The Pantagraph from Bloomington, Illinois • Page 3

the and a in in THE DAILY PANTAGRAPH, BLOOMINGTON, THURSDAY MORNING, AUGUST 27, 1925. 3 YEGGMEN BLOW SAFE OF STATE BANK AT HEYWORTH; GET $4,000 IN CURRENCY OVERPOWERED NIGHT WATCHMAN: CUT TELEPHONE WIRES AND TERRORIZED CITIZENS OF QUIET LITTLE TOWN Band of Eight Safe-Crackers Swooped Down Upon the City at an Early Hour Yesterday Morning and by 3 O'Clock Had Blown the Doors From the Safe and Big Vault, and, Hastily Collecting the Loot, Made Their "Getaway' -Kept Up a Steady Fusillade of Gun-Fire and Residents Were Kept Indoors Until After the Robbers Had Disappeared Invasion Was of the Spectacular "Jesse James" Type--Left No Clues. In one of the most spectacular and awe-inspiring invasions staged in central Illinois in recent years, a band of eight "yeggmen" swooped down on the quiet little village of Heyworth, at an early hour yesterday morning, isolated the town from the outer world by cutting the telephone and telegraph wires, overpowered and bound the night watchman, terrorized the citizens with a steady fusillade of gunfire, blew the safe and big vault in the Heyworth State bank, and made their "getaway" with $4,000 in cold cash, while the interior of the handsome structure lay in ruins. Only hardened, steel nerved professionals could have planned the campaign with such minute exactness and carried it forward with such precision. Not an important feature of the task was overlooked.

The bandits took pains to quiet the telephone operator with threats, and belated home-comers and those leaving their home for work at an early hour were halted and kept under guard, until the charge was placed in the vaults and the robbers were on their way with the loot. A patrol of five "yeggs" circled the bank in a radius of two blocks, and under a fusillade of gun fire, kept all residents in their homes. With the village powerless within their grasp by 1:30 o'clock, the yeggs took their time in robbing bank. By 3:30 o'clock three expert- crackers, employing nitro-glycerine, or "soup," had blown off the two doors of the vault and that of the safe inside, and had escaped scot free with the loot. Four charges of the heavy explosive were necessary to effect an entrance.

The bank doing business at noon among the debris of the fixtures. By dusk carpenters had replaced the shattered window jambs and panes. The vault and safe will be replaced with new ones as soon as is possible. All bank fixtures, even an expensive electric computing machine, telephone, counters, and a cage supports, shattered by the blasts, must be replaced. How They Did It.

The town marshal, Blev Bolin, remembered in connection with the capture of notorious Willie Dalton, bond robber, was the first to learn of the presence of the bandits. He had noted the time as 12:45 in the morning when he turned off the street He then walked to J. D. Greenlee store in the building where he took notice of two middle aged men crossing the street toward him. One was swinging a two gallon gasoline can.

"Can we get any gas?" queried the short and stocky robber who was carrying the can. "I'd like to accomodate you, but everything is closed." returned the marshal. He noticed that one of the men was edging around in front of him. So he started away, not quite liking the looks of things. As he turned the stocky chap grasped him about waist, pinning both' arms to his sides.

Bolin twisted and ducked forward, throwing the robber his head. Then the big fellow with the butt shorter end of man a reached revolver and out sharply rapped the marshall twice over the head. The smaller man, regaining his feet, removed Bolin's gun from his pocket as he staggered forward. One yegg grabbed one arm, the other his left, and supporting him, held a revolver under his nose. "We don't want any gas.

We How Did Bank Robbers Get Out of Heyworth? Did Heyworth bank yeggs walk that city, separate, and by various routes, make their escape? This question arose yesterday morning, when at 8:35, a large 1923 Oldsmobile, the property of Holmes Riley, special officer, stolen from parking place on the east side of the court house. Riley had left it for only five minutes, and returning, saw the large maroon car, occupied by two men, turn west on Washington street. He immediately ran to the sheriff's office, and with the sheriff, deputies and Mark Ethel of the Town Guards, driving the Banker's association car, started heated a pursuit. Sheriff Morrison stated that the car was traced definitely as far as Twin Grove, where, turning north, the trail of the thieves was lost. A deputy in the sheriff's office had called to all surrounding cities, first to Pekin, Peoria and East Peoria, asking that the bridges be watched.

