BEATTIE BANK ROBBERY

Beattie State Bank
The Beattie bank robbery of 1910, on the night before the national Congressional elections, found the town plunged into an uproar by a gang of desperadoes who dynamited the bank vault. Walter B. Tompkins was on duty as a telegrapher at the railroad station working with A. W McClellan who was agent. At 1:20 a.m. there was a terrific explosion at the bank. People came running to see what the excitement was. Tompkins gave the alarm when it was found the bank was being robbed. An eyewitness gave the following account of the robbery: "A bombardment of gunshots awoke the people of Beattie at midnight, November 11, 1910. The Beattie State Bank was being robbed! Walter Tompkins, night operator of the St. Joseph and Grand Island Railroad Station at Beattie at that time, gave the alarm and the fight between the robbers and the people of Beattie was in full swing!
"The incidents leading up to the robbery show how the robbery was planned. About a week before the robbery, three strangers drifted into Beattie and spent the night in the railway station waiting room. Tompkins, the night operator, did not like the idea of having these three hard looking men occupy the waiting room that night but as it was a chilly night, he didn't object too strenuously. In the morning, he observed that they had moved the seats up to the stove and when he asked them to return the seats to their places, they refused quite blatantly. Tompkins immediately called L. E. Busenbark, the city marshall, but by the time he arrived, the men had complied with Tompkins request and informed Busenbark that they were just having some fun with the night operator. When they left the station, it was noticed that one man limped quite badly. During the morning of that day, these men were seen loitering in the vicinity of the Beattie State Bank and later they were seen sitting on the iron railing on the east side of the bank. They talked with several men and inquired about a job husking corn. They were friendly with all passersby. They disappeared in the late afternoon were not seen again until the night of the robbery.
"The robbers drove a Buick car the night of the robbery which they parked near the northeast outskirts of Beattie. A driver was left with the car while five other men carried out the robbery. As one of the clues used later in the capture of these men, it was discovered that one of the wheels of the Buick had a knobby tread tire which left a decided indention on the road.
"It was later proved that this car with its six lawbreakers came from Wymore, Nebraska. The five men who were actively responsible for the robbery left the car one half mile from town and came down the field to a gap in the hedge on the John McCoy farm, northeast of Beattie. They proceeded south through the Arlo Driskel field to the Burrel Mize home vicinity in Beattie, walked two blocks west, turned south, then two blocks west to Pat O'Neil elevator office, then one half block north to the Beattie State Bank. Three of the robbers stationed themselves advantageously on the street comers while the other two actually did the robbing. An eyewitness of these proceedings was John Metsen, who was returning to his home that night but who was unable to turn in an alarm as he was hedged in by the robbers on all sides. He was able to identify these men very accurately later at the trial. The man with the noticeable limp walked up to the bank, removed a pearl handled revolver from his hip pocket, and broke out the heavy plate glass window with the revolver. Then he unlocked the door from the inside and went into the bank building. Evidently, he broke a piece from his revolver when he broke the window for later when Constable Pete Cain found the revolver, it was broken at the handle. Beattie had no electric lights at that time so the robber merely blew out the kerosene lamp light which was standing on the desk and then began drilling the heavy safe. After placing fuse in the opening that he had made, the robber ran out the east door down into the basement entrance of the bank. By this time, most of the Beattie people were on hand with guns and other weapons of defense. Twenty-five or 30 men testified later that they were watching and waiting for the opportune time to begin shooting. They were stationed back of Dr. Eden's office and back of a pile of telephone poles back of Mrs. Emma Kensworthy's millinery shop. One robber was left in front of the bank to report the disposition of the fuse and when it didn't explode, he shot through the transom window of the bank as a signal to the other man. Immediately the other man returned to the bank and set the fuse again and this time it worked and Beattie was practically rocked by the terrific explosion. The two robbers now worked feverishly to scoop up the money from the vault and then made a dash down the road south from the bank towards the railroad tracks. The gunplay exhibited by the Beattie men was magnificent but the darkness of the night swallowed up the robbers who made a dash for their waiting car northeast of Beattie.
Condition of Bank after robbery
"In relating what she had heard and observed during this exciting night of events, Mrs. Peter McMahon remarked that she had never seen such a wonderful illumination of the skies caused by the shells from the guns in their explosion. It was most fortunate that none of the Beattie residents were shot because these robbers were surely desperate men and would not have allowed anything to prevent them from carrying out their well laid plans that night.
"At the time of the robbery, James Cain was mayor of the city. It was a real dark night and there were no electric lights at that time. When the robbery alarm was given, Mr. Cain started downtown with his lantern. As he came to the main street one of the robbers said, 'Watch me put the hay burner out,' which he did. When Mayor Cain got to the main street all he had in his hand was the bail.
"When Billy Bell received word that the bank was robbed he started downtown for he operated a cafe in Beattie at that time and his shotgun was at the cafe. He was unable to get a shot at the robbers as his gun jammed.
"Dr. Ham, who was director of the bank, received word of the robbery and went down to see what was going on. One of the robbers got Dr. Ham by his long whiskers and told him to go back to bed where he belonged.
"L. E. Busenbark, the city marshal, came upon the scene and wanted to know what all the shooting was about. There was a bandstand just east of the J. T. McMahon rock building and one of the robbers slipped up in back of him and took his gun and star. He told the robber he would see him later, but to no effect.
"Ira Durland operated the Burnett Hotel and when he awakened and heard all the shooting, he opened the office door and went out on the porch and said, 'You boys cut that out. I know every one of you and will have you before the judge in the morning.' Just then all the lights in the house were shot and also some of the window panes. It was just lucky no one was killed that night.
"When the bank robbers arrived in Beattie, the first thing they did was to shoot the telephone cable in two so no one could call to or from the central office. At that time the cable hung on poles and was easy to shoot in two.
"These six lawbreakers were later captured and were sent to prison to serve time for this crime and other crimes. The leaders of this gang were Neil Mulcahy, Henry Herr and Dan Carney - all residents of Nebraska. These men had their trial for the Beattie robbery in Beattie before Judge A. D. Stosz. Other officers who participated in the trial were James Sullivan, sheriff of Marshall County; Mike Nester, undersheriff; Peter Cain, constable of Guittard Township; and L. E. Busenbark, marshal. The bandits were prosecuted by W. W. Redmond at the trial."

