the last week
with great secrecy.
The suspects, Walter Underwood
and Leslie J. Swift, both from South
Dakota. were said by authorities to be
%convicts. John Gates. former sheriff
OF Sioux county, is In Jail at Linton
where he also was questioned regard
ing the holdup.
The three men are charged with OBJ
tanning money under false pretenses,
as a result Of cashing travellers checks
at Linton recently. While Gates is
held at Linton, his two companions
were turned over to Mclean county
authorities for questioning In connec-
ton with the bank robbery, and were
brought to Washburn.
A. M. Dahl, cashier OF the Wilton
bank and Miss O. Ch~risttanson. Ste
nographer, were bank employees who
identified the men. Both deny the
accusation while Gates plans to prove
an alibi that he could not have been
in the Wilton vicinity, should efforts
be made to implicate him.
Three men robbed the Wilton bank
and escaped with $500.
Sentenced in 1922
Authorities said Underwood was
sentenced to the state p%enitentiary
from Grand Forks county for grand
larceny May Is, 1922, for two years.
He va released July 2, 1923. His
prison record shows he was sentenced
from Minneapolis November z, 1925.
to q five-year term in the Saltwater,
Mimi, prison for swindling. Last
September he was held for investiga-
ton by Sioux CITY. Iowa, police and
subsequently released. He resides
near Lennon, s. D. Swift, said to ne
from Mitchell. s. D., served a five
year term in the Iowa ~penitentiary,
Emmons county officials said.
The men were arrested at Huron, s.
D., and were brought to Linton when
they waived extradition earlier this
week. Gates was taken into custody
at Fort Yates, where he resides. He
was bound over to district court on
the check charge, while the other two
are to be arraigned later.