The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1908-01-14
oRANeEBURe. S. c.. TUESDAY JANUARY IA. 1908.
THEY ARE HELD.
Party of Five Alleged Yeggmen
jailed at Lancaster.
They Were Found Encamped in the
Woods Wen Armed and Supplied
With Explosives.


A special dispatch from Lancaster
to The News and Courier says party
Of five good looking, fairly well
dressed white men, suspected Of be-
ing safe-crackers, arrested Thursday
night near Van Wyck, on the Sea-
board, were brought to Lancaster on
the Southern and lodged in jail. The
technical charge against four of them
is that of carrying concealed weapons
and against the fifth of vagrancy.
Thursday afternoon J. A. Hyatt, a
merchant Of Van Wyck, received a
phone ressage from Waxbaw, N. c.,
to look out for suspicious charac-
ters. Shortly afterward two stran-
gers entered his store and bought
some eatables. He watched the di-
rection in which they went and af-
ter nightfall he and eight of his
neighbors, well armed, started out
in search of the men.
The suspects, who proved to be
FIVE in number, were found encamp-
ed about half mile from Van Wyck.
They were surrounded and ordered
to surrender, which they did without
resistance, saying afterwards that
they thought the woods full of men
and resistance, therefore, useless.
Every man, except one, who has on
ly one arm, had in his possession a
latest improved revolver. The party
also had valise or two filled with
highly explosive materials. such as
nitro glycerine, dynamite caps and
also soap.
They declined to state why they
were in Van Wyck, but gave the fol-
lowing names and addresses: c. F.
Shaw, of Norfolk, Va; Henry S. Hal
Ian, of Atlanta, Ga; James scanelan,
Charlie Williams, ]. T. Leonard, the
three last named refusing to give
any addresses. The one armed man
is Hallan, who, with another mem
ber Of the party, is said to answer
to the description Of two men the
postoffice department is looking out.
for.
= Immediately upon their arrest In
spectors H. T. Gregory and M. Q.
Hslverstadt, were wired. They ar
rived Lancaster Thursday night! !.
They began the investigation about
10 O'Clock p. m. Thursday, which
continued till daylight Friday morn
ing.
The men arrested are not pred1s-
posed to answer questions and not
very talkative. When they were
brought down stairs in the Jail to be
examined one refused to come and
had. to be, brought down by force.
Among the things found were money
hidden away on the person OF each.
One had some hidden away in his
coat which he, sewed up; and had
money hidden away in his UNDER
clothes. About S100 in currency. was
obtained from the five, knives and
razors we're also taken away. A
razor was found on one man which
was hidden in little sack and tied
around his neck, the sack being un-
der his clothes, which were removed
only with difficulty.
Mr.. Gregory seems to know some
possibly all, of the men, though he
is keeping quiet about it. However,
when one man was brought before
him. Frank Shaw, Mr.. Gregory re-
cognized him and said: "Why, Frank
I didn't expect to see you hero.
Neither did I, expect to see you,
said Shaw. Shaw Is just out of pris-
on since last February, having been
sent up for robbing safe in a rail-
road Office at Peaks, Lexington coun-
ty. South Carolina. He had promised
Mr.. Gregory to turn over a new leaf
but he was lead into temptation
again.
They are men Of pleasant appear
ance and wear good clothes. There
is little doubt about them being pro-
fessional safe blowers and that they
are the ones wanted in several places
in this State. Their pictures were
taken Friday with. trouble.
SCHOONER WRECKED.