 

BEATTIE ELEVATOR

BEATTIE FARMERS CO-OP
80 YEARS OF PROGRESS
It all began in the early months of 1915. The four locals of the Farmers Educational and Cooperative Union of America consisted of the Frost Local, Richland Local, Snipe Creek Local and the Midway Local. These locals met together and decided to organize a cooperative. Many preliminary meetings were held with John Wagner appointed chairman pro tem and Roy Pauley, secretary.
June 1, 1915, a contract was let with A. F. Roberts Construction Company of Sabetha, Kansas, to build a new 17,000 bushel elevator for $5,300.
June 29, 1915, the organization received its charter from the State of Kansas. The original board was as follows: H. L. Feldhausen, president; R. S. Pauley, vice president; J. C. Chase, secretary; John Wagner, treasurer; J. H. Thompson, H. C. Lucas, Roy Pauley, A. L. Jones and Charles Wuester. Later on in the year P. C. Reiliy was hired as manager and they started in the grain business about October 15, 1915. They also got into the livestock shipping business immediately. The savings for the short period of operation in 1915 were $510.75.
Things went very smoothly in 1916 with a savings for the year of $5,900. June 7, 1917, the Mina Elevator was bought for $1,000 and it was operated in connection with the Beattie organization. There was talk and investigation in September of 1917 to get into the produce business but that was later dropped for the present year.
September of 1918 it was decided to go into the machinery and gasoline engine business and in October of the same year they built a tile warehouse to house the machinery and engines. This warehouse was 30 feet by 80 feet and was built at a cost of $1,827.39. This warehouse stood until it was torn down in August of 1963. They also bought one-half block of real estate to put the warehouse.
In February of 1926 the association went into the cream and produce business. William Winkler Jr. was hired to run the produce department. During 1926 there was a poultry shed built on the west side of the tile warehouse.
In December of 1927 the association moved the office to the south side of the tile warehouse and put in a new 10-ton scale just south of the office.
In December of 1945 a new truck scale of 50-ton capacity, with a 45x10 foot deck, was ordered. In 1946 it was installed and the old office torn down. A new office space was made in the south end of the tile warehouse. Scale and office work amounted to a little less than $4,000.
The year 1947 proved to be a year of large volume. It was the first year in the cooperative's history that it had total sales of a million dollars. A new ten-bushel automatic load-out scale was purchased and installed in the head house for the purpose of weighing carloads of grain that were shipped out.
The early '50s to the present time have been an era of expansion. After much discussion, in April of 1951 it was decided to build a 30,000-bushel annex to the original elevator for a cost of $18,500. This more than doubled our present capacity.
In January of 1954, after much deliberation, a contract was let with Roberts Construction Company for a 70,000-bushel annex to the elevator, to be built immediately and to be finished by wheat harvest. The contract price was $44,500. This addition also more than doubled the present facilities at that time.
In January of 1958 anchor products were stocked for the members. This consisted of veterinary supplies and animal health products. After much research and planning a contract was let in June of 1958 to build a 250,000-bushel concrete elevator.
In December of 1961 negotiations were made with the Frankfort Grain Company for the purchase of their elevator facilities. Negotiations were completed in January of 1962. This purchase consisted of three elevators with a total capacity of 270,000 bushels, feed warehouses and all machinery and equipment.
In February 1965 the Beattie Farmers Union Co-op decided to enter the anhydrous ammonia fertilizer business. The initial cost was estimated at $15,000 to $20,000 to install a plant and purchase applicators and nurse tanks.
The bid from Borton Company to build a new Union Pacific Elevator at Frankfort was accepted in 1975. It was financed through certificates of indebtedness by members of the cooperative and the Wichita Bank for Cooperatives in the amount of $457,000.
In February 1980 the board of directors met with the board of directors from Blue Rapids Co-op. It was agreed to merge the Marysville Service Station and the Marietta Elevator in with the Beattie Co-op by means of a stock and equity transfer of the patrons. This agreement went into effect on April 1, 1980.
In June of 1992 the Beattie Co-op purchased the Blue Rapids 870,000-bushel elevator, fertilizer and office for $130,000. On December 5, 1992, the Beattie elevator had a 30,000-bushel bin fire caused from the dryer and a smoke explosion occurred. About $100,000 in damage occurred. No one was injured during the fire and cleanup. On January 11, 1993, the Beattie dryer caught on fire and was destroyed. A new Zimmerman dryer was installed to dry the 300,000 bushels of milo piled on the ground from the fall harvest.
The cooperative has been successful in many ways during the past 80 years as a result of loyal cooperation of members, directors and employees. There will be many changes that lie ahead in the future to be brought to the patrons and their cooperative. With continued loyalty and support of the cooperative, the next 80 years may be as rewarding as the first 80 years by increasing their return in farming operations by patronizing their own off-the-farm business the Beattie Farmers Union Cooperative Association. Farming is a good life and co-ops make it better.

