The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-05-25
SHOT At SUPP POSED
BANK ROBBERS
Posse Start Oh a Man
Hunt.
THREE GOT AWAY.
0ae of the Suspects Tries Desperate
Game of Bluff.
TRIES TO JOIN IN THE SEARCH.
His Eusc, However. Is Discovcreu'
and He Is Forced TO Surrender
While looking into Gun
Barrel-Scourin. the
Woods for the
Burglars.

Burglars.
one of tie supposed safe-bIowers who
robbed the Peninsula Bank at Williams
burg early yesterday morning was shot
and captured by a posse Just this side OF
Forest Hill Park last night
The greatest excitement that has ever
disturbed the quiet suburban residents OF
Forest Hill Park was caused when four
men. who are supposed to be the organized
land of burglars and safe-blowers which
has been operating in Virginia for the iast
few months was surprised by the police
of Manchester and scattered in the SWanps
and weeds around the park
Last night about / o'clock the police III
Manchester were called up over the phone
from Bon Air and informed that tour sus-
ptc:ous characters had arshted from The
train at that point and started down the
county road toward Manchester. Ihey
were described as four uspicious-looking
uen-two of them rather slight, ore OF
them stout and the fourth an elderly man,
rather tall. who had WITH him a grip.
officer Wright was at the station when
the message was received, and he imme-
diately swore in as special officers Ed
Waymack, cliff Elder and Peter Donald,
who were given double-barrelled shotguns,
and. with Wright in charge OF the posse
t1ey started for Forest Hill about SID
O'Clock Not dreaming of finding their
men before getting off the car, they iaiied
to load the guns.
LOOKING FOR TROUBLE.
officer Wright and his three deputies
were seated near the front Of the car.
and in going out had halted every car
they had passed. inQuiring if the four men
had been seen AS the third car met on
the way out slowed up just a short dis
tance from tie terminus of the car line.
directly in front Of the residence of Mr..
T. W. wood. the nervous move of q man
near the front of the approaching car at
| tracted Wright's attention. and at once he
| remarked: There they are
| DASH FOR LIBERTY
The supposed burglars. hearing this and
seeing four double-blrrelled <hotguns pull
ed made dash from the car and for
| the nearest thicket. which lay just back
| of the homes of AIessrs. T. w. Wood.
S. NJ Darlington and John C. Robertson,
ana through these lawns the four men
| dashed for freedom.
On account OF their guns being unloaded
! the officers were delayed, and the four
! men had reached the opposite side of the
road before the firing commenced. Nine
| shots were fired at the men as they
| treated. making directly for the woods 1t
| IS believed the men were struck, but not
! seriously wounded
HIS GREAT NERVE.
Three of the men escaped into the thfcket-
but the fourth, who was captured. tried a
| desperate bluff game. He ran into the
house OF Mr. T. ". Wood. passed through
the hau and on into the dining hail,
| where several members of the family were
| gathered. Casping for breath. ne asked
! excitedy for a lantern or a amp, saying
! he thought one Of the burglars was under
| the rear of the house. Though these N
| the house suspected him as one Of the
| supposed burglars. the mans nsrve was
| so great and his entrance IL ,he.room SO
| sudden ne was allowed to walk quietly
| out without so much as an argument On
| reaching the yard he started q'Iietl5' and
| with a confident air for the car track. but
| he had not gone many steps before he was
| halted and found himself fac;ns u shot-
| gun. He said to the man who had the
| gun: Whats the matter with yGu? /
| am just from the house up flterf, but
! his bluff failed. Alex. Wright was caIled-
The man was at once put in irons
| Wright says he IS confident he saw ti.is
man in Manchester on the day nefpse the
| blowing of TIE safe at the Standard OIL
| plant in Manchester
REFUSED TO TALK
After he was placed under arrest ana
guard set over him. while further search
was being made for the others of tht
gang, he became very retieent. and re-
fused to talk on any subject. Wilsr
asked d question he would say: VIVA
do you take me for. Do you think l am
going TO answer any quesuons?
In a short time after his arrest he wa
taken to the Police Station in Manchester
where ne was locked UP for the night
With the arrest of this man the search
| was not abandoned, but other citizens
| were armed and sworn into special ser
vice, until every path and crossing II
the vicinity was guarded, and the cry o.
.shalt" was heard on every hand, as th'
| unsuspectiug suburbanite was confronted
with a doub!e-barreled shotgun and made
TO identify himself. One young maI
| from Richmond. who had been calm:
on some young ladies who resided no
more than a mile from the car tracks
was matted as he started 70 board III
| car for Richmond. by four armed men
AS no one knew him in the crowd he pre-
| serted himself before the headlights 0
! the car and almost plead for recognition
! from the motorman and conductor. pti
| as they were not certain of his name. n
was marched back TO the home OF nj
| friends for Identification.
HID In THE THICKET
The .hicket into which the three me.
who are yet al large are supposed TO hav
gone is dense tangle of undersrowf Il
| covering about thirty acres, and woui
! be difficult for a person 10 get through
even in the daylight, and some OF tn
| officers are of the opinion that some o
them are yet IN the thicket Late in I'll
night a second one of the burglars wa
seen by Officer Wright. and no dout
would have been captured but for an &C
citTent which befell the officer. Wrigh
was on watch near the Belt, Line Rail
road, when he saw a man without ha
come out of q lane near the nome o
Judge B. A. Hancock He waited 10
the man until he reached the rs.isroa
track. The man. Wright said, appeare
To he n little excited, and was trying
as best he could through the darkness
10 get the lay of the land. de wa
walking slowly towards ciopton Wrtsh