Losing the trail, the officer's car was sent racing to Pekin, in hope of beating the stolen car and the thieves to that city. No further trace of the car WaS found, however, and at noon the sheriff and his force returned to this city. In the car, license number 139- 213, Riley had left his coat. A valuable 23 jewel Hamilton watch and a K. of P.

charm was in the pocket. He judged the men to be 35 or 40 years of age. One, he said, was wearing a blue shirt, and the other a white one. have followed, possibly with the covery and capture of the thieves. The two were taken to the I.

C.I depot, just across from the bank and ordered to lie down on the of the waiting room. Sand was tied. though his wife was not. A window was opened and occasionally a robber patrol stuck in his head. "Are you still there?" "Yes, and I'm going to stay." "Guess you better, at that," and Banking Quarters In Ruins The above picture shows the wreckage the terrific explosions that blew off J.

P. Shelton and other of the bank the damage to the furnishings when porter yesterday. However, the loss want you to go along and be real good while we clean out the bank over on the east side. "And." added the soft, kidding voice of the big chap, "It you aren't nice and quiet we'll kill you." Bolin told them that if he had: known that they were bank robbers he would have just told them to "take everything." he explained to a reporter yesterday afternoon. took him to an I.

C. railroad coal Supporting the marshal, the pair he shed, where, with hands and feet tied was left, not until, however, her was ordered to "kep his mouth shut." Three of the gang, while the other two were taking care of Bolin, had gone to the I. T. S. station and surprised the night agent and his wife, Mr.

and Mrs. A. 8. Sand. Masked, they entered the little office.

Sand had his back day's receipts. Mrs. turned, Sand counting saw them the and screatned. The two were guley ordered to "shut up." and to "come with um. We're going to clean the bank." The small change which was in sight was scorned by the Deggs leaving Sand shut off his cults.

substation machinery and cirHad he left these open, investigation AN to the cause Got Biggest "Kick" Out of Willie Dalton Case Heyworth got a good -sized "wallop" out of the bank looting and safe blowing of early yesterday morning. But in the afternoon the farmers were thru discussing it. and residents held favorite seats in front of favorite stores. The little village had a good deal of a kick out off daylight bank robbery September a year ago, when the same bank was "touched" for about $3,800 in cash and $10,000 in non-negotiable securities. But the biggest kick of all was the kick that Heyworth got in 1921, when Willie Dalton, notorious boy bond thief, a bank messenger, who made a clear get-away from Chicago, carrying with him $700.000 the Northern Trust company, was captured in that village.

Dalton had made his way to this train, and carrying the little satchel, started south on foot. He was given a ride on a truck of the W. D. Alexander company, by Driver Dennis of Normal. At Heyworth he ate his lunch, then played a game of pool, while all the time the satchel, with nearly a million dollars in it, rested among the litter under the table.

When the 17-year-old lad was arrested, and the $700.000 was counted before their eyes, that was time that Heyworth citizens thot their biggest kick out of life. So. while workmen were cleaning up the debris yesterday afternoon, the residents were, event. the main, forgetting the or re-telling their individual parts and contacts in the Dalton arrest of 1921. How the marshal wouldn't believe taht he was boy, and how the money was counted and stacked up in heap.

Yes, that was the biggest kick that Heyworth ever had. Woman's Relief Corps Meets. After a two months' vacation meeting of the Woman's Corps will be held at the John Barnes Memorial building at 2:30 morrow afternoon. Important ness will be transacted. Pipe smokers Turkey, the of Oriental cigarettes, are now the weed from Persia.

$8.00 Over-Labor Day Excursion TO Kansas City AND RETURN VIA Chicago and Alton Friday, Sept. 4th Leave Bloomington 7:00 a. 6:30 p. m. or 7:40 p.

m. Friday, Sept. 4th. Good returning, leaving Kansas City as 9:00 p. Wednesday, Sept.

