The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1899-03-28
BATTLE WITH BANDITS.
They Had Robbed the Garbondale
Traction Company's Office.
CINE OF THE ROBBERS SHOT DEAD

Two Others In the Lcskawanna Hos
pitai and Two In Jail-Ilhe Captures
Effected by Citizens. Led by u Noted
Hunter ana Trapper.
Scranton, Pa. March 2S.-Five Of the
gang Of six crooks that robbed tho Car
hondale Traction company's station at
Mayficld yesterday morning have been
brought to earth. One of them Is dead,
two are in the Lackawanna hospital in
this city, and two are in the Carbondale
jail.
After sandbagging Fireman Patrick
dempsey and Engineer Frank Coggins
and shooting Night Clerk w. r. Breck-
enridge In the foot they made off with
the cash box, containing over $1,000,
and headed towards Carbondale, with
posse in pursuit.
City, on the line of the Jefferson brancl,
Of the Erie road. They were aboard
box car on Conductor Sig Robbins
nOrthbound train and when ordered to
get off drew revolvers and referred to
them as First class tickets" At Union
dale the conductor learned from the
operator Of the Maytield affair, and sizing
up his passengers as the perpetrators Of
the daring deed telegraphed ahead to
Mount Ararat for assistance to CAPTURE
them. big Bill" Leach, noted hunter
and trapper, who keeps summer hotel
not far from the station, was aroused,
ana summoning as many Of the neigh
bors as the time would allow formed
posse to effect the capture
When the train stopped the robbers
saw the crowd at the station and jump
cd out on the opposite side and started
down the tracks. Leach, who had
Winchester repeating rifle, and Miller
Jesse Vail who had a revolver, ran
around the engine and called upon the
robbers to surrender. The answer was
q yolley of bullets. Leach and Vail
returned the fire. The robbers stood and
sent back another yolley. Leaeh's rife
cracked three times and three robber.
bit the dust. The remaining three fed.
one going down the railroad and two
making for the woods. A fourth shot
from Leach's rife winged the man on the
tracks hut he picked himself up and
continued his flight. A fifth shot was
sent at random In the woods In the d.
rection in which the other two fugitives
disappeared.
When the crowd came from behind the
train they found Leach and Vail unhurt
and three of the robbers lying on the
ground hundred feet away. One of
them was pierced through the brain BY |
rife ball. The second, q boy not
over lS years Of age, had a bullet hole
clear through his body, extending from
5ust above the heart to the middle of the
back and passing through the left lung.
The third had his right arm shattered |
below the elbow.
The dead man was turned over to a
local undertaken. The wounded men
were brought to the Lackawanna hos
pital in this city. The boy gave his name
as James Kelly and his home as Ashley. |
Pa. He says he has no relatives. The
other gives the name Of James Cum
mings. AMI claims to come from Logans.
port. Ind. Both claim they do not know
the name OF the dead man.
A posse headed by Constable Michael
Moran cauic in at noon with two robbers
who escaped into the woods They were
nfter a long chase a few miles
his side of Snsquehanna. They refuse
to talk 1t is supposed they hid the
stolen money in the woods.
All OF them were well dressed, each
having on white collar. They are evil
iently professional crooks, and not Or
1inary tramp thieves.