The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-03-08
OUTRAGE BY white Caps
The Family of George Wagner Shame
fully Abused by Masked Men.
BURNED MR.. WAGNER'S FEET
Six Cownrdly Robbers Armed with Re.
voivers Terrorize Family While
in Search of Plumber
News from PittstOn.


Special to the Scranton Tribune.
Pittston, March 7.-One of the most
dastardly outrages upon record was
perpetrated last evening on the family
OF George Wagner of Exeter borough,
Mr.. Wagner is respected farmer,
somewhat advanced in years His fam
fly consists of himself, wife, a grand
daughter about IL years of age, and
hired man whose name could not be
learned. All four We're at home last
evening, after supper. Mr.. Wagner was
reading, while the others were Willing
the evening away with game of domi-
noes.
Suddenly, at about 74O o'clock, they
were startled by the noise of a number
of men outside of the house. Before
they had time to investigate, the door
was opened without ceremony, and five
men entered-all with revolvers in their
hands and all having white clothes COW
ering their faces. A sixth man, sim
ilarly armed and disguised, remained
outside the door, guarding the same,
after having closed the window blinds
from the outside on the front OF the
house.
Inside, without much ado. the des-
peradoes took possession of the house.
The hired man was tied, being the one
most likely to cause them trouble. while
the others Were guarded Without
doubt the object of the band was rob-
berry. At any rate they ransacked every
room in the house. Not drawer or
box was left untouched. and the ar
ticles We're scattered about In wild
confusion. All that rewarded the rob-
bers were u few dollars in change.
Finally, the robbers, discovering no
money, turned upon the aged husband
and wife and threatened them with Ven-
Eeance If they refused to reveal where
their money was hid. They protested
that there was no money in the house,
but this did not satisfy the gang. In
a final desperate effort to extract some
thing from Mr. Wagner, they removed
his boots, and, with a shovel heated
at the stove, scorched his feet pain
fully. Even this torture failed to re-
suit in anything satisfactory, and
finally, when they had threatened Mrs.
Wagner with the same treatment. and
received from her further protestations
that there was no money in the house
the gang gave up the job, and made
good their escape.
Before doing so. however, they COM
manded the now thoroughly terrorized
inmates of the house not to follow them
or even go outside of the house, on pain
of being shot. The people We're so badly
frightened that they obeyed the injunc-
ton to the letter, and 1t was not until I
o'clock this morning, when they saw a
neighbor passing, that they ventured
n tA11 fha thril1ino
The older members of the family We're
not seriously affected by their exciting
experience. The young girl of the house
hold was the most seriously affected.
She was terribly frightened by the
operations Of the desperadoes and her
nervous system sustained q severe
shock. For a time her condition was
serious. DR.. Johnson was called this
morning to attend her.
Mr.. McCabe, who lives but short
distance away from the Wagners,
heard the men both going to the place
and coming away, but no suspicious
were aroused in his mind, since men
pass along the road to and from work
at all hours Of the night. He visited
the Wagner house this morning and
says he never saw house so badly ran
sacked. He found footprints in the
snow around the house and followed
them down the road quite a distance.
The authorities have been notified, and
although there is scarcely any clue on
which to work, efforts will be made to
ferret out the desperate gang.
This morning Mrs. Wagner picked up
on the floor of the house a 32-caliber
cartridge. which evidently had been
dropped by one of the robbers.
Lively Cooking Main.
Our local sports had quite deserted
our city last night at o'clock. Murmers
of rooster fight could be heard oc-
casionally in the afternoon, but few out
side the ring were aware as to the
whereabouts Of the fight. At midnight
last night a lot of sports from Wilkes
Barre, Ashley, Kingston, this city and
all the towns intervening, gathered al
Cray's hotel at the mountainside back
of Maltby The battles We're very eX-
citing and the East side birds won an
easy victory. The birds We're owned by
James Reed. of Kingston, and Mr.. Gill
gan. of Ashley and the battle was for
5000 a side. with q number of heavy
bets on the side. The Pittston boys
knew where to place their dough and
are wearing an expression of satisfac.
tlon today as a result of the exchange
of money last night.
In the first battle Kingston pitted q
black red, weighing six pounds. against
a bird of the same specious, in which
Reeds bird won.
In the second battle two black-red'
were pitted, weighing five pounds. ans
twelve ounces, in which Reeds birt
was again victorious.
In the third battle Gilligan pitted &
white bird which was easy done by
Reeds gray at five pounds each. Tn,
Kingston bird, a Dominick, won tn,
fourth fight. Each bird weighed fiv,
pounds. Reeds blue bird won tn,
fifth and last battle against Gllligan'!