Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1883-03-21
EXCITING CHASE.
IA Starting Night Scene at Bridge.
port.
A Robbery Frustrated by Two ctireas-
Sharp but Harmless Exchange
Of Shots-A fnatiess Chase.


h Of Shots-A fruitiess Chase.
/ About two o'clock, yesterday morning
an exciting, even thrilling. scene was en-
acted in Bridgeport, as result OF which
the wonder is that no one was killed.
Nearly thirty shots were fred, and some a,
close range, but owing to the darkness Of
the night and the excitement prevalent
10 one was killed, though it is believed
blood Was drawn. The circumstances are
as follows; a-.
Messrs. Kirk McConshey, Johr Blum
and Harry Robb, the latter two Of whom are
employed in the formers drug store, sat up
until two o'clock yesterday morning, at the
store, reading aloud from an absorbing
book. At that hour they separated, Robb
going ND stairs to his room and the others
waking off together. As they passed Jun.
kins dry goods store Kirk noticed sash
was out, and called Blum's attention to it,
remarking something was wrong. They
drew near, when suddenly came
FLASH AND REpoRy OF PISTOL,
and bail whizzed between them. By the
flash they saw the outlines of q man inside
and at once drew their reyolyers and STEP
ned back. In q moment. in the darkness
of the night, they saw man emerge. The
aperture was small and as he came out
head first, be fell to the pavement, and
while in this position each fired shot at
him. He arose, and quickly returned the
fire and asharp fusiiade began. Apparent
ly no shot took effect and the man ran
down, turned out the pike and disappeared.
McConahey and Blum followed TO the cor
per and while there saw second burglar
issue from Junkins' window. He an.
nounced his appearance by a shot, and
they returned it AS he ran into the street
he stumbled and fell and while lying
there, two more shots were hred 81 Nun.
But he arose and tho ugh
APPARENTLY WOUNDED,
ran straight down street and disappeared
over the Kirkwood bridge. Scarcely was
he out of sight when third robber shot
out of the window and the firing recon-
menced on both sides with renewed vigor.
He made straight for the bridge and four
shots were fred at him before he turned
the corner of the Oglebay building. The
two Young men. with their pistols en-
bausted, followed and saw him turn down
the C. & p. track, where the darkness
swallowed him up.
After little consultation, Blum went
home, while Kirk McConehay reused up
the marshal and officer Reese Burdett and
informed them OF the affair. The two re-
visited the ground and found in the snow
the print of the boot Of the last man,
which was about as small as a womans'
foot would have made. A lantern was
procured and
THE TRACK FOLLOWED
20 a distance 200 yards south OF the
la Belle glass works, where it left the
track and led up to the coal mine on the
hillside, leased by John Nolan. Arrived
at the mouth. Kirk mounted guard while
the marsha! and Burdett en-
tered. They hunted over aeon
siderable distance, but finally
discovering several off shooting enteles
which led to the open air, gave up the
,earch and emerged. While they were in
the mine, Kirk saw man walking down
the track and called to him to halt. The
voice, coming from the darkness, naturally
caused the stranger to accelerate his pace.
Kirk then asked if he had seen anybody on
the track, to which he replied he had met
two men going north and walking rapidly.
When Burdett and the marshal came out,
and the trio had gained the trac K. the I'M
known was two hundred yards ahead.
The marshal called out to halt, hut no at
tention was paid, and
BURDETr SENT A SHOT
in that direction. The only and natural
effect of this was to cause the man to break
into a run which carried him out OF sight.
He was followed 10 Bellaire, and there
lrrecoverably lost. 1t was thought his
footprint was the same they had been fol-
lowing, but it is just as likely he,was an
innocent stranger who wondered who the
three men were.
The thieves hsd got very little at Jun
kIns'. The drawer was forced and little
change taken, and this, with some hand.
kerchiefs, was ell. A pile OF goods had
been removed to the window,
READY TO lie CARRIED OFF,
and but for the appearance OF McConehay
and Blum, and their plucky conduct, the
robbery might have been heavy.
On one of the back streets OF kirkwood
was found pool Of blood and some OF the
stolen handkerchiefs, but that was the only
trace since discovered. The police, both
of that place and this, have since been
working on the case, bat, at this writing,
lo, 40