The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-04-12
MEAN TO
SOUND Al ARN.
Five Burly Ruffians Adopt rue West.
ern Style.
THEY DYNAMlTED The SAFE.
Watchman sowcll was Bound and
Gagged by Dcsrcradocs. who
Plnndcrcd tho Standard
oilCompany's Offices.

The most bold and determined robbery
committed in Manchester IN many years
was perpetrated early yesterday morning
cat the plant Of the Standard Oil Company
lon Second Street
M-. j. n. SoMeli, the night watchinan.
was tied and gagged the keys TO the Of
fee We're taken from him, and he left
lying on his face. while five masked men
blew open tho main safe and ptunoered
the Office.
Fortunately there was an unusually
small amount of cash on hand. and the
thieves only carried off little over 500.
Nothing else was taken.
About $50 o'clock this morning Mr.
Sowell was seated inside the small Office
just to the right of the main Office build
ing.
SPLINIlcRED THE DOOR.
The door to the office, in which Mr..
Sowell was, was suddenly struck Il terri
tic blow With an axe, which SpilnieTeu
IT. and five masked men entered ana pre-
senting four pistols. demanded That M
sSowc:ll keep perfectly quiet He made an
effort TO get a pistol which lay upon
desk, but one Of the men held MN.
and ne was at once tied cland and ioot-
Mr.. Sowell says ne was struck three
times with a hammer, once on the head
on the arm and in the small Of the back.
be suffering very much. The safe IN the
outside office was not locked, and TINS
they entered. but found no money.
They tken took the keys and entered
the main office. where the large safe was
blown open with dynamite. Nothing was
taken except noney-I1aIers. cheeks.
stamps. &c, were not disturbed The
men told Mr.. Sowell when they went into
the main Office that they did not want
10 Kill him, but if he made any noise. or
gave an alarm, they would nave TO 60
So They also told him they would come
back and turn him loose i'll Short time,
l.ut they failed 10 return. and ne
remained tied until little after o'clock,
when he was released by one of the
drivers. and was soon taken 10 his home
on Cary Street in Richmond. All the
men were white. and We're said to be
well-dressed and used as masks red ban
dana handkerckiefs, The police of the
city have been working the city close
to-day for clues. but little has been
accomplished. The surrounding cities
have been telegraphed of the robbery, and
put on the watch for the men,
THE WAIGaiMlAN'S STORY.
MIR. J. N Sowell. who lives at No. 113
West Cary Street, this city, is the night
watchman for the company. Mr. Sowen
IS now in bed, suffering from the brutal
treatment be received at the hands Of
the desperadoes Mr.. Sowell tells the fol-
lowing story OF the robbery:
ut was shortly after o'clock when I
heard a noise and Immediately left the
Office and made q search of the yards
and buildings. ] found nothing and re-
turned TO the office. where 1 sat down
at the desk facing the door. ] had laid
my pistol on the desk near my left hand.
All was quiet, Suddenly my cat jumped
on my knee and looked toward the safe.
thought she saw a rat, but could not
see 1t Suddenly there was a crash and
the door burst open.
Five men. all masked. rushed into the
room, -four with drawn reyolvers. turn
cd to get my weapon, but as did so
three OF the intruders jumped on me and
bore me to the desk. ] braced myself
and threw off the one on my back /
wrenched my right arm loose and dealt
a blow to the ruffian nearest to me. He
went reelng backwards with blood flow
ing from his face. toward the door and
almost upset the lantern. He cursed me
and would be able to Identify his voice
The four others Immediately rushed on
me and 1 was dealt a blow l could not
tell where / was hit. l simply was para
lived and fell to the floor
COVERED HIS HEAD.
They then bound my hands behind my
back with wire and threw old coat
over my head. 1 made another effort to
rise, but was init with a sand-bag. l
think. Then they tried to choke me when
called for help. One ruttian put his
foot on my neck when they were binding
my hands and my feet together. They
had cut the fiTe-alarm rope and. after
binding me hand and foot, wrapped it
about my body and secured it, guy
fashion, to both sides of the room, max
ing ii Impossible for me to move.
Then / heard the sound of footsteps,
and, thinking 1t was one Of the employees,
called him. The robbers rushed back and
Selling a towel gagged me.
There ! lay quiet. J. could hear them
at work on the safes. They priced open
the safe in the little office, and the man
who did it was a slight man. of close-cut
hair, and wore a brown derby and. coat.
could see him from under the coat. He
also had a red handkerchief, with white
spots. tied about his face.
They knocked OFF the combination OF
the safe In the big office. and dynamited
it.
GAGGED ALL NIGHT
..I lay there helpless until o'clock,
when was discovered by James Mat
thews, one of the truck drivers.
lie unbound me and told him to
phone Mr.. West. the superintendent. Mr..
Fail, another employee, came shortly af-
ter that, and finally Mr.. West 1 was
brought home and put to bed:
.rrTJi,..5 ,r,ht.e,-c mn ont all