A Bold Robbery in Lebanon
From the “Watertown Republican” – January 29, 1886 edition
Wednesday night, January 20 [1886], a daring robbery was committed at the country store of H. Moldenhauer and Son in the town of Lebanon, six miles northeast of this city. Henry R. Moldenhauer, the partner of his father in the business resides over the store, his family consisting of his wife, two young children and a hired girl.
At 11 o’clock loud demonstrations were heard at the side door which is reached by an outside stairs but before Mr. Moldenhauer, who had been asleep, could reach the door, five armed men burst it open, each one of them holding a cocked revolver and disguised with handkerchiefs over their faces and scarves around their necks.
One of the gang watched at the door while the other four proceeded to the work of getting the family together in Mr. and Mrs. Moldenhauer’s bedroom. The robbers then interviewed Mr. M about his money, and Mrs. M, lifting up the pillows of the bed, disclosed to the robbers a bundle of greenbacks and coin amounting to nearly $300 and told them there was all the money they had.
The leader of the gang remarked that they had reason to believe there was more money to be had somewhere on the premises and said that if Mr. Moldenhauer hesitated about giving up the money he and his associates would use extreme measures. Mr. M, said he could prove by his books downstairs that he had no more money on hand.
Mr. M, accompanied three of the robbers down stairs, a pistol being held at his head. The safe was opened for the robbers but contained no money. The robbers indicated a familiarity with the premises that seemed rather significant. The Lebanon post office is in the Moldenhauer store and the next demand of the burglars was for registered letters but there were none.
The robbers revenged themselves for this disappointment by throwing the mail matter and postage stamps upon the floor and stamping upon them. After getting what they wanted in the store the burglars returned upstairs with Mr. M still holding their pistols ready to shoot, and then demanded Mrs. Moldenhauer’s jewelry which was given them.
When they left they locked Mr. M and the entire family in the bedroom, taking everything out of the apartment that could be used to open or break down the door. The robbers next proceeded to the barn, and hitching the team to a pair of bobs, took their departure, the whole raid occupying about an hour.
Thursday morning the sleigh and team were found in the road at the farm of H. Stark, in Lebanon, about 5 miles from here. Both horses were lying in a ditch, one on top of the other, tangled up in the harness and nearly dead. It is supposed that the team was driven to the city line and then abandoned.
There is thus far no clue to the perpetrators of this crime. The theory is now quite well established that the robbers expected to find the Lebanon town treasurer’s funds in the store safe amounting to some $2,000.
C. Nass, the Lebanon town treasurer, has collected the tax at the Moldenhauer store. He completed his collections Wednesday but took the money home with him instead of leaving it as was supposed in the Moldenhauer safe and in this way the main design of the daring robbers was frustrated. It is unnecessary to state that Mr. Nass hearing of the Moldenhauer affair, made all possible haste to reach Juneau and deposit the town tax with the county treasurer. —- Watertown Republican.
