Article Text
PEOPLE'S BANK ROBBED. Bentonville Bank Robbers Led by Jesse Starr. Col. Crump received a letter from Bentonville e Wednesday morning giving a more detailed account of the bank robbery than any that has yet been received. The writer says that six men 3 rode up to the bank at 2:30 o'clock, and while three of them were inside making the officers hand over the cash three were outside shooting at everyone who came in sight. The town was panic stricken at first. but the citizens soon realized what was going ou, and gathering such arms as were in reach, rushed out to give the robbers a warm reception. Most of the citizens could procure nothing but ordinary shot guns, loaded with bird shot, and small calibre pistols. Had they been properly armed the robber gang would have met the same fate that was meted out to the Dalton boys at Coffeyville, Kan. On the streets a lively fighttook place and about 150 shots were exchanged and several of the robbers were wounded. but the small bird shot did not injure them much. Jackson, assistant cashier, was shot by one of the citizens while the robbers were using him as a fence. Stone, who was mortally wounded, filled one of the bandit's face full of bird shot and in return received a bullet through his body. The robbers left by the big road leading into the Indian Territory, told every one they met what they had done and sent back messages of defiance to their pursuers. The posse was soon after the robbers and got near enough to them to have three fights with them that afternoon. The robbers stopped at Decatur little cross road village, near the State line, and asked if there was any banks in the town. On bring answered in the negative, one of the rob. bers remarked that the stores would do as well and the gang sacked the stores taking all the money and everything else that struck their fancy. After leaving Decatur the robbers rode about half a mile, then divided and laid in wait for the sheriff and his posse. They did not have long to wait until the posse came up and rode into the trap. The robbers fired on the posse, evidently more for the purpose of ridding them. selves of pursuers than an attempt to kill them Three horses were killed and several more cap. tured by the robbers. The posse was beaten back but rallied and followed the robbers to the State line. It was then night, and the posse being unacquainted with the country before them, gave up the pursuit and returned to Bentonville. Of the six men engaged in the robbery four were Indians. At Decatur they were identified by several persons, who were acquainted with them as members of the Starr gang. The leader was also identified as Jesse Starr. It woulc appear from this that Henry Starr, while not accompany. ing the gaug on the raid, was well aware of the plans and was showing himself at Nowata, the day of the robbery, for the purpose of averting suspicion from his gang. THE BANK'S LOSS. A count of the bank's funds show that the amount of the loss by the robbery was greatly over-estimated. The actual loss is $11,000. The robbery caused a run on the bank, but it drew on its Kansas City reserve and will be able to meet all demand's. The bank will continue its business and the depositors will lose nothing, as the loss falls entirely upon the stockholders of the bank.-Ft Smith Record. BENTONVILLE, June 7.-After a running fight with the bandits who, on Monday afternoon, robbed the Peoples' Bank Sheriff Galbraith's posse returned to Bentonville. The pursuing party lost five horses, killed in the fight, and had six others injured. Maj. Patton and a farmer named Grimsley, who were members of the posse continued the pursuit, and came upon the dead body of one of the bandits just across the line in the Nation. He was about 30 years of age and was stripped of all marks of identification. The Fort Smith Times of Friday morning says: United States Marshal Crump received a telegram yesterday evening from Deputy Paden Tolbert, stating that Henry Starr and three of the Bentonville bank robbers were about eight miles from Pryor Creek with one man badly wounded and worn out horses. Tolbert asked for aid and Col. Crump wired other deputies in that section to join him.