The midland journal., 1908-06-12
ROBBERS BATTLE
WITH DETECTIVES
One Man Shot to Death and
Detective Wounded.
BARRleADE A HOUSE LIKE FORT.
Memher ef Gang, Using Wife and
Child as Shield and Handling Two
Big Revolyers, Holds or Mob of n
Thousand Men = Detective English
Kills Thomas Manning.

Pittsburg, Pa. Especially In a
desperate battle between county dc
tectives and members of gang of
robbers who have been committing
depredations in the vicinity of Nc
Keesport for several months past,
Thomas Manning, one of the robbers,
was shot by the county detectives and
received injuries from which he died,
while County Detective John S. Eng
lert, who was in charge of the case,
and who fired the shots which killed
Manning, was twice wounded and is
in serious condition.
Wilmer Patterson, another member
of the gang, in whose house the rob
bers took refuge and barricaded
themselves, stood off mob of 1000
men for two hours after the shoot
ing of Englert and while other mem
bers of the county detective force
we're hurrying to the scene. With his
wife and little son as shield, and
leveling two big revolvers at them,
Patterson defied the mob. 1t was not
until 20 members of the county de-
tective force arrived and surrounded
the house that Patterson was arrest
ed. Later in the day his father, Jo-
seph Patterson, and his brother. John
Patterson, were placed under arrest
as members of the gang.
For a number of weeks past the
residents of the Youghiogheny Valley
have been tefroriZed by gang of
burglars who have been robbing
stores, residences and railroad sta
tions, the climax being capped sever
al weeks ago when street car on
the West Pennsylvania Electric Line
was held up in true Western style and
everyone aboard robbed. Suspicion
led to the Pattersons and early this
week County Detective Englert start
ed to weave net about them. Sat-
urday he had his case well in hand,
and, after watching the residence of
Wilmer Patterson for several days, he
was rewarded by seeing Patterson
and Manning enter. Although he
knew that the men were desperate,
Englert did not anticipate that they
would put up battle. When he
knocked at the door and demanded
that they surrender he found himself
looking into four revolvers, two in
the hands of each man.
without waiting to argue Englert
pulled his own weapon and the battle
commenced. Manning dropped at the
opening of the battle, two shots hav-
ing entered his head. Patterson then
started to fire at the detective and
endeavored to drag the unconscious
Manning back in the house. Englert,
in spite of the fact that he was twice
shot, drove Patterson inside and kept
Manning. Scores of people had been
attracted by the shots and within half
an hour the mob had been increased
to 200. Meantime physician had
taken Manning to hospital and
dressed the wounds of Englert on the
spot, he refusing to leave. He had
hurriedy dispatched messenger to
the Office of Chief Of County Detec-
tives George H. Waggoner, who, with
20 Of his best men, hurried to the
scene. Patterson still refused to sur
render when Waggoner commanded
him to do so, and it was not until
he was told he would be smoked out
that he finally surrendered. Later,
when the house was searched, muchN
Of the stolen plunder was found.