The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1884-12-22
ISIX MASKED ROBBERS
ENTER A WHEELING RESIDENCE
md Gag tho Inmates, Rob the House OF
Over $1,000, una Leave without Being
Recognized After lIentins tho Family.
Tho lloldCst villnlny In Years.

The boldcst md most successful rob-
berry that has occurred IN Wheeling or in
his vicinity for many yours took place
Yesterday morning about . o'clock, and
the circumstances surrounding I. prove
n reasonable doubt TINT ut least
one OF tho robbers was o Wheeling man,
with the circumstances Of the
household they visited. There were six
Of the robbers, MI carefully masked so rs
to be beyond recognition. They broke in
Henry Workenour, M old German who
lives ut ll0l WetzCl street, In the vicinity
OF Reymann's brewery. The door WINS
roughly burst in with a coal bank prop,
the noise nwnking Workcnour md Ills
wife, md Il son, the only other occupant
OF the house, but before they could rise or
raise any alarm, they were covered by six
revolvcrs, in the hands OF the six masked
intruders.
HOUND, GAGGED AND BEATEN.
They were commanded 10 keep per-
iectly quiet, and while terrified by the re-
volvers and the fierce mannc OF the men,
the couple, who are very old people, and
the young man were securely tied, hands
and feet, and gagged In 4 most uncomfort-
nbto manner. ,,i.r at
The son, who is about nineteen years
old, resisted, and managed to tear tho
masks Off two OF the robbers. These two
he says he can identify ii hc ever secs
them again. lie also struck one Of them
in the face with his fist.
The three people bound and gagged
in this manner, were then rough.
ly tossed upon q bed, and cruelty
beaten with clubs, tho blood flowing freely
from tho cuts inflicted by tho hcartless
punishment, staining tho bedding and
scattering tile adjacent walls.
Tho robbersthen begana search through
the house, returning to the bod when one
Of the three victims Of their cruelty was
forced by pain 10 utter a moan, and re.
%newingtheir threats. Drawers, %cupboards,
boxes and trunks were opened and ran.
sacked thoroughly, tho contents being
thrown over the floor in confusion. III
one corner OF the room in which the aged
couple slept was n strong wooden box or
chest, with Il heavy cover. In this was
concealed the h~oardings Of years Of indus.
try and economy OIL the part OF the family.
There were several bags OF gold and silver
coin and 4 tin box containing valuable
papers and some money, Tho amount in
lhe chest amounted in NIL to something
over four thousand dollars. This money
has been accumulated Il little Mt Il time.
THE I%loAaplNGs OF YEARS STOLEN.
Prior to the scare about the soundness
OF tho Wheeling banks, at The time OF the
general financial panic several years ago,
Mr.. Workcnonr kept his savings on de-
post in a bank, but ut that time he became
alarmed and resolved to be his own
banker.
Since that time he has kept his money
in his house, the old chest being made its
repository, and he trusted to the conceal
ment OF his wealth to give him security
from robbers. Few people knew OF his
possessions or his habit OF keeping them
in his house, but evidentlythis knowledge
Ind in some way reached this party.
They quickly found the large sum Of
money they were seeking, aud after n
rough examination to see that their vic
tins were still securely fastened and
gagged, they departed with their rich
booty.
1t was some time before, with patience
and painful efforts, II OF three members
OF tho family managed to free himself,
and quickly nngagged and unbound the
other two. The three then began to
Justify yell "Murder!!" "Help!" "police!"
and their cries attracting the attention OF
Waterman 'Docrr, Of the Central Glass
Works, he tclephoncd 10 police head
quarters. The old man, as soon rs he was
free, ran down to the Atlantic engine
house, yelling for the police. The officers
met.him and accompanied him back to
the house.
TRACING THE THIEVES.
AS quickly as possible Officers Morris
and Reed were dispatched to the house,
and to them the victims Of the robbers
told their story and described, as we'll us
possible, the appearance Of the men, SO
fur rs their masks made it possible to us.
certain it. The policemen took young
Workcnour with them, and after a careful
search in the vicinity, found the tracks Of
six men in the new fallen snow. These
were followed rs far east as Fulton, where
four Of the men had apparently gone over
the hill toward the Top mill. The tracks
OF these four were followed across into
Jonatllan's r%avinc, and down the gulley
to the North Wheeling ferry landing.
Here four men had offered the mar who
runs q skill Jerry four dollars to take them
across, but he refused. They then started
down the river, but nil trace oftheir move
ments was soon lost. They did not cross
the Suspension bridge. =,
On tho way over the hill a bag of silver,
identified by young Workenour us one Of
the packages stolen from his fathers chest,
was found by the officers. 1t contained
Ss2a5.
4 tin box, believed to DO the one taken
by the robbers, but containing when
found nothing but some papers, was also
picked up early yesterday morning near
kimbcrly's coal works, at Mt. de Chantal
station. This would seem to indicate that
two OF the robbers had continued out the
railroad after separating from the four who
crossed the hill.
SERIOUS BLOW. ~.
Mr.. and Mrs. Workcnour we're seriously
sick yesterday from the combined effects
OF the beating they received at the hands
OF the robbers and the loss OF their care
fully boarded savings. The old mans
only means OF earning n livelihood was by
the sale Of mashed grain Tor feed. This he
obtained Mt Reymann's brewery md ped
died about town in 4 wagon.
When the officers reached the house
the aged couple. had no thought for the
wounds they had received, but begged the
police for Gods sake 10 recover their
money. When the subject was introduced
yesterday both would cry freely and be-
moan piteously the loss Of their little
wealth.
The robbery wasatoncet the most daring,
the cruelest and the most successful on
record in this vicinity for n long time. I'll
is suggested that there were probably more
than the six men who entered the house,
engaged in it, the others being lett outside
to stand guard. In this case the band
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