State Bank Robbed-Robbers Captured

Less than Twelve hours Robbers in Custody of Sheriff Striegel to Appear at Next Circuit Court

Friday morning, when those who are first to be up and about our little village, began making their rounds they discovered broken glass on the sidewalk in from of the Morristown State Bank. Mr. Batzer was called and upon entering the building fund that yeggs had gained entrance to the bank during the night, by prying open the back door, and had successfully blown the outer and inner doors of the safe and had made away with all the currency and cash on hand amounting to about $7,000.
While the fixtures and building were badly wrecked it was evident the burglars had not molested any of the bank's valuable papers or records.
Some of our citizens reported having heard what seemed to be two muffled explosions about twenty minutes apart, during the early hours of the morning but failed to connect the unusual noise with a bank robbery, consequently the yeggs were unmolested, giving them also a nice start of about four hours in making their get-a-way. The telephone and telegraph wires had all been cut except the toll line of the telephone company which seems to have been overlooked.
Sheriff Striegel was notified and while he was looking over the situation for a clue, word reached town to the effect that an automobile head been broken down about 12 miles south of town and two suspicious looking men had left the car and was walking towards the rough country just south of where the car was wrecked. A third party had gone on west, apparently for help to get the wrecked car off the road.
Several men wee at once deputized and started for the scene of the wrecked car. The two men had been last seen in Carl Aastad's pasture. Chase was at once taken and inside of forty minutes Winch Batzer came upon two men in hiding. He ordered "hands up" at the point of his automatic shotgun. The two men obeyed his command whereupon they were searched by George Striegle and Harry Wilmsen, who found two automatic pistols and about $3,100 in currency. The two men acted dazed and under the influences of liquor so it was impossible to get any information out of them. A third party, who was apparently the owner of the wrecked car, and who is well known in this community had departed, but was traced all day and was taken in custody about four o'clock that evening near the scene of his wrecked car.
The three men were taken to McIntosh and placed in the county jail to await examination. The hearing was set for Monday before Judge Price.
The owner of the wrecked car, claimed to know nothing of the robbery and pleaded not guilty on charges brought against him. Pat Morrison appeared as his council and by his crafty manipulations succeeded in getting an OK from the court to his arguments that there was not sufficient evidence to bind him over to the next term of circuit court which convenes December 2nd. The other two men implicated waived examination and were taken to Aberdeen where they will await trial.
It has just been learned that the two men taken in connection with the robbery of the Morristown State Bank, are known as "Whitey" Cline and John Linden, alias "Devils Lake Red" both with bad records and are wanted in four states for similar charges. Both of these men broke jail at Devils Lake on October 4th, this year where they were awaiting to be taken to the North Dakota pen, having been convicted on a bank robbery.
"Dutch" Pomeroy who gave the first information and Winch Batzer who forced the two bad men to surrender are due to a lot of credit as well as a handsome reward for which we understand was offered for the capture of these two safe blowers, dead or alive.
The Burns Detective Agency of Minneapolis had two men out here on the job and it is rumored that they have offered "Winch" a position as head detective in heir department on the record of his bravery and as a sharpshooter.
Taken from Morristown World November 14, 1924

Cline and Linden Pleads Guilty

Noted Morristown Bank Robbers Sparring for Time in our Circuit Court.

"Whitey" Cline and John Linden was brought from Aberdeen Saturday and when arraigned before Judge Eddy entered a plea of not guilty on the charge of using explosives in the Morristown State Bank. They asked for a few days continuance in which to consult Sullivan, Hanley and Sullivan, as their attorneys.
Cline and Linden, after stalling since Saturday noon, appeared before Judge Eddy Wednesday and entered a plea of guilty to burglary with explosives and were given 15 years at hard labor at Sioux Falls.
After Judge Eddy had passed sentence their only comment was that "it's a pretty tough jolt." The "jolt" was not so "tough", however, as the maximum sentence on a charge of robbing with high explosives is 30 years.
The sheriff of Corson County said tonight that he expects to take Cline and Linden to Sioux Falls tomorrow. They will probably leave McIntosh on the Milwaukee number 16, arriving in Aberdeen about noon.
Taken from Morristown World December 12, 1924

"Whitey" Cline Re-visits Morristown Peacefully

Stranger believed to be Cline returns to unearth bank loot

"Whitey" Cline made another visit to Morristown, but this time in a peaceable manner.
Cline with a partner, one John Linden, in mid-November 1924 forced entry to the Morristown State Bank, blew the safe and escaped with $7,000 in cash and securities.
Fleeing into the south country, they hid in the Bad Lands south of the Sherman school house where they were hunted out and forced to surrender to a picked posse of local men headed by Sheriff Striegel.
Before being apprehended the two buried a portion of the loot.. Later unbeknown to the robbers, the cache was located and its contents returned to the bank.
Waiving preliminary examination they were held in Aberdeen until the December term of court at which time they were arraigned before Judge W.F. Eddy to plead guilty to the charge and receive a sentence of 15 years in the South Dakota Penitentiary at Sioux Falls.
Linden is said to have died during his incarceration. Cline, serving the sentence under good behavior was undoubtedly released but recently.
And so Cline came back to the scene of the robbery; he inquired about a certain stretch of rough land near the Sherman school house, drove there one day last week, made a lengthy survey and came away empty handed.
Local citizens heard his detailed inquiry about the robbery, about the locality, and then became aware of the possibility that he might be one of the men involved. A search of old World files brought to light a picture of the robbers and local men are positive in the identification of Cline as the gentleman who paid the vicinity a visit last week.
Cline when apprehended here in 1924, had a long record and was wanted in four states and Canada on robbery charges, according to published accounts of the robbery here.
Taken from Morristown World June 20, 1935