Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1908-04-30
HOLD Up PAY
ROLL WAGON
HlShVaymen Rob U. S. Coal 4 Coke
Co. Superintendent Near
Gary, ". Va.
STEAL BETWEEN $4,000
AND $i6 600 and ESCAPE

Bluefeld. W. Va, April 28.-
The United States Coal and
Coke Company's pay roll wagon.
loaded with between $4,000 and
SIS, 900, was held up and robbed
this morning at $50, between Gary
and WilcOe, by four armed Italians.
The robbers succeeded in getti. g
away with the entire payroll, which
was in two suit cases and done up in
regular payroll envelopes.
The money was to have met the
semi-monthly payroll at No. 2 works,
one OF twelve operations which are
being worked by the coal company.
which is subsidiary company of the
United States Steel Company.
The wagon had left the Gary Ma
tlonal Bank and had proceeded
about half a mile when suddenly
four armed men jumped out and
commenced shooting at the men on
the wagon.
Ihe, men in the vehicle were F. E.
Payne and E. M. Esser, superintend-
ents of two of the operations.
The men had no one with them
and they Immediately jumped from
the wagon and commenced to return
the fire with their guns.
All of the men were armed with
repeating Winchesters.
While the guards were engaged
with three of the robbers, the other
one stole in from behind and seized
the two suit cases ard Immediately
started to run.
AS soon as the guards saw what
had happened they began to shoot
at the fleeing robber but on account
OF the excitement they were not able
TO shoot with certainty. Meanwhile all
of the robbers began to back awav un.
der the cover of the bushes, and kept
up running fire which the guards re-
turned without doing any damage.
The man with the grips was making
MS escape at a rapid pace when sud-
denly another of the men grabbed one
OF the grips and commenced to run with
him' while the other two kept up a rap
ID hre to cover the retreat of the men.
AS the men raced up the mountainside
the pace became too rapid for the rob-
bers, who finally set down their grips.
and while resting, continued to fire.
One of the shots thus fired struck a
small boy in the arm, while another
struck the same boy in the leg.
Meanwhile, telephone connections
were made with the offices of the COM
pany and miners In all directions were
notified of what had taken place.
The miners Immediately dropped their
picks and ran with all speed to the
scene of the robbery and in less than
half an hour at least one thousand men
were in full chase after the highway
men.
Even office men stopped work and
all OF the company's employees are out
tonight in search of the men who dis
appeared in the direction os Big Four.
w. Va, evidently making for the Nor
folk & Western lines, where they ex-
pect to board a train and make good
their escape.
Mr.. O'Toole, general superintendent
OF the coal company, offered reward
OF $1,000 for the capture of the rob-
bers, and every man on the works
claims that he will win it.
AT 10 O'Clock tonight the men were
still out, and although they had been
searching for thirteen hours, they have
not been able to capture the robbers.
1t is thought that they may have fled to
some unknown cave and are hiding
there until the immediate excitement is
over.