Click image to open full size in new tab
Article Text
UNMASKED MEN SCOOP UP CASH ESCAPE IN AUTO Yeggs May Have Used Car Stolen from Birlea O. Ward in Bismarck LOCK PEOPLE IN VAULT Three States Being Scoured Today by Posses as Clues Are Lacking Four unmasked men robbed the Farmers and Merchants Bank of Beach of $5,000 at 2:45 p. .m. yes. terday. A report that the men escaped in an automobile which was stolen in Bismarck Sunday is being investigated by Mandan and Bismarck police. The robbers are said to have escaped in a green Buick sedan, with a U.S. Royal and an Ajax tire on the left and right rear wheels, respectively The car stolen in Bismarck Sunday was 1926 green Buick Master Six sedan, with Seiberling tires. It was stolen here from Birlea o. Ward, manager of the Capital steam laun. dry. Police officials believe that tires on the automobile may have been changed by the robbers, if they used the car stolen in Bismarck, before they committed the robbery. Search for the bandits today extended to the northern part of South Dakota, eastern Montana and south. ern North Dakota, Several posses from Beach combed the territory in southern North Dakota and northern South Dakota, but could find no trace of the bandits. No traces were found in eastern Montana. One group of men which had been working over the territory in west ern South Dakota returned to Beach late last night. While the men were combing the country in the vicinity of Beach. police inspectors and county officials were tarefully inspecting the bank for possible clues The men had worked carefully, how ever. and nothing could be found that might lead to their arrest. "Stick 'em up. And make it snappy The order. given in a tone of voice that left no doubt as to its sincerity came from a short. middle-aged gen tlemen. From his hip was pointed the blunt nose of steel-blue auto matic. The first step in the robbery of the Beach bank was under way Quietly and without notice three men had entered the bank. One of the men, without attracting any attention from the workers at the bank, had walked around the stenog rapher's desk and was standing directly back of the counter, able to keep an eye on all workers in the bank. Another had wandered into the office of W. J. Tobin, receiver of the closed First National bank Tobin and his stenographer were likewise looking down the barrel of a blunt-nosed automatic. The third man was leaning leisurely against a railing near the front of the bank looking all the world like a super visor of a crew of workers. While the three men were inside the bank a fourth sat in the driver's seat of the Buick, keeping the motor run ning. The men worked slowly and quietly at first, but after the first order of the short man they got into action Stepping around the corner of the counter. the man in the front part of the bank scooped up all the avail able cash and stuffed it into a little black bag The man in the back part of the building marched his two prisoners to the front and the third robber kept a gun on the stenographers and the cashier. Fires at Cashier "Get down on the floor and stay there. Carl o. Halvorson, cashier of the institution, moved a little bit too slow, and a bullet crashed into the woodwork, less than two feet from his head. Halvorson got down on the floor. Two stenographers did likewise. The three men surveyed the inside of the bank and, noticing an open wall safe. they took from it a stack of greenbacks. In their haste, however, they failed to notice several thousand dollars lying near the side of the safe. While the men were collecting the money from the wall safe, four customers walked in. They also were ordered to lie down on the floor. but off second thought the shorter man ordered the entire group into the vault and slammed the door The men then made a run for the car and sped toward Sentinel Butte village ab 10 miles east of Beach. It was 10 minutes before the four customers and five bank employes were released from the vault. An assistant cashier who had been sent to the courthouse an hour previous to the holdup returned. and, finding no one at the bank became suspicious. He immediately noticed that the door to the vault was closed, and released the group. Posses Are Formed Immediately the alarm was given. The sheriff's office was notified and all available men around the town were gathered to form posse to search for the robbers. The men were split up in several parties each going in different directions. Following the tracks made by the automobile. one that the bendita Sentinel Butte, but miles from switched their to man. been notified the men. Golden pressed the the oral
