Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1900-12-15


Bridgeport was the scene yesterday
of great excitement, caused by three
officers trying to arrest gang Of toughs
on the Massillon accommodation, which
reaches the town about 10:40 a. m.
over the c., L. G w. railroad. Con-
ductor Edwards was notified that the
gang boarded the train at Holloway
Station, about thirty miles west of
Bridgeport, and to watch them care
fully.
When the train reached Flushing Mr..
Edwards telegraphed Marshal Douds,
o. Bridgeport, who, with an assistant
and Officer Meister, who received a
message to the same effect, caught the
outgoing st. Clairsville train. Con-
ductor Edwards thought these were the
men connected with the Seville and
Shanesville bank robberies, which oc-
Cured during the last few days.
Six men were in the party and one
left the train a short distance west OF
Wheeling Creek station. AS the train
pulled into Wheeling Creek officer
Meister boarded the last coach on the
rear platform. Conductor Edwards
told him there was one Of the men in
the ladies' coach and four in the
smoker, and warned him not to tackle
them until they were in Bridgeport.
Meister waited, keeping the men under
surveillance, and when the train was
near the signal station in Bridgeport
he entered the car and took hold of his
man.
Meister had previously supposed that
this man had the money on account of
his separation from the Others When
he caught him the man almost doubled
up in the seat, and Meister grappled
with him. Yardmaster Thomas told
Meister that he was trying to shoot
him, and ran out and called Constable
McConnaughy, who was in the other
car. Mester by this time saw that the
man had a large 48 calibre Colt re-
volver about foot long strapped over
his vest, and that it was in a sheath.
The man was working hard with one
hand to get the gun in position to fire
fatal shot, and at one time the sheath
caught Meister on the chin.
While this scuftie was going on,
Marshal Douds and Constable McCon-
naughy were trying to pick out the
men in the smoker, but McConnaughy
came to Meister's assistance, and as
he was about to strike the man with
his mace, the crook gave up and Meis-
ter took him into custody.
Douds and McConnaughy caught one
of the four in the rear car, and the
other three started away on the run
Mp(tnnnoI1o oil ao1lo6 fn
nelly, and turned the man over to
him. Douds started the two going
down the c, & P. track. One was on
the run, and the other walked. Douds
passed one, but the other broke over
into Kirkwood, then across the bridge
to Bridgeport and out the National
pike. He was followed to Blackford's
school house, but all trace of him was
lost there. The other one escaped over
the Kirkwood hill, and both are at
large.
Later in the afternoon Howard Nc
Connaughy caught one of the gang
near Wheeling Creek and brought
him to Jail. This man said he was
looking for his overcOat that he had
hid 1t is thought this man had the
bulk Of the money, for when he left
the train he wore a heavy chinchilla
Overcoat, but when caught he had
none. 1t is thought this man had the
bulk of the stolen cash, for in the
two bank robberies over $4,000 was
secured This latter man is thought to
be the leader. but he had few words to
say, only that he was railroad man
and was from North Carolina, former
ly working on the Queen & Crescent
road. He smoked a pipe almost all
the time, and said he knew none of
the other people, although ne had been
very intimate with them on the train
The other two would say nothing, and
showed an Ill temper when questioned
One, the man who put up the fight,
when searched. was found to have
a bag of money containing S315, the
bag being stamped peoples Bank,
Wheeling, w. Va" with marks of
blood on it. The other man had two
bottles of nitro-glycerine, a number
of squibs, fuse and caps, q revolver and
$3.50. This alone is a penitentiary Of
tense. The third was found to have
revolver and about fifty cents in
cash. All had watches. The man whom
Meister supposed had the money was
found to be the man None Of the par
ties gave their names. Detective Nick
Schiller, of the Pennsylvania com
pany, and G. w, Weaver looked
at the men and both agreed that they
were all from the south, and had left
Wheeling about ten days ago. The
sheriff and officials from Shawnisville
are expected to arrive to-day.
On the late c., l.. & W. passenger
train last evening, John r. Minter,
cashier of Seville bank, and Marshal
Weaver arrived but could not identify
the men. The marshal also carefully
examined one of the revolvers, but
found it was not his. From the de-
scription OF the man who escaped west
Of Kirkwood he is thought to be one of
the men who held up Officer Weaver,
and he thinks he could identify him.
Officer Meister had his right thumb
painfully hurt in his fight with his man.
There is no doubt these men are GER
tainly tough characters and put up
stiff fight, as one remarked, IF l had
had the chance | would have put all
your lights out" All wore fairly good
clothes, but they showed much scuff-
ing. All had good shoes, and all had
tired look, and looked as if they had
been losing much sleep.
Marshal Douds and Officer Douds
spent several hours hunting for the
buried coat, but failed to find it.