5th. Tourist sleeper leaves Bloomington 7:40 p.m., Sept. 4th. For reser. vetions and details inquire of W.

B. Clooney, Ticket Agent, Bloomington, Phone 38. EXCURSION to $3.00 EVERY SUNDAY Via Chicago Alton Leave Bloomington 6:00 A. M. Sundays Leave Chicago 4:15 P.

9:15 P. M. Sundays, also 12:15 A. M. and 9:00 A.

M. Mondays. STEAMSHIP AND CRUISE TICKETS ALSO SOLD W. B. Clooney, Ticket Agent.

$4.00 Over-Labor Day Excursion TO CHICAGO AND RETURN VIA Chicago Alton Saturday, Sept. 5th Leave Bloomington Special Train 2:25 a. m. and 6 a. m.

Saturday. Good returning, leaving Chicago certain trains late as 12:15 a. m. Tuesday, Sept. 8th, W.

B. CLOONEY, Ticket Agent, Bloomington, 111. Phone 38. EXCURSION VIA Big Four Route Saturday Night, August 29 INDIANAPOLIS Round $3.00 Trip Tickets will be good going only on train No. 44.

leaving Blooming ton 9:20 p. Saturday, August 29. Good returning only on train No. 43, leaving Indianapolis 12:30 m. m.

Monday, August 31. Tickets good in conches only. For tickets and full information apply to Ticket Agent, BIG FOUR ROUTE. Mrs. R.

C. Cooke is Summoned After a Lingering Illness Mrs. R. C. Cooke died at her in Lexington early yesterday morn-; ing after a month's illness with arthma and heart trouble.

Sarah F. Cheatam was born at Rogerville December 18, 1845 and was married in Tennessee to R. C. Cooke of Providence, R. in 1870.

To this union were born two children, W. E. Cooke, who has preceded her in death and G. M. Cooke, whose address is unknown.

Beside her husband and son, Mrs. Cooke is survived by four grandchildren and one brother, R. B. Cheatam of Houston, Tex. With her husband, Mrs.

Cooke moved in 1886 to Kappa, where she lived for three years, then moving to a farm near Lexington where they lived until 1916 when they moved to Lexington. Mrs. Cooke was a member of the Central Illinois Holiness association for 29 years and was a member of the Nazarene church in Bloomington. She was also a member of the home department of the United Brethren church in Lexington. The funeral arrangements will be announced later.

To Hold Reunion. The ninth annual reunion and picnic of the Short Point school will be held at the school house two and one -half miles southwest of Heyworth on Saturday, Aug. 29. LAST RITES ARE HELD FOR MRS W. D.

DEWEESE The funeral services for Mrs. W. D. Dewese from the First Christian 2 o'clock yesterday afternoon. Rev.

E. E. Higdon, a former pastor of the church, conducted the service and was and assisted by Rev. Chester B. Grubb Rev.

D. N. Wetzel. The musical service was in charge of the church choir. Pallbearers were Ira Whitmer, J.

D. Holcomb, Thomas Williams, Harrying Strickle, A. G. McKee and H. B.

Pat- ton. The remains will be taken this morning to Kankakee where interment will be made. Lee Whitmer Will Talk. Lee Whitmer will tell about his vacation trip at the meeting of the Rotary club which will be held at the Maplewood Country club at noon today, Vault A Mass Of Twisted Steel The accompanying picture of the huge vault of the State bank, gives a pretty accurate idea of the amount of damage occasioned by the heavy explosions required to tear off the big steel door, and bearg out the contention that expert hands applied the charges. the vault to the front part of the cage.

Another blew the inside door inside the vault, and the last cracked the safe, blowing the door nearly to the front wall. Gives the Alarm. The shooting of the patrols at venturesome residents, who looked out of windows or went on their porches to see what it was all about, woke many of the citizens, among them J. T. Sheldon, president of the bank.

His phone wire was among those not severed, and was able to get the local operator. Another resident had called the operator, asking her to get the sheriff, that the bank was being robbed. The operator. Mae Coon, thought that the voice at the other, end was joking. With Mr.

