The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-11-08
DETECTIVE
WORK GOOD
Man Who is Alleged to Have
Robbed Postoffices is I'm
der Arrest Here.
ERNEST LAYTON is THE MAN
He is Said to be a Pal of Tim
Madden and Fred Davis-A
Spy Travelled With Him.


There is an interesting story Of clever
detective work and shrewdness behind
the arrest Of r. Ernest Layton. the man
arrested Thursday evening and COM
naitted Friday morning on suspicion Of
Implication in the robbery OF the Column
oia postofice The deputies in the Office
quietly on the case ever since the rob-
berry was reported. and the arrest Of
Layton by the police on instructions
from the Federal officers is the consum-
nation o! long and determined effort
10 land the man.
Layton is accused Of completely With
ncockney Tim. Madden and Fred Davis.
The two suspects In Jail at Stanton and
awaiting trial at Danville on the charge
Of hurglarizing the Columbia postof1ce.
Columbia being within the jurisdiction
81 the Western District OF Virgian. The
two men were suspected and spotted by
Deputy Marshal u. NJ. Bland and were
recognized from the descriptions of them
sent out.
WORKING THE CITY.
Both men were selling shoe strings or
playing the manned beggar roles when
arrested In this city. Deputies Bland and
Eeniit snd, Postof'ice Inspector Irving
succeeded in working up the case against
the 1en so successfully that they as
Sr-.af-ed where the tools used In the.
burglary ard the stolen money and
s-s1rs 80 been hidden. While not maxi
t-c confession IN So MANY words. Mad
sss- s.--.4a guilty knowledge Of the
Eho,s affair nev's' connection with the
c-.-.a ss.s ests hlished beyond doubt. the
e1rs~s say Iav-on's connection with
30 .sss WIS sus-ee:ei from the first
a-s zAc,u: six r--rs go re was arrested
Sag,s * (. s5ts-sc'nus character With
rasw q. eawt1r ihe FEDERAL officers an
cs-fna-- .r ro-s UP the ease. Their
-s.-ys ws-s .h-rsr-Aa However. and al
tA.s- uv--s rs-t IA raurht. for the
-snsc- .e--tr.sr-- -efaesa was secured.
El nrssPPEARED.
Lara promptly s,ss o7eared. hut the
--.,-ss,-5s sr.aa got IN his tran again.
E-4s s.Ss.s Slv > s7r. followed his mova-
--y.--s -r-- .-v 10 fay snd kent track
c. A5- 50 -iosslv tina, thew claim they
ear -efi whf-s THE. Columbia gang OF
Js---ea as the ssfe-c-acrcrs are
grow. were on any and every day
ss-ce -..- 80 -'-rd tire postoffice safe at
TIE i'.-le coln-,hia town.
II Is the hah'-- OF ORA rksmen to hobo
or he,t their-wav on tr-irs. and thev
iue"n,1" ra--ns on the on'-l-irts of towns
srA at ar near wetar tanks. where It Is
corv--'er- ~ ho--a ira ms.
LAYTON and Davis were located at
guena Vista. on the James River dlvl-
s',- of ITO rraee oc,7-e ard ohio nj
p,nst !-o-oed,r'e,v after the burglary.
?toi- wherao bows we've ascerto'ref nv
means OF an inscription in hobo Ian
,,,,-e ~c-aw,oA on "a. watar tank, It
was +,'s: .spu"k Kid. Bnnee-7-'n'."s
r:r.-.-e rro-.. mt +hat.was clew. After
5cp-of,,, vro-'-a-.iti was .as~a-t,t-ed that
Drvi= went bv..the name nf."Ruck Kid"
ard e.tI, ,otA- twas s'ecnvnreA t>ot Law
son was tror-- In sthA craft as 'Rones."
soon after that. Maiden reioined the
p~'r ara he ard Davis were annre-
n.-aed here. LAYTON w"s n'cFed IN
little later. hut was r.1~as"d os stated
T,..- et~~a .ta+ 80 -o-~nNe,e;N MD n
TOO, nr SOW m his track or with him ac-
tu-1,v as nol Tre movements Of lay
I'm --,,o n ,s c,a,-,oa has hen- so'-ed
nv o+>.-. az the craft were followed
from Mace to place. and the officers kept
Informed.
srAprrD sor-rH.
II we l.--c-d for instance. that Tow
wodre-d,v evA-'r~. ard te'e~~an in
Yor-,ed IRE r,er.hars ofr'c" +hat tire wen
had les+ tr.re for the South. or rather
Tint thew hod rona. ard did rot 90 by
the station going. North. Satisfied from
thi. Inflammation that the men were In
eri< ri+v which has heen the point from
which thew have he.n WORKING. the mar
shals ro-'fAd the rolce. who knew Law
snr, having arrested him here once for
rnhhins freight cars. End asked them to
York OUT for him. Thursdov morning
q Officer WYATT saw him, and being notified
by Sergeant, Eailev that the man was
-warted arrested him when he met him
again thet evening about o'clock on
Broad S-reat When arrested Layton hid
q small rackage of coffee on him. and 1t
is surmised by the officers that he came
In from suburban hobo camp to buy
this.
Layton, when arraiened In the Police
Court Yesterday, denied all knowledge OF
the crime. and ridiculed the Idea OF his
blowine a safe, Marshal Bandit said yes
terday afternoon they were satisfied from,
the description that Layton was the man
OHIO did the inside wo,k at Columbia, and
was seen 10 leap from the window after
the explosion The man halls from Cliff
Ton Forge, and Is we'll known there and a
starn'on He was formerly Chesapeake.
and Ohio fireman AS stated, he was arr
rested here q year or SO ago on charge
o! .obbirg freight cars,
The officials in the rnarshal's office are
convinced tina, Layton was IMPLICATED in
the safe cracking recently al Ashland.
Manassas and Louisa and may have had
q hard in the burglary OF the STANDARD
on sate az Lyrchbu'g it-7E SIT rd1y git.
when the explosion set the building ai!re.
The narshals believe they have the
leader of tie gang but are OF op Mon that
there is another whom they hope TO land
ii he comes this way again, The other
mar IS said 10 be desperate and dan
gerous man,