Jasper County Democrat, Volume 12, Number 11, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 8 May 1909 — FIGHT BATTLE WITH ROBBERS [ARTICLE]

FIGHT BATTLE WITH ROBBERS

Bandits Loot and Blow Up a Laporte Store. FLEE WITH RACING HORSE Sheriff and Chief of Police Pursue the Burglars in a 60-Horse Power Automobile and Capture One of Them After a Fusillade of Shots Are Flrod from Both Sides—Robbery One of the Most Daring in the History of Indiana.

Laporte, Ind., May 7. —After ransacking C. F. Sonneborn’s sportinggoods house here and robbing it of, more than SI,OOO worth of firearms, robbers to cover up their crime blew up the store, set fire to it and escaped in a wagon, to which they had hitched Humming Bird, a trotting horse, worth $1,500, which they had stolen from John Line, commission merchant. The robbery was one of the most daring in the history of Indiana. When the bandits dynamited the store many buildings were shaken and windows broken. One woman was badly injured by the blast. While the townspeople were hurrying to the wrecked store the bandits were driving the stolen racehorse at a mad pace toward Michigan City over the Pine Lake road. Discovery of the burglary and the theft of Humming Bird, followed the explosion. Sheriff William Antiss of Laporte county and Chief of Police William Cochran, in a huge 60-horse power automobile, and followed by a number of other swift cars in which were seated deputies and policemen, took up the chase after the robbers. Almost on the state line, in what is known as the Galena woods, the bandits were overtaken. A revolver battle followed. The robbers, using automatic pistols, which they had filled as they drove along, fired repeatedly at the sheriff and police chief. As fast as one weapon was emptied it was discarded and another seized. During the rain of bullets three of the men escaped into the woods. The fourth was captured. To escape, however, the three bandits were forced to abandon all their bootv. On the arrival of the nosse here with one of the robbers the throng began to yell, “Lynch him!’’