Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1899-05-25
pAsTARDLY OUTRAGE.
Bridge-Keeper Morgan Visited by Three erutai
Masked Robbers.


One of the most rascally occurrence;
that we have ever been called upon tc
record in shepherdstown took place
last Friday night, when three masked
robbers broke into the bridge house
of the Maryland and Virginia Com
pany at this place, and after maltreat-
ing the occupants robbed them Of all
the money they had. The toll cOllec-
tor is Richard Morgan, an old man
and infrm, who occupies the bridge
house with his aged wife an their
ten-year-old granddaughter, Susie
Stevens. The family went to bed
Friday night about ten o'clock. A
couple of hours later they were AVA
kened by the violent forcing OF their
front door and the entrance of several
men whe were shouting fire Mr.. and
Mrs. Morgan thought that their house
was afre and that friends were trying
to rescue them. Before they could
arise from their bed, however, the
door of their room was burst open
and three men carrying torches rushed
in. They were all masked, having
cloths tied over their faces.
They first seized Mr., Morgan and
threw him back upon the bed. They
quickly tied him tightly, hand and
foot, using cords and pieces of rope.
Mrs. Morgan sprang from the bed,
when one of the men seized her. She
tore the mask from his face, revealing
the features of white man who was
unknown to her. Despite her strug-
giles they bound her hands and feet
also, and then treated little Susie the
same way, concluding by binding all
three of their victims to the bed, COW
ering their heads with bed-clothes.
The scoundrels then by threats of
burning and killing the aged, helpless
couple forced them to tell where the
money was. They secured in all
$54.5O, of which amount $50 be-
longed to Mr.. Morgan and the balance
to the bridge company, Resistance
was useless, Of course, as the villains
carried short, stout clubs and stick
with sharpensd prongs which they
would no doubt have used in NAL
treating their victims if they had given
them trouble. The robbers remained
in the house about a half hour. Be-
fore they left they gagged Mr.. Nor
gan, forcing into his mouth part of
sheet which they had torn into strips
to make additional bindings. They
fastened the three hel pless ones in their
room, and then took their departure.
The aged couple and little girl lay
there suffering from their cruel bonds
for a couple of hours. Mrs. Morgan's
wrists were tied 50 tightly that they
bled, and she and her husband suf-
fered greatly, their limbs being swol-
len and tie blood coagulated from
the stopping of the circulation. Little
Susie finally managed to release her
self, and then she quickly loosed the
bonds of her grandparents. 1t was
by this time three o'clock in the morn
ing, but it was not until after day
light that the facts of the outrage be-
came known, as the family did not
leave the house. The victims felt no
serious effects of their treatment,
though the painful experience through
which they passed will not soon be
forgotten by them, and the shock to
their nerves was no small matter.
There seems to be no tangible clue to
the robbers, though suspicious have
been aroused in certain directions.
They were all white men, and it Is
believed they were from this vicinity.
The bridge house is isolated, and there
are no neighbors near enough to have
heard them at their work, even If
there had been considerable cutlery.
The torches they used were made Of
rags thoroughly saturated with coal
oil. One peculiar fact is that they
burned in the yard near the house a
couple of blankets and some clothing
belonging to Mrs. Morgan. 1t may
be that these articles caught fire when
the men entered the room with their
torches and that they carried them
outside to keep from setting the house
ahre.
We think that it would be well for
our citizens or the town authorities
to offer reward for the apprehension
of the guilty persons,
Entertainment Saturday Night.
Miss Nellie Stowe Pentecost and her
II -. A.,-