Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1905-04-11
SAFE BLOWERS CONVICTED.
One Of Their Number Turns States
Evidence and Tells All About Raids,

the gang, and who Is now serving o
sentence in the Vermont state prison,
He was brought back to Charleston to
testify, and his testimony was fully
corroborated by other witnesses, The
News and Courier of Saturday prints
McCarthy's story as follows:
When asked to give an account Of
the robbery at Latta Mccarthy, In
part, said: well. after a conference
was decided to have a try at the
postoffice or bank In Latta, Two OF
Us went up there to look over the
ground, and then the rest Of ua Col.
lowed--Morgsln, King. myself and one
other. We went TO Dillon and got
breakfast In house In The factory
district Morgan and Shorty. who had
been over to Latta, came up to vs. and
reported that 1t looked good. We cook
ed dinner ard supper In the woods,
near the track. between Dillon and
Latta, and after dark set out for Lat
Ia, halting on the edge of the town
until midnight, when we entered. We
broke open g. carpenters chest In an
unfinished house, endeavoring to find
the necessary tools; we finally went
to blacksrlith's shop and got q
sledge hammer. croWbar, ohisel, 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 postoflce, was
blown all right, but the force of the
explosion jammed the door end there
was nothing doing In the swag linei
so we tried the poatoffioe safe, Nor
90 nd I'M q mr.
soon heard two explosions, following
closely upon each other. The stamps,
money and letters were put In sack
and the two came out"
After coming from the building we
all fixed for blood hnunds-that is we
tied q string or cloth to the lapels'
of our shoes and sprinkled It well with
mustard-a dog cannot follow such a
track. We went down by the depot
and cross the country to q branch
track and when about four miles from
Latta went In the woods and divided
the swag. We had about $3.50 In mon.
ey, large number OF stamps, two
pocket books and q lot Of letters, ]
lost one letter from Winnie Lewis and
tore un another letter."
Inspector Gregory then produced two
letters, one OF them intact and the
other put together on pane OF glass.
Mccarthy identified both as the ones
left in the woods. One Of the missivea,
which must have been very tender
one, began Sweet heart Johnny The
contents were not heard.
The papers, said the witness, were
left in-the woods. When asked what
was the character Of the papers refer.
red to Mccarthy said they were news
papers and religious periodicals. Dis
trict Attorney Capers wanted to know
II the gang had read the religious pa
quiet and sequestered spot The wit
ness said they had not.
I'VE buried about 200 pennies. as
they were too heavy to carry, and then
went down the track about two miles.
keeping under the cover Of the woods
constantly. We skirted Dillon and
then the gang separated. went on to
Fayetteville, N. c., with Shorty. We
stopped at the Davis House. and the
next morning Morgan and King show
ed up 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, Mccartney said,
'T first met the two Rabens In the
fall of 1908 at the Star Theatre.
Shorty was with them and met Gus
De Ford either at the theatre or at
Rabens house. Deford brought dyna-
mite to the city and the glycerine was
extracted, so that the pure glycerine
might be obtained. This operation was
carried on in Raben's house. Shortly
afterwards Shorty, Morgan, De Ford
and myself began discussing q good
job, and we decided on Denmark. An
investigating committee was sent out
and 1t reported that Denmark was all
right We worked 1t safely and came
back to Charleston, taking the money
to Rabens's house. We had about
$500 between the four of US. We all
counted out our part. and Rabens went
out and had 1t changed into paper. L
spent most Of mine at the Star The
atre.
I'VE thought we'd try Mount Olive.
N. c., next. We got the tools from
Rabens's house and started out Didn't
know exactly where we were going,
but were going up against the first
thing we came across. We blowed
bank, but the inner doors jammed and
then we went into the postofflce and
got about $500 in cash, besides stamps.
came back to Charleston with the
stamps and saw Rabens the next
rorning and delivered to him the
stamps, which he put In a safe In his
store. The money and stamps amount
I'd to about 1865. l planted our tools
In Rabenss back yard.
Morgan had left me and I had in
structions to come whenever receiv-
ed a telegram to that effect. Shortly
after / had returned from Mt. Olive,
Chris Rabens received a telegram
from Morgan which he gave to me. In
effect 1t was: Send Johnny to Green
wood"
81 dug up the tools I'm Rudolph Ra-
hens yard and after securing some
fuse from Rabens, went to Greenwood,
where l was pet by Morgan and
Shorty. We went over to Seneca and
robbed the Courtenay Bank, securing
some $4,000 or $4,000; we got about
$500 worth Of diamonds in the haul.
We hid about $4,000 in silver in the
ground and put the paper money I'm a
satchel I came on back to Charles
ton and was met at the depot by Ra-
hens and another man. We went to
Chris Rabens's store, and gave him
all the money burnt and torn by the
explosion, l told Rabens all about the
robbery, and he and went back after
the buried silver, but 1t could not be
found. Rabens and myself then went
up to Baltimore to get Shorty, and he
came back with US and the silver was
located. 1t was shipped to Charies-
ton in a dress suit case and a trunk.
"One night after we came back with
the silver, I went over to the Star
theatre and burned about $50 for
champagne. Then / went up 10 a
jewelry store and bought some dia-
mond garters, diamond earrings, sew
eral diamond pins, a watch and chain.
Then we all went over to clothing
store on King and Hasel streets and
we all dressed up. l gave the dia-
mond garters and earrings to -.
"Rabens said l had better let him
have some Of the money as Detectives
Brennan and Hogan had been about
the theatre, and 1t would not be well