New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-04-27
THE RIDGEWOOD q Ho,r -
DETECTIVES vAINLY scouR IN,
TRY FOR THE BANDIT. u
THE AFFAIR ONE OF THE BoLprsr ,v
TEMPTED IN THE vrc1x1rY-pro,, q
AND ABOUT THE STATION
THE ROBBERY WAS Arrr,, -

THE ROBBERY WAS ATTEMPTS
Ridgewood, April rs SpeciaD.-rbs A.
tempt 10 hold up the station agent 1000 Z
driver on Saturday night has shaks, 49, epus
peaceful village to It's foundation, =. "s usuany
and the farmers In the peaceful Rar..s uaeal
miles about Hooked to the station TO- a. .as Il
a hole In the ticket-ofice window ~. y nck Z
which wounded two men was fired. ~. 0ulQ
ated themselves with gazing opsn.mor.. ~
hole. they clustered about John Rr.A.-"s II
baggage-master, to hear his story - s3, IL
Then they drove or walked past the h.,.- sHas
Cisco the negro driver OF the Wells. =, ss' vAtH
Company. and c. +. Bechtlofft, the .s,'.I .ApFss
lie suffering from the wounds inflicted ~ ,. asat
Erie Railroad detectives haunted n. ..s ~. 0oas
tried to find some starting point firm, ss''. "
work In their pursuit Of the masked NJ, "
seemingly without avail. for search a. n.-s "
not sign did the two men leave rhev 81. wy
to have hurried through Cameron,s L.. "e
the Paterson Road. AS they ran the On. -. IVAN
the shot threw from his rifle the empted ...s. ma
which is in possession OF the detecty., ~su''ss
men turned into the Paterson Road h ,...'r Inc
whether they went toward Paterson Or ,,..., oof
New-York State line Is uncertain.
The men are believed to have been 49,.
crime. at least the crime they attempted : ~
day night. 1t Is also thought that they IN, ~"
where about. for they picked out one Of n.
road employees who was not In uniform. ,,A -
PEELED him to hold up his hands. II they -.
residents Of the neighborhood they had ban ~
ing careful Investigations to recognize ma, 4, ;.
dark and single him out OF twenty Or mr.. ~
sons. That they were not used to the burn... -
shown by their nervousness.
The man who remained on the station r..,
trembled so that the man held up expected !, :
shot. The man who went inside doubtless 0,,a a.
shot which wounded the two men throusA a..
nervousness Again. II they were RESIDENT, ~ =.
neighborhood they should have known there n, :.
safe In the office, and that II the money Wa ~.
the Office over night It would have been eas,,, =,
safer to have committed burglary after The A.
was closed or to have held up Bechtloft on nj. =
home, II he carried the money home The ~
was one Of the most reckless ever known n \.
vicinity, and its very daring was what miskt 49,
made II successful. There were men abou, !.
depot, and while the robbers were about thev ~
paralyzed with amazement and then let "a. -
bandits escape without moving hand Ia An.
them. One man who was on the platform =, A.
time said yesterday that he did not realize vh,, -,
going on until the men started to run I'd Ia, ,,.
and were some distance away. Then he thousA !.
following. but he was unarmed and both the roD,,.
had rifles. and. as events had shown were reaa, /.
use them
The affair occurred shortly before $50 Am,
hour Bechtlofft was In the ticket Office. IA N,
about winding up his days work Cisco. Ms n.
press wagon driver. had put away his horse al
had turned In his receipts for the day. Righ,meyr
had finished his days work. save to care for an
baggage that might come on the next train, ri
knowing there would be little. II any, he M
taken of his uniform and left 1t In the tcks
office. Bechtlofft was counting and asserting BIZ
cash. Cisco had seated himself on a table In, ths
ticket office and thrown himself sideways on ~
that he rested on one hip and an elbow, with BIB
hand supporting his head He was watching Bech.
lofft count the cash. Ten minutes later the three
men would have been on their way home.
Rightmeyer. after changing his uniform, vent
out Of the ticket office swapping shut the door b.
tween the waiting-room and the ONCE. He thea
went through the waiting room TO the platform 90
the side where the tracks are In the waiting.roon
were three negro women and ons man. Opposite
the door through which Risheayyer passed uhsrs
Is similar one opening on the SIDE Of the platform
where the carriages and wagons stop. On that side
there were several persons. At the upper END
the station party OF wheelmen were waiting for
train They could not see the side Of the platform
nearest the tracks.
When Rightmeyer emerged from the watingrooo
10 the platform John H. Hammond. ares!dent
stood almost In front OF the door,
Further down the dimly lighted platform two men
stood. Both had guns. Rightmeyer paid no stsen'
ion to them. suppos;ng they were hunters. one
the men turned toward him when opposite 70 me
waiting room door and the other entered the room
The man who entered the room startled the f'u'
people in II by the fact that he wore black nsa
over the upper portion OF his face in such manner
rs to hide all his features save his nose. Swinens
MS rifle to cover the people In the room. ne con-
manded them 10 get out. They went gong
through the door farthest from the tracks
Bechtlofrt and Cisco were counting the mont
There was a noise at the door as though some ."
ried to open 1t. Cisco was about 10 open 1t whenH
Ind Bechtlofrt realized It was not Rightmeyes'
lie would have used his keys. Cisco was tired, "s
lid not get of the table. but sank back Into
original position. The attempt TO open the door "
ollowed by this grun demand:
Come: pass out your money. I want II"
Cisco and Bechtlofft laughed. and BechtlonI@
posing It was some OF his friends, said:
Come and get IT. -.
mo fooling, hurry up!' came back throuc
window Bechtlofft stepped toward the VIZ
with a half-counted bundle OF DIS In MS M.
md Cisco sat I'D straight TO see who was spS
ng. Just as Cisco Strengthened up there was =
explosion. and bullet struck Cisco in the shou''
md passed through the muscles. nnic'ihs pS-
nj wound. The bullet continued Its course -. !,
3echtlofrt had as narrow an escape from "o''s
wound as any man ever had. Inc ouI'e' S"
lis collar-button and broke of It's head mn
lave passed within a half-inch OF MS ,h'o".
ook a slightly downward course, ana 'here =.
lvid streak across his shoulder from wnei' -.
,utton was to where the bullet entered 'hs -,
md furrowed an inch and a half along WV
md flesh and then lodged in his coat
Back Of where the men stood wren 'ne' .,rd
hot was a baggage truck With conihio" 80
hey dropped behind this. as It vas out '. ~,
+ the window. They do not know no" 'oIs ,h,,
vere there. for both are willing - aun".
vere too frightened to keep any record OF n.,.,
While this was happening inside the depo. q.
meyer Was having troubles OF his own ou'ss Inn
nd Mr. Hammond were speaking OF the oo1 .,,ssl
heir conversation was broken in on by IAN
0 throw up their hands. Rightmeyer az" "a
,ond laughed. thinking 1t was some in' .S.n
lightmeyer advised the men who accosteo A.
andle his gun more carefully and to POM M tns
Their way. The man wae ADVANCING al, ss9
nd when he was about two rinv Nns us rnett
,ightmeyer and Hammond realized ne Thss wp
10th men started to edge away in ers
nth a command to stand still. Rghimeys' stga
sas the tone In which the command Wa sprss
hat showed him the men In front Oh NM VS.