Taken from A Half Century of Progress


 

BEATTIE OUTLAWS

Lem Goldsberry House, south of Beattie
One day several Goldsberry boys were at the FitzGerald stone quarry when a fight broke out between Lem and one of his brothers. Lem got his brother down; then letting out a spate of oaths he screamed, "Now I'll dig your eyes out." At the horrible threat Clint came to his brother's defense, and Lem whipped out his pistol and shot him. Lem was put on trial for the shooting and made a plea of self-defense. It appeared to the jury, it had been a family quarrel in which two brothers had ganged up against the third. Lem received a five-year prison sentence.
The setting for the Goldsberry-Bender drama was in the neighborhood of the Life School. Pete Bender was elected to the Life School Board and the trouble that led to his death arose from these duties. At a board meeting in the spring of 1891, it was Pete's job to announce the results of the ballots cast. He laughingly reported, "There have been times when we have not shown enough interest in these meetings, but this time we have shown a little too much. There are more ballots here than there are voters. We will have to take another vote." When Lem heard Bender's announcement, he sprang to his feet. "It's none of your business," he shouted angrily. "You don't have any kids in school." Before he could be quieted he lunged at Bender. Even though he was illiterate, Lem was suspected of having cast the extra vote. Bender had managed to get Lem down. Lem struggled free and he clawed for Pete's eyes. He missed and one finger reached Pete's mouth and Pete, whose temper was up by now, bit it severely. Goldsberry's finger became infected and had to be amputated. From that day on Lem swore he would have Pete's life for the lost finger.
On December 14, 1891, Goldsberry drove past the Alfred Cooper home in his spring wagon, taking his two boys and a little Harry boy home from school. A few minutes later Pete rode into the Cooper yard to visit with Alfred and Bird Cooper. Pete was going to marry Bird Cooper. "I saw Lem back there," Pete explained, "and he seemed to be in an ugly mood. I think I'll wait here and give him time to get up the road."He soon rode on, giving Bird a special good-bye smile and left. But Lem was waiting and had turned his team across the road to block Pete's passage. The Harry boy recalled later that Lem drew his gun as Bender approached. As he dismounted from his horse, Pete pleaded, "Lem, Lem, don't shoot." Lem's four fingers tensed and tightened on the handle of his gun. Pete turned to his horse. A shot rang out and Pete fell face forward to the ground with blood oozing from a gaping wound in the back of his head. Lem had then driven on to his home, satisfied that the loss of his finger had been avenged. Then, accompanied by his oldest son, he drove to Marysville and gave himself up to Sheriff Bentley.
The Home City-Beattie community was aroused by the ruthless killing and feelings reached a feverous pitch. Three weeks after Lem was jailed to await trial for the murder of Bender, a group of Bender's friends organized a lynching party and rode into Marysville intent on seeking justice. They stormed the jail, captured Sheriff Bentley and a deputy and secured the keys. While they were still in the outer room two shots were fired from within the cell block and Lem called out their names. The would-be lynchers concluded that the sheriff had armed Lem in an attempt to prevent a lynching. They went no farther. Those inside the jail were arrested and charged with stealing the sheriff's gun. Five men were tried and found not guilty by a jury. Among those tried were Clint Goldsberry, Lem's half-brother, who had carried a bullet from Lem's gun, and Mart Bender, brother of Pete, George Hahn, Lew Haught and Jake Beveridge.
After Lem's trial the verdict was guilty of second-degree manslaughter. And when the five-year prison sentence was announced, Lem, who had remained passive and calm during the trial, sprang raging to his feet to attack his lawyer. He had to be forcibly restrained, which led the Beattie people to believe the crafty lawyer had promised Lem an acquittal by bribing the jury.
When Lem returned from prison he made no attempt to seek revenge on his accusers or those of the lynching party. But two prison terms without any rehabilitation training had left Lem an embittered man, ostracized by the community and shunned by other members of the Eli Goldsberry clan who resented his besmirchment of their name. Eli Goldsberry was Lem's father.
Lem and his sons were charged with involvement in a horse stealing ring that maintained a hide-out in a natural cave in Rattlesnake Canyon located east of Winifred on what was the John Adams farm. The cave held several head of horses and was safe from the law officers who were reluctant to enter the canyon reportedly infested with rattlesnakes.
Then one night in October of 1909 Lem's boys Guy and Charlie came to town. They put in some time at the saloon, then went across the street to a restaurant where they began tossing dishes and upsetting furniture. Someone ran for the marshal but before he got there the German women who ran the place had run the rowdies out with a stove poker. Sullivan tried to grab both boys and in the scuffle Guy bit the marshal's hand and Charlie escaped, heading down the creek for his father. Sullivan locked Guy in the city jail, sat back and waited for Lem. Within the hour Lem rode in and ordered Sullivan to release his son or he'd "reduce the jail." Sullivan took the first alternative, Lem and Guy rode off with a parting threat that they'd be back to settle the score. The next day the Beattie city officials bought three Marlin rifles.
On the morning of December 10, 1909, the Goldsberrys came to town with three loads of corn; Lem was driving the lead wagon. He unloaded the corn at the elevator and as he was putting in the endgate a bullet zinged past him. Lem raised his head and looked in the direction of the bullet at the Bear & Brunswig hay and feed store. A second bullet cracked the air and Lem ignored it. When a third shot zipped by him, Lem climbed into the wagon, slowly sat down on the seat and drove off at a walk. Lem was wearing a lead vest. A few days later word floated back to town that Lem had been hit in the leg and that he had "marked his man." Sullivan left town.
After several brushes with the law the Goldsberrys moved to Nebraska where it is believed Lem spent his later years.

