#OnThisDay February 17, 1901 – Three men are charged for robbing the Footville, WI Post Office after failing to rob a bank.
Thomas Riley, Thomas Dillon, and James Hess (known as “Janesville Tommy”) broke into the Footville Post Office on October 20, 1900. However, this was not their original plan. They aimed to rob a bank at Clinton, WI, but instead turned their attention to the nearby post office due to frustrations in planning.
Post Office Inspector Ralph Bird quickly connected the men to a recent robbery of the Prairie du Sac bank, and he identified and arrested all three men within weeks.
On February 17, 1901, the trio was indicted for the post office robbery with a trial date set for May 30. While awaiting trial, Dillon attempted to escape from the Dane County Jail twice, but he was unsuccessful.
At trial, Dillon and Hess were sentenced to four years in the Stillwater penitentiary. Riley, who had no prior criminal history, received a lighter sentence of 2.5 years.
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