The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1896-11-25
"ABE7 MUSSER AGAIN
In the County Jail Charged With Attempt
ing to Burglarize the Home Of Ger
man Farmer Near Mcyersdale-
A STRONG CASE AGAINST HIM.

This robbery was reported in last
weeks HERALD. In the report it was
stated that Mr.. Debakau had assaulted
the would-be-robbersw with an AK. De-
bakau's story of the robbery is as follows:
About one o'clock Monday morning Mrs.
Debakau was aroused from her slumbers
and upon opening her eyes saw man
sitting in the window of the bed room
She aroused her husband who sprang out
Armed with the ak he advanced to the
door of his dwelling and had no sooner
turned the lock than a burglar pushed
his way into the house and snapped q re-
volver in his face. The revolver failed TO
explode and Debakau struck the hand
that held the revolver with his AK. The
burglar dropped the revolver on the floor.
About this time a second burglar pushed
into the house and was struck on the
head with the ak in the hands of Deba-
kau. The robbers discovered that it was
an unequal battle and both retreated
from the house, but not until after one
had torn the mask which he wore for
disguise from his face. Mrs. Debak au
had lighted small miners lamp and
held it in the room and by its faint filter
ing glare Mr.. Debakau was able to get a
full view of the countenance of the first
burglar. When the robbers fed from
the house Debakau followed them but
was unable to overtake them. Returning
to the scene of the encounter Mr.. Deba-
kau found that the floor OF the front
porch and the kitchen, where the strug-
gle had taken place, were smeared with
blood. Later in the day Debakau told
the story of the attempted robbery to
several of his neighbors.
Monday morning ABE" Musser went
to DIR. o. G. Getty, of Meyersdale, to have
a cash about three inches long on the
back of his LEFT hand sewed up. He told
the DIR. that he cut his hand with an AK
while working in Benjamin Thomas
coal mine. The DIR. sewed up the wound
and thought no more about it; but other
parties who learned of Musser's visit to
the physician at once suspected him of
being one of the Debakau robbers. Mus
ser's ''butty," or fellow workman in the
mine said that "Abe'' bad not cut him
self while at work, and an investigation
of the room in which they worked failed
to show any trace of blood.
Wednesday afternoon Mr.. Debakau
went before Justice Cook, of Meyersdale,
and made an information against Musser
and one George Newman, charging them
with attempted robbery. A warrant was
placed in the hands of Policeman Thorn
as Swindell. who went to Musser's house
and placed him under arrest. Newman
was arrested at his home. The two pris-
oners were brought before the Justice
and given a hearing. Mr.. Debakau testi
fled that he had struck one of the robbers
on the left hand with an AK, but failed to
identify Musser on account of the stoop-
ed position of the prisoner. The prison
ers were both discharged. Later in the
afternoon when Debakau saw Musser
walking in an upright attitude on the
street he identified him positively as the
man he had struck on the left hand with
an ak. Monday morning Policeman
Swindell again placed Musser under ar
rest. The prisoner was given re-hear-
ing before Justice Cook, when Mr.. De-
bakau positively identified him as one of
the robbers. DIR. Getty testified TO hav-
ing sewed up wound on Musser's hand
the previous Monday that looked as
though it had been made with an Ak;
and Mussers fellow workman testified
that the prisoner could not have inflicted
the wound upon his hand while at work
in the mine without his knowledge. On
these statements the Justice committed
Musser to Jail for trial.
Debakau has the reputation of being
provident. He is a miner as well as far
mer. and only few days before the at
robbery sold two cows. He was
also supposed to have his last months
wages in his house. in addition to the
money he had accumulated from many
years of hard labor.
No trace has been found of the robber
who was cut in the head, but officers are
keeping a sharp watch for him.
Fifteen years ago the name of ABE
Musser was known from one end of Som
erset county to the other. He was the
leader of band of highway
men and robbers who terroriZed the peo-
pie in all sections. One night they rob
bed store in Somerset, and the next
found them holding up farmer in Ad-
Olson township. At least twenty bur-
glaries and highway robberies were at
tributed to Musser's gang, until finally
three members of the band were rounded
up for the robbery of Liston's store and
other parties in Addison township. Mus
ser was given ten years sentence in the
and was released from that
institution about three years ago. Since
his release from prison he has been
suspected of a number of crimes.
Musser is a native of Stonycreek town.
ship. He drifted to the west when a
young man and after spending a number
of years in that country, where it is al
legged he became a member of gang of
robbers, he returned to Somerset county,
prepared to break safe or rob dwell
ing with the skill and daring of pro-
fessional cracksman.