The semi-weekly messenger., 1905-05-05
READS LIKE A DIM NOVEL
Story OF the Robbery of the Lafta
Observation-Disclosures the Account
OF half n Dozen Other Bold and
Successful Haus

.Raffies, The Gentleman Burglar" to
appear tame and suitable for the nur-
isery: q story that made the Nick Car
ter and Diamond Dick series TO pale
into insignifcanee. a tale that held the
throng of spectators breathless with
attention, was .oid in the United
States Circuit Court, Judge Brawley
presiding, yesterday afternoon, whea
John F. Mccarthy. alias John Oman
ldrell, now serving a sentence in Yer
mont state prison, was put on the
stand to testify in the Latta postosice
robbery case
When District Attorney Cape-s
lascked Mccarthy if he knew John King
!and Edward Moan, alias Murphy, he
replied: oh. yes, know them. |
Ico-operated with them in the robbery
lof the postoffice at Latta on February
l25, 1904
| On further examination Mccarthy
gave full account of the movements
of the gang which infested the state
some two years ago.
| In part Mccarthy said: II me; the
two Rabens, Rudolph and Chris, in
charleston in 1908, and saw King ami
Morgan at the house of Rabens fire.
lquently.
When asked to give an account OF
the robbery at Latta, Mccarthy in part,
said: We'll, after a conference with
several members of the gang il was
decided to have try at the postoffice
i0r l. x.f
up to look over the ground, and then
the rest of us followed-Morgan, King.
myself and one other We went to
Dillon and got breakfast in house in
lthe factory district. Morgan and
lShorty, who hal been over to Latta,
came up to us and reorted that it look
ed good. We cooked dinner and sup
lper in the woods. near the track, be-
tween Dillon and Latta, halting on the
ledge of the town until midnight, wnen
we entered. We broke open carpen-
tiers chest in the unfinished house, en-
ldeavOring to find necessary tools: We
finally went to blacksmith's shop and
lgOt a sledgehammer, crowbar, chisel,
brace and other instruments. We went
to the bank and King and myself kept
watch, while the two others did the
work. The bank, which was in the
same building with the postoffice, was
blown all right, but the force of the
Explosion Jammed the door and there
was nothing doing in the swag line:
so we tried the postoffice safe. Nor
gan and Shorty were inside, and prete-
lty soon | heard two explosions follow
ling closely upon each other. The
stamps, money and letters were put in
la sack, and the two came out"
FIXED FOR BLOODHOUNDS.
After coming from the building we
Jail fixed for bloodhounds-that is we
tiled a string or cloth to the iapels
| of our shoes and sprinkled it with
Imustard-a dog cannot follow such
track We went down by the depot and
iacross the country to branch track
land when about four miles from La:ta
went into the woods and divided the
lswag. We had about $3.50 in money
la large number of stamps, two pocket
books and lot of letters. | lost one
letter from Winnie Lewis and tore up
lanother letter."
Inspector Gregory then produced two
letters, one of them intact and the
Mccarthy identified both as the ones
which must have been very tender
one, began Sweetheart Johnny" The
contents were not read.
The papers, said the witness, were
left in the woods. When asked what
was the character of the papers re-
ferred to Mccarthy and they were
newspapers and religious periodicals.
! District Attorney Capers wanted TO
know if the gang had read the relig-
ious papers in the quiet seclusion OF
that quiet and sequestered spot. The
witness said they had not.
BURIED THE PENNIES.
Eve buried about 200 pennies as they
were too heavy % carry, and then went
down the track about two miles, keep
ing under the cover of the woods con-
stantly We skirted Dillon and then
the gang separated. | went to Fayette-
willie, North Carolina with Shorty. We
stopped at the Davis House and the
next morning Morgan and King showed
iup at the breakfast table. We then
went over to Hamlet the next morning
(which was Sunday, and King hid the
|stamps under freight she'd"
| Going back a bit, Mccarthy said Il
first met the two Rabens in the tall
lof 1903 at the Star Theatre. Shorty
was with them ard | met Gus DeFord
|either at the the theatre or at Ra-
lben's house. DeFord brought dynamite
Ito the city and the glycerine was ex-
ltracted, so that the pure glycerin
might be obtained. The operation was
lcarried on in Raben's house. Shortly
afterwards, Shorty, Morgan, DeFord
and myself were discussing good job
and we decided on Denmark. An in
|vestigating committee was sent out
and it was reported that Denmark was
Iallright- We worked it safely and
lcame back to Charleston, taking Tie
money to Raben's house. We had
|about $500 between the four Of US. We
all counted out our part, and RabeHs