The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1904-08-04
Double Murder and Robbery on a
Pennsylvania Highway
S3,h00 TAKEN FROM A PAYMASTER
Great Stir Caused in a Pennsylvania
Mining Town by the Act of Rob-
bers in Firing From the Roadside
Upon paymaster Patrick Campbell
ard His Driver, Charles Hayes.

Hayes. a driver employed by the Purl-
tan Coal Company, is dead, and Pat
rick Campbell. the company's paymas-
ter, lies perhaps fatally wounded at the
Altoona Hospital. a. the result OF
brutal hold-up and murder on the
township road leading from Portage,
this county, to the mining town or
Puritan. at about 1915 o'clock Satur-
day morning. The two men were IN
buggy. taking a satchel containing
about $4,000, with which to pay the
coal company's employees at Puritan,
from the Adams Express office at Por-
tage to the coal town, when, at point
about three-quarters of mile out OF
Portage, they were suddenly fired upon
by three men armed with shot guns.
Hayes fell to the bottom Of the buggy
pierced by 81 buckshot wounds in his
neck and breast, and died about half
an hour later Campbell was hit In
the shoulder and fell from the buggy.
The highwaymen came out from their
place of hiding in the woods to the
right Of the road, secured the satchel
Of money and escaped.
According to their usual custom near
the first of the month, Campbell and
Hayes went to Portage about 8 O'Clock
in the morning and ate breakfast at the
Portage House At 9 o'clock the two
went to the Office of the Adams Ex-
press Company, where they obtained
about $4,000 in gold and bills, which
they placed in small leather satchel.
Armed with 4S-calibre revolvers as
protection against possible robbery,
they got into their buggy and drove out
the township road. This was the last
seen of them before the shooting took
place. About ten minutes after their
departure, Mr.. Helsel, a farmer, who
lives four miles from Portage, started
for horne in spring wagon, over the
same road which the paymaster and his
driver had taken. Three-quarters OF
a mile from town, where the road is
fanked by woods, he suddenly came
upon the body Of a man apparently
writhipg in the death agony, in the
middle of the road. Getting down from
his wagon, Helsel discovered the
wounded man to be Campbell. The lat
ter was drenched with blood, which
was flowing from wound in the right
shoulder. Although in dreadful
agony Campbell was still consci-
Gus end managed to whisper
to Helsel that he and his driv-
er had been fired upon by robbers; that
he, dizzy from his wound, had fallen
from the buggy, which had gone on.
Helsel staunched the mans wounds as
best ne could with handkerchief and
a bit Of linen ripped from his coat,
lifted him into the wagon and started
out on the road in search of the team
and the driver. He came upon the pay
masters buggy, standing at the side
of the road, the horse. unharmed, nib
bling az the long grass Coming up op-
posite the vehicle, he found the form
Of the driver Hayes, lying motlonless
and bloody across the bottom OF the
buggy. Investigation showed the
mans body from the base of the abdo-
men to the neck mass OF gun-shot
wounds, showing red and CHASTITY
through a great rent in the clothing.
made by the heavy shot. He seemed
to be dead. Helsel tried to lift the
PROSTATE form into his wagon with
Campbell, but could not. Hayes weigh
ing about 1870 pounds. AS no help was
at hand, and there was no house near
er than Portage. Heisel turned his
team about and drove at gallop back
to this place, his now unconscious pa
tient laying in the bottom of the wag-
on. He drove directly to the office Of
DR.. J. A. Schofield, in whose charge
Campbell was placed, secured assist
ance and went back for Hayes.
The body of the driver was taken to
Portage. where physicians discovered
that although Hayes was unconscious
life was not quite extinct. He was
wounded beyond recovery, and died
into the office. Meanwhile Paymaster
Campbell. who was still in the Office Of
the doctor. had regained consciousness
and was able to give brief whispered
account Of the hold-up to DR.. Schofeld
and Landlord Yeckley, of the Portage
House. who was helping the physician.
He said that nothing unusual or sus-
picious had occurred during the ride
from Portage to the place where the
shooting took place.
800 Men in Pursuit.
Portage. Pa. Special.-Pursued by
100 men. the three men who murdered
Charles Hayes, driver, and perhaps
fatally wounded Patrick F. Campbell,
paymaster for the Puritan Coal Com
pany. about a mile south of this place
Saturday morning. are hiding in Cedar
Swamp about seven miles from Port
age. On the Bedford county line. One
Of the fugitives is injured, but not
enough to affect his fight.
In parties of about 20, the pursuing
men are scattered out over the entire