 

TELEPHONE COMPANY

The first telephone company in Beattie was organized by a group of city businessmen. The approximate time was 1890. Wallace and Marian Hawk were instrumental in the effort along with others whose names are not known.
The farmers organized a company and joined with the town and thus "The Farmers' Mutual Telephone Company" came into existence in March, 1902. This company served the entire community faithfully with dedicated operators. On Monday morning, June 29, 1970, Mrs. Ray Floyd pulled the plug for the last time on the Beattie Mutual Telephone company switchboard as telephone service was converted to a dial system. Since 1941, Mrs. Gertrude Cain, was "central" on the afternoon and evening shift. The New Blue Valley Telephone building was built in 1970 to house the equipment needed for the dial system.

 

GOVERNMENT AND BUSINESS

The Beattie Municipal government has consisted through the years of a mayor and five councilmen and is based on strict and conservative ideas of economy and safe and secure progress. In 1900 the officials were: Mayor, M. J. Dougherty; City Clerk, Miss Katie O'Neil; Police Judge, H. N. Kingman; Marshall, M. Byers; Councilmen, Peter McMahon, D. W. Conger, B. M. Bell, J. D. Newton and Mrs. Mary E. Schleigh.

The "Star" was the first newspaper printed in Beattie in 1885 with W. W. Brooks editor, then the "Palladium" and "Eagle" and last, "The Journal."

Some of the businessmen in 1900 were:
Some other early day businesses and their owners:
When Beattie was at its peak the following businesses were here: Two doctors, one dentist, two newspapers, one veterinarian, one undertaker and one hearse. (Coffins were kept on the upper floor of what is now the Tegethoff Hardware). There was also a bakery shop, photography studio, stock yards, theater, three drug stores, three millinery stores, florist shop, jewelry store with clock repairs, dressmaker shop, two lumber yards, two hardware stores, one general store, two grocery stores, men's clothing store, two shoe cobblers, two hotels, taxi service, four barber shops, two banks, public grade and high schools, two meat markets, two livery stables, two grain elevators, two dray systems, two railroad section crews, two rock quarries, a large creamery where farmers sold their milk, and butter was made, a race track, four churches, two restaurants, two blacksmith shops and fine baseball team.
The businesses in Beattie in 1970 include:

 

 
Return to History Page