The Northfield Tragedy; or, the Robber's Raid: A Thrilling Narrative; A history of the remarkable attempt to rob the bank at Northfield, Minnesota; the Cold-Blooded Murder of the Brave Cashier and an Inoffensive Citizen. The Slaying of Two of the Brigands. The Wonderful Robber Hunt and Capture Graphically Described. Biographies of the Victims, the Captors & the Notorious Younger and James Gang of DesperadoesHanson, J. H. (Joseph Have)
History
The Northfield Tragedy; or, the Robber's Raid: A Thrilling Narrative; A history of the remarkable attempt to rob the bank at Northfield, Minnesota; the Cold-Blooded Murder of the Brave Cashier and an Inoffensive Citizen. The Slaying of Two of the Brigands. The Wonderful Robber Hunt and Capture Graphically Described. Biographies of the Victims, the Captors & the Notorious Younger and James Gang of Desperadoes
Hanson, J. H. (Joseph Have)
Bank robberies -- Minnesota -- Northfield -- History -- 19th century
SAVAGE BLOODTHIRSTY PROPENSITY
of their nature, and wherever a face showed itself, whether it was man,
woman or child, the robbers fired murderously at it, crashing in windows
in a lively style.
Early Friday morning it was reported in Northfield that Brissette and Hoy
had joined their forces at Morristown and had a hot encounter with the
gang, which had been reinforced by three others. The police succeeded in
killing one man and capturing the wounded man carried from Northfield. The
robbers then took to the woods and the police held them there. This report
was proved at a later date to be a complete fabrication, but so excited
were the people that every rumor received credence and grew in dimensions
as it was handed round by the busy throng of news seekers.
THE BANK,
It is in a small apartment, about 20 by 50 feet, situate in the Scriver
block, folding doors in the center of the front opening into Division
street. It has a counter three feet high, running across to within three
feet of the west wall, and going back the whole length of the building.
This counter is mounted by a thirty inch glazed rail, leaving a space of
two feet in front, where the men jumped over, scratching the counter with
their boots. Inside of the center is the safe vault fitted with the
Detroit Safe Company’s doors, and to the left is the cashier’s chair where
poor Heywood fell a victim to the assassin’s hand. A blotting pad lay upon
the desk stained with the life-blood of the murdered man.
HEYWOOD’S DEATH WOUND.
Poor Heywood was shot through the head, the ball entering at the right
temple and passing downward and inward, scattering his brains all about,
and doubtless depriving him instantaneously of consciousness, and putting
him completely beyond all suffering, although he breathed for about twenty
minutes, but did not speak. In addition to the bullet wound, there was a
slight scratch in the right side of the neck as from a knife.
[BREAKING THE NEWS TO MRS. HEYWOOD.]
BREAKING THE NEWS TO MRS. HEYWOOD.
Mr. E. E. Bunker was not considered dangerously wounded, the ball passing
in at the back of the right shoulder, below the point of the shoulder,
passing downward and forward and upward, coming out just above the
clavicle, making only a severe flesh wound. This wound, however, was very
nearly being a fatal one, as the ball passed close to a principal artery,
which no doubt, had it been severed by the deadly missive, would have
produced death by hemorrhage.
Since the capture at Madelia of the Younger boys, Mr. Bunker has given his
recollections of the bank raid, and as it differs in several points from
others already given, we embody it in this narrative. It will be seen that
the narrative recognizes two of the men who entered the bank as Charley
Pitts and Bob Younger.
MR. E. E. BUNKER’S STORY.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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