The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1905-05-02
CRooas HELD AT wADEsBo.o
Pwo Notorious Safe Crackers Awaiting
a Disposition of Their Case-Bof
Badly WOunded-Wintcd i'm Other
States to Answer for Many Grimes.

Wadesboro, Is. c., April 25.-fwo
notorious safe crackers, wanted for
srobheries in three states, lie here des-
pera.ely wounded. They are In the
custody of Sheriff Boggan of tnis
county who awaits the instructions OF
Governor Glenn for the disposition OF
his famous captives. The governor
has appointed May End as the day
when he will hear applications for re-
QUESTION papers. A South Carolina
solicitor will urge his excellency 10
turn the desperadoes over to that
state while the United States officials
are equally anxious for them and a
pretty clear case is being made up
against them for robberies in North
Carolina, also in Virginia.
Since the sensational capture OF the
bandits, after a regular battle, the lit
tie town OF W~adesboro has been Wis
ited by scores of men who came for
the purpose OF Identifying the crimi
mails. Last Saturday Mr.. r. r. Ray,
the we'll known cotton mill man Of
McAdensyille, and three other citizens
of that town, came to Wadesboro 70
e If they could spot the men as the
fellows suspected of blowing the safe
in hat town. Mr.. Ray is positive
that the two were seen in that vicin-
fty just before the robbery in which
the blowers" secured several nun
sdred dollars in cash and nearly S20,o0
in bonds. However, the bonds were
recovered last week in a most remark
able way. Some small boys were
playing baseball in a vacant lot when
the pail was knocked under the Meth
aodi5t church. One of the youngsters
crawled under the church to recover
the pail and found a package. When
examined it was discovered to contain
5000 0 in stocks and bonds taken from
the safe when it was dynamited a few
weeks previous.
The second week in April three sus-
picious looking strangers were seen IN
the vicinity of WadesbOro and the
neighborins little villages of Morven,
McFarlan and Lilesville. News had
been received Of a postoffice robbery
at Heath Springs in South Carolina.
just across the line, so Sheriff Began
and his deputies were on the lookout.
The three came % Wadesboro but gave
the officers the slip and went into the
woods where they camped. Saturday
N of the w appeared in Lilesvllle
and bought some canned goods. on
stable Porter formed posses, armed
with shot guns, q Winchester rifle n
pistols and set out to surround them.
Two of them were found in a cut On
the railroad track. When the officers
were in ten yards the fellows drew
their pistols and started to run The
posse opened fire, one fellow dropped
in his tracks, shot through the abdo-
men; the other Ian over a hundred
yards then sank to the ground with
a bullet in his right ankle, his arm
broken by a ball and his legs peppered
with buck shot.
The wounded captives were immedi-
ately searched. On their persons were
found $162.S0 in money, a complete
outfit of burglars tools, nitrOglycerine,
caps, and other explosives.
BOTH FAMOUS CRIMINALS
The first of the pair proved to be
James ODay, alias Run Robinson,
alias Charlie Cross, alias Missouri
Charlie. He is now in the Klondyke
hotel here guarded by a deputy sheriff
who is slowly nursing him back to-
health and strength. The man was
literally riddled with shot. DR.. Ben
nett and DR.. C%ovington performed an
operation, and besides picking out Is
buck shot, found his intestines perfo-
rated at s different places yet the man
will cover 1t is two weeks since
the operation AMI he is steadily mcn1-
ing.
The other captive is an ever more
distinguished criminal, if there be q
distinction among professionals. He is
John Fisher, better known as Con
necticut Shorty" He is apparently
about 43 years of age, of the Italian
type but powerfully built with an arm
like a blacksmith. He too has passed
the danger point and lies on a COZ IN
the jail on account of his broken ankle
The third pal made his escape but
the officers nave a pretty clear de-
. Scription OF him. Nothing better illus
trates the boldness of these profession
ais than that number three has twice
appeared in the vicinity of W~adeSDOro
since his confederates were arrested.
The officers have become very suspi-
cious now and The advent of a stran~
ger in W~adesboro is more than apt to
I6du 10 SOulS SuNIulIlSo dUouC hIih "
the alert deputies.
MEMBERS OF A NOTORIOUS GANG.
Missouri Charlie" and connecticut
Shorty have a long criminal record
behind them and are wanted in South
Carolina, North Carolina and Virginia
and perhaps other states. Postoince
Inspectors Bullar and Gregory and
Sheriff Hunter OF Lancaster. S.. c., are
quite positive that these are two of the
gang who committed bank or pOstothc'
robberles recently at Heath Springs
~(securing $1,000 in CASH at Latta
and Kingstree, all in South Carolina
They belong to what the inspectors
call "legmen" safe crackers and main
tain a regular organization.
Inspector Gregory has the story OF
the gangs operations u~nraveled. One
of the bandits, John McCastley alias
Jobp nraudrell now serving a term in