The daily morning journal and courier., 1897-02-17

| Attempt to Rob Thomas and Henry Ry- lands ofFunds of a Building Association by Three Masked AIen-Thomas Rylands Shoots One and the Other Two Escape The Wounded Man is Charles White. Bridgeport, Feb. 16.-Charles White, stationary engineer, fifty-fve years l of age, is at the General hospital ill this city tonight, suffering from a bull lent wound ill the neck inflicted with SS-calibre revolver in the hands of Thomas Rylands, superintendent of the shell department in the Union Metallic Cartridge company in this city. | Rylands and his brother, Henry C.. are members of the Saving and Build ing association of this city. Henry is treasurer of the organization. which holds meetings Tuesday evenings in
 East Bridgeport. At these meetings 1 the monthly payments are received, and the money, which usually amounts to $1,400, is taken charge of by Henry | Rylands, who takes it to the office of the Union Metallic Cartridge company and locks it in the safe until the next l day.
 &AiISl thC hiSVCiliS IO-Ai6IhI llhC lWO | Rylands started for the office of the cartridge company. Henry carried the satchel containing the money received
 from the members at the meeting. | It was 9:20 when the passed in the
 rear of the office of the Bridgeport
 Traction company on East Washington
 avenue, when three masked men step- ped out from a dark place in the build- | ing of the traction company.
 Throw up your hands," demanded one of the masked men, who aourished | a 22-calibre revolver in the face of the Rylands as he uttered the words. Thomas Rylands reached around to his hip pocket as soon as the words fell from the mouth of one of the masked men,
 whipped out a pistol and in answer immediately fired shot at the man who pointed the revolver at him. The bullet struck the highwayman in l the neck and pierced the spinal col-
 umn.
 | Immediately the fellow dropped to the ground and his two pals turned on their heels, and dashing across the lots, dis appeared. The Rylands continued on their way and went to the police sta-
 tion in this city, where they reported the affair to the police. An ambulance was sent to the scene of the shooting
 from the hospital and the man who was shot was taken to the hospital. | He gave him name as Charles White of 125 Arctic street, this city, and a sta-
 tionary engineer by occupation. The surgeons tried to extract the bullet, but
 they were unable to do so.
 Soon after being received at the hos- ] pital White became unconscious. An effort had been previously made by the police to get from him the names of
 his companions, but White would not l tell anything about the affair. The lower part of his body is entirely par-, alyzed and the physicians think that l he will not recover.
 l White has a wife and four children. For some time past he had been em-
 ployed at the mill of the Bridgeport Brass company. It is said of him that
 he suffered an attack of the yellow fever several years ago while in Mexico,
 and ever since his mind has not been
 sound. He has made attempts to kill his wife, but nevertheless was not re- garded as a desperate character.
 The police say that he would be
 easily influenced and the fact that he
 held the gun to do the shooting to-
 night seems to suggest that White was
 merely a tool in the hands of the other
 two masked men, who made their es-
 cape.
 The Rylands are unable to give any
 kind of description of the men who
 escaped.
 l Early this morning it was reported