The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1932-09-30
WOMEN KIDNAPPED
BY RObbER GANG
HIT BY BUCKSHOT
Hostages Used as Shields as
Bandits Make Getaway
With $1,000
POSSE ORGANIZED QUICKLY
Cashier Who Released Burglar
Alarm Is Knocked
Unconscious
POSSE ORGANIZED QUICKLY

Wahpeton, N. D.. Sept. 30.-(P)-
Four bandits who shot their way out
Of Wahpeton Friday forenoon after
robbing the Citizens National Bank of
about $4,000 carried with them two
Wahpeton young women as human
shields against the bullets of pursuing
possemen.
The women were dropped from the
bandit car 20 miles away. both wound
ed by buckshot fired at the robbers.
Seized as hostages were Miss Ruth
Whips. teller in the bank, and Miss
Doris Stock, Hankinson, deputy Rich
land county superintendent of schools.
They were dumped off the bandit car
at deserted farm house 20 miles
southeast of Wahpeton on the Mime
sofa side of the river in the course
Of the desperate flight from a sheriff's
posse. which at p. m. Friday still was
on the trail.
The girls were badly wounded, pep
pered by shot from guns Of Wahpeton
residents who fired at the bandits
from second-story windows during
the quartets daring race though town.
They are expected to recover in the
hospital here.
Entering the bank about 1905 a.
m, the quartet, one man armed with
a submachine gun. three with re-
volvers and one an iron bar, deploy-
ed themselves about the bank, COW
ering all vantage points. One OF
them approached B. p. McCusker,
cashier of the bank, and informed
him that a holdup was in progress.
Profane In Orders
Profane and brutal In their Ian
guage, the other three approached
other corners Of the building. order
ing all employees of the building and
patrons to the floor. One bandit was
we'll dressed.
S. H. Murray, the cashier. who was
slugged by the raiders, was not ser
iously hurt. He was dazed temper
arily.
The bandits whirled out of town,
firing as they went, and soon were
being pressed by a posse headed by
Sheriff d. S. McIlwain of Richland
county, and Chief of Police Henry
Sweizer of Wahpeton.
About a dozen employees and pa
irons were in the bank when the rob-
bers entered and whipped out fire
arms.
This is a holdup and no fooling,
either. We mean business That
was the order of the bandit leader.
AS soon as the victims raised their
hands, they were ordered to lie on
the floor. While one of the gunner
stood guard, the others proceeded to
rifle the drawers in the cashiers cage
and loot the vault.
Burglar Alarm Sounds
Then, as the raiders were looting
the bank. the burglar alarm sounded.
It was touched off by Murray.
The bandit standing guard slugged
the cashier on the head and knocked
him senseless. He recovered con-
SciouSnesS in few moments.
Hurriedly gathering up all the avail
able cash, while the alarm sounded,
the bandits ran through a rear door
and got in an automobile parked Ia
the alley. They made no attempt to
lock their victims in the vault.
AS they sped from the alley, volley
Of shots was fired. They headed to-
wards Fargo. taking highway No. 81.
When they were a mile out Of town,
they still were shooting.
Officers from the sheriff's office
tn Fargo joined the pursuit.
The Citizens National Bank was
held up two years ago.