Show BANDIT GANG GANGI I DEFEATED BY VIGILANTES I Robbers Driven From Town After Bitter Fight Lasting Last Last- I ing ingan an Hour ESCAPE EMPTY HANDED Building Is Wrecked by Dynamite Dynamite Dynamite Dy Dy- Blast 8 Br By United Pr Pus VA WAVELAND VELAND Ind md Feb 6 Towns 6 Towns Townsmen men battled a band of ot seven bank banki raiders here for nearly an hour to today today today to- to day and fin finally ll drove off of the bandits bandits bandits ban ban- after the gunmen had wrecked the Waveland State bank with dyna dyna- mite The raiders entered town early to today today today to- to day and broke into the bank They set of off a series of dynamite blasts which almost demolished the building build build- in tag ing but obtained no loot Vigilantes gathered and finally re repulsed repulsed repulsed re- re pulsed the gunmen with a steady rain of shots The raiders fled to their automobile and drove off of to toward toward toward to- to ward Russelville The bandit gang arrived a few hours after aeter midnight For an hour they worked quietly cutting of off the little town from front all connection with the outside world All An telegraph and telephone wires were severed Electric power lines were broken PRESENCE UNKNOWN For an hour the presence of the raiders W was lS not known Ruth Morgan l night telephone operator gave the first alarm when she discovered the telephone lines had been cut She called authorities just as the first dynamite blast jarred homes and awakened citizens In a few moments townsmen had armed themselves The organized vigilantes were called out Guards were posted at each street corner Police officers posted sharpshooters around the bank and the order to open fire was given All seven bandits were inside the bank sank and unaware that an alarm had been given when citizens opened their barrage The gunmen immediately immedi- immedi returned the fire For an hour shots were traded None was wounded wound wound- ed cd due to the fact it was believed th that the town was in darkness because because be be- because be- be cause of severed power lines RAIDERS ESCAPE The lack of ot street lights also aided the he raiders in escaping They fled tIed under cover of or darkness from the rear of the bank and succeeded in reaching their automobile a quarter of a mile mUe outside town in a running gun EUn fight Vigilantes posted behind trees and fences sniped at the raiders as they ran but it was thought the bandits were not struck Armed squads in automobiles took up the pursuit and were believed i close behind the robbers The bank building was wrecked The he vault had been blown open by j the he dynamite charges but only a few fe hundred dollars in stamps were ta taken taken ta- ta taken ken T. T B. B Johnson bank president reported The walls of oC the bank were ere shattered shat- shat bred ered by hundreds of bullets Furniture Furniture Fur- Fur iture was broken and piled in a barricade behind which the bandits replied to the fire of the ole le I Bandits Loot Bank of PILOT POINT Tex Feb 6 UP UP- UP Three bandits escaped with from the Pilot Point National bank after isolating the town from outside communication and forcing bank of officials of- of and their wives to aid them early toda today The bandits first visited the bank and inspected the automatic alarm apparatus Then they went to the home of Cashier Earl Sells and demanded demanded demanded de de- de- de that he open the bank and vault for them Sells protested he was unable todo to todo todo do so At the point of a gun Sells and his wife were forced to go to the home of ot Assistant Cashier J. J W. W Peale He and his wife and the Sells couple were marched to the bank Peale tinkered with the vault combination combination com corn until the outer door opened I IThe The bandits entered and blasted the i inner door with nitroglycerin V jt ITEI Q TED tJ I w i 4 S jJ visiting the men went to the telephone exchange and severed the main cable just outside the building Then they the went vent to the fire station and stole stoe n a ladder one of the men climbing to the top of a pole and cutting cuttin wires It was several hours before beCore emergency emer erper- gency genc lines could be set up and an alarm sent to neighboring counties Denton county officers immediately began a search for the men who es escaped escaped escaped es- es in Iii a 3 car after alter releasing their prisoners Peale and Sells described the bandits bandits ban ban- as nice talking fellows One apparently the leader was masked One carried a shotgun while the others others oth oth- oth- oth ers were armed with pistols |