The Washington herald., 1907-08-12
HUNT NEGRO BANDIT
Rockville Citizens Aroused
by Desperate.
SHOOTS FIRST; THEN ROBs
Stays Hidden tn Woods, Giving Bat
tie TO Posses Headed by Deputy
sherifEs Victims Include Young
Virginia school-teacher, Who May
Die-WOunded by Dr. G. e. Cook.

Hidden somewhere in the dense woods
sklrting the roads near Rockville. Nd,
the young mulatto desperate who shoots
his victims from ambush before robbing
them continues to avoid the bands Of
armed man-hunters engaged in tracking
him down.
He also finds time TO shoot at farmers
passing on the roadway. AS result
citizens fear TO leave their home un-
guarded. and posses scour the woods by
night.
a large reward has been offered for the
capture Of the bandit, but although he
bears the evidence OF the marksmanship
| Of DR.. George Z. Cook. he is still at
large defying his pursuers.
! The methods Of the desperate. who Is
under twenty years Of age, In shooting
from ambush, then robbing at his leisure.
are without precedent.
Thus far his principal exploits are: On
July 3. calmly shot Charles L. Souders,
young school-teacher and robbed him
while his aged grandmother and little
cousin looked on in horror. Souders
| condition remains serious.
Later on the same day he gave battle
/ 20 his pursuers when brought from cover,
but was wounded and put 10 flight by Dr.
Cook.
Ambushes Holland.
August Z, ambushed Ernest Holland. a
Redland merchant, near the scene Of his
| first exploit. but was wounded and driven
from the bushes by fve shots from Mr..
Hollands revolver.
August he fired five shots al Milton
Ford from ambush, two shots passing
through Ford's cap.
This does not include the stray shots
he has fired at the seerchers who have
! come too near his cover IN the woods.
The systematic search organized by
deputy sherifls has cut OF the bandits
means Of escape. and he finds himself
hemmed in on all sides, with only his
revolver TO temporarily prolong bis lib
erty.
The attack on Souders on July 3 was
particularly vicious one II was about
3 O'Clock In the afternoon that the young
Virginia school-teacher was driving in the
vicinity Of Rockville with his grand
mother. Mrs. Katherine SOuders, seventy
years old. and his little cousin, Gilmore
Drake, eight years old, when he noticed
a young mulatto standing by the road
side. The negro exchanged greetings,
and as the carriage passed deliberately
shot Souders in the back.
RObs Wounded Victim.
Walking owe 10 the carriage and pay
ing no attention 10 the other occupants.
he deliberately stripped souders Of his
valuables and disappeared.
A posse was organized by the enraged
citizens. headed by DR.. Cook and Dep
uty sherirs George ". MuHican and
James Green In securing the woods. the
highwayman, in attempting 10 shift his
position. was discovered by the posse.
At first, he sought cover and showed
fight. but seeing the number Of his pur-
suers. he made leap for the under
brush.
Dr. Cook fired and the negro dropped.
but he managed TO crawl away and make
his escape.
Was Thought Dead.
1t was then believed for a time that he
had died Of his injuries, but later. stray
shots from different points Of the woods
warned the farmers that he was stlIl al
work
On August : he was discovered. half
covered with leaves. by a farmers wife.
She promptly gave the alarm. but when
the searching party arrived, the muatto
had vanished. and soon after shot at Mr..
Holland on the road near Rockville.
hCa I'd Of
). when he shot az Milton Ford.
Volunteers are organizing in military
fashion 10 rid the country Of the bandit
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