People's Pilot, Volume 2, Number 29, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 January 1893 — ROBBED AND BOUND. [ARTICLE]

ROBBED AND BOUND.

County Treasurer Johnson, of Viroqua, Wis., Gives Up $4,000 to Bandits. VIROQUA, Wis., Jan. 2.—After being forced under threats of death to surrender between $4,000 and $5,000 to two masked men who entered his office in the courthouse about 6 o’clock Saturday night, County treasurer John C. Johnson was gagged and bound and locked in his vault, where he was found in an almost exhausted condition by a searching party of citizens about 11 p.m. When Mr. Johnson failed to respond to an invitation to take tea at his brother-in-law’s, Rev. Mr. Aschun, Saturday night, it was thought strange. His wife returned home about 9 o’clock, and finding that he had not been there, caused inquiry and search to be made. The city was thoroughly gone over,and the county buildings also. A second time Mr. Johnson’s office was searched. A thumping on the outside of the vault door brought a faint response from within. Mr. Johnson’s younger brother, who worked in the office, opened the door of the vault. There on the stone floor lay the county treasurer gagged and bonnd. He was weak and exhausted and it was some time before he was able to tell the story of the robbery. Mr. Johnson was serving the last day of his second term of county treasurer and was prepared to turn the office over to his successor. Not an hour before the robbery he had closed his final settlement with the finance committee of the county board. The gentlemen of the committee and other county officers left the courthouse shortly before 6. Mr. Johnson and a younger brother who was temporarily assisting him in the office remained to close up some work. When they were ready to leave the office, about 6:15, with hats and overcoats on, the treasurer said he must remain long enough to acknowledge the receipt of some money, which was later found half completed. The younger men went out and over to the city. Mr. Johnson says his brother had not more than left the building when he heard footsteps coming through the hall and a pull at his office door, which was locked. Thinking his brother had returned for something he stepped to the door, unlocked it, and found himself confronted by two masked men with revolvers drawn, who commanded him to “keep his head shut or have it blown off.” Mr. Johnson complied with the demands of the intruders for a look at the cash. He was forced to unlock the heavy vault door, then the larger safe, and the combination on the safe deposit box within. This done Mr. Johnson was nearly strangled by having a handkerchief forced in his mouth, and another put over his head and tightly tied on the back of his head. His hands were drawn behind his back and securely bound with a strong cord. The money, somewhere between $4,000 and $5,000, was hastily removed and stowed away in the overcoat pockets of the plunderers. Five hundred dollars, which by oversight had not been placed in the safe when the treasurer closed up, was in an open box in plain sight and remained untouched. The booty bagged, the desperadoes closed the vault door on Johnson and made their exit from the office, locking the door and taking the key with them. Mr. Johnson described the men as one large and one medium sized. They were so completely disguised that he could not recognize them, but both wore brown overcoats. They said but little to him and spoke in a disguised tone and accent. No tangible clew has been obtained to the robbers as yet.