Let us recover a story from the past.
I found the story when I visited downtown Wenona, Illinois.
A monument made me pause for a long time. Sheriff Glenn T. "Mike" Axline fell in the line of duty on January 16, 1935, a day in Starved Rock Country where the dawn arrived cold.
Who were the bank bandits?
Four bank bandits attempted a safe cracking at the Leonore State Bank, Leonore, Illinois. Leonore counted five hundred citizens in 1935. Now, the village on the prairie counts one hundred and thirty.
These are the names of the bandits. The bandit who killed Sheriff Axline cannot be identified. All the surviving bandits paid for this crime together.
Melvin Leist, alias David Leach, 29, of Rockford. He served as a fireman for four years.
Arthur Thielan, 30, of Rockford
Fred Verner, 29, of Unknown. Verner and Thielen were brothers-in-law. Verner might have been the leader. The spelling of Gerner is sometimes used.
John H Hauff, ##, Ex-con, parole violator, of Chicago
The gang broke into the Clayton County courthouse in Elkader, Iowa. They unsuccessfully tried to crack the treasurers safe. However, the crackers ran out of gas for their torch. And Melvin Leist fainted from fumes.
A bank teller from the Shannon State Bank identified the bandits when the three were held in Ottawa, Illinois.
Please allow me to share what I have gathered to this date. I would welcome an invitation to share this story with our circle.
Somewhere in the night of January 16, 1935, four bandits drove a Willys Knight to the village of Leonore, Illinois.
15232 McNabb Blacktop RdMcNabb, IL 61335
Elkader, Iowa, the county seat of Clayton County
Please allow me to share what I have gathered to this date. I would welcome an invitation to share this story with our circle.
Somewhere in the night of January 16, 1935, four bandits drove a Willys Knight to the village of Leonore, Illinois.
15232 McNabb Blacktop RdMcNabb, IL 61335
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