Sheldon's call, requesting that she look out of the window to see if the bank was being robbed, she compiled. Putting her head out of the window and a shot were simultaneous. "Get inside and shut up." and highly colored with explosives as curt orders were, she was convinced that the robbery report was no joke. Attempting to establish communication with any outside point, she found that it was impossible, Residents calling in reported that the town was patrolled. No one could get out of a house without being shot at.

The thought of getting a car and driving to Bloomington notify the sheriff, was according to residents, -hardy. Notify Officers Here. J. A. Van Ness, manager of the Independent Telephone company, aroused by the shooting attempted to get the operator.

The line was severed. Dressing hurridly, he started toward the office. He HI that the bank was being robbed. and hiding from patrols, as they peared, managed to get to his dence. Here he got his climbers and test phone, ran to the Kinloch toll line a quarter of mile east of the city, and at about 3:30 o'clock.

put through a call to the Bloomington police. Night Captain Pat Ostrum roused Mark Ethelf, captain of the town guards, and the sheriff's force, Shortly after 4, Sheriff Morrison in the bankers' association high powered car driven by Ethell, with Deputies John Mantle and Linn Morrison, were speeding toward the rorized village. made a clean get The robbers had away. If they escaped in care, is probable, none were seen by realdents. Intimidated Citizens.

Carl Bell, an employe in the Heyworth bakery, was nearly two hours late to work. And it is understood that he didn't lose his job. Garbed in his white suit, he was nearly opposite the bank when a sawed- -off shotgun was poked in his ribs. He was taken by the guard to a sent under tree in the railroad station park just across from the bank, where he became an interested on -looker during the looting. Lawrence Allen, teller in the American State bank of this city, lives a short distance south of the bank.

His wife was roused by the shooting, and with a flashlight made her way to her husband's room. Waking him. she told him that she thought the bank was being robbed. Sleepy and somewhat skeptical, he did not get up at once. His wife.

with the light still in her hand, went to the window. Hardly had she looked out when a shot Was fired. cursing voice ordered her to her head before it was shot off. tween 3:30 and 4 o'clock the left. How, it is not known.

The only possible clues to the yeggs are some tools which they left in the bank-a carpenter's wrecking bar, a heavy sledge hammer, a hack saw with threads of insulation, apparently the phone cables cut with it, a heavy crowbar and a pipe wrench, all new. Blev Bolin, the night watchman. End worked the cords loose which had bound his hands, and as soon as the yeggs had gone he leaped out of the window by which they had left. In the first light of dawn looked north, and south. then running to the street, west.

Nothing could be seen of the robbers. He concludes that they must have gone east. When Sheriff Morrison with Capt. Mark Ethell and the deputies arrived quick resume was made of the facta known. Working only on the slight information which could be given by the marshal and Van Ness and Bell, who knew little of the direction taken by the eggs in their flight, the officers were unable to locate any possible route by which the eggs may have left.

Heyworth had no organization of town guards, such as were organized many of the smaller cities of the county by the Banker's clation early in the summer. Exterior View Of Bank Shown above is an exterior view of the Heyworth State bank, taken yesterday morning a few hours after the robbery. On Vacation Trip. Mrs. Nellie Bonney, 601 East Olive street, deputy probate clerk, is away on her vacation which she is spendwith relatives and friends at Indianapolis, and in Chicago.

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the patrolman laughed. Others of the gang then hacked through the telegraph and telephone wires. Two large cables, just as they to the east and across street entered the telephone office, building from the bank, one carrying 102 pairs and the other 202 pairs of wires, were cut in twain. A few separate wires leading to parts of the village were not found by the yeggs and left intact. Then with the cool assurance of "old the patrol was lished, and with three working in the bank, the gang set about their task.

One of the patrol, fearing that Bolin might get away, went to the shed and got him. He took him first to the station, where he WAR kept while two others went to the ment shed of the section gang. broke in and took a heavy crow bar and other tools. Then Bolin WIL taken to a back room of the bank, still tied. forced to lie down and a sack was thrown over his face.

The electric switch used to explode the nitro glycerine charges WILN placed in the back room. Unhurried the doors were drilled, the charges placed and fired, one after another. Two charges blew the front door of.