Post Office Robbers01

Waupaca County Post

October 6, 2005

When Waupaca Was Young

By Dan Nerhaugen

Posse, Post Office Robbers Had Shootout;

The Bad Guys Lost

Some thieves who’d been plying their trade in the Waupaca area found themselves outgunned 100 years ago this month.

The Oct. 12, 1905 Waupaca Post reported: “The little village of Wild Rose, in Waushara County, had an interesting and lively experience last Saturday, which resulted in the killing of one man, the wounding of two others and the capture of three bandits who robbed the post office in the village the night before, and who made an attempt to rob the bank.

“when the villagers woke up on Saturday morning, they found that the safe in the post office had been broken open with nitro-glycerine, and $300 in stamps and about $100 in currency had been stolen. They also found that an effort had been made to rob the bank, the outer door to the vault having been blown off, and a charge of nitro-glycerine inserted under the safe door, which had not exploded, the robbers evidently having been frightened away before they could fire it.

“Farmers coming into town, with cream and milk, when informed of the affair, told of seeing four rough looking men on the road toward Waupaca, and Deputy Sheriff Digman immediately went after them. He located them in some woods near Hannawalt’s, and organized a posse of 35 men, all armed, to capture them.

“The posse came up with the robbers soon after noon, and, as soon as they were seen, the bandits made for a swamp. Turning, they fired at their pursuers, and a running fight ensued, during which one of the robbers was killed outright, and two of the others inured, one by a bullet in the head and the other being shot in the legs.

“The remaining one of the quartet, after his revolvers were empty, threw his hands up and surrendered. Though more than forty shots were fired at the posse not one of them was hurt.

“The three live men and the dead body were taken to Wild Rose, where medical treatment was given the injured, and in the evening the three were lodged in jail at Wautoma, together with four other suspicious looking tramps who were caught in Wild Rose during that day.

“On Sunday a Pinkerton detective identified one of the wounded men as ‘Rambler’, a noted crook, who escaped from jail while awaiting trial about a year ago. It is believed that the four are members of the Eddie Fay or some other well-known gang of crooks, who make looting country stores and post offices a specialty, and it is probable that they are the men who robbed Zillmer’s store in Symco, Lindekugel’s in Manawa, and attempted to rob Lytle and Keating’s store in Ogdensburg some months ago.”