The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1909-11-03
FEMALE ROBBERS
The Detectives Locked for Men While the
Gang Prospered.
CAUGHT IN A BIG STORE
The Robber Proved to De q Woman
and She Accepted Sentence of Ten
Years In Penitentiary But Refuses
to Tell the Names OTHER Accom-.

A gang of women. dressed as men,
terrorized Harrison county, Ia, for
months previous to the arrest and
sentence Of Mrs. Fred Lind, wife
Of a we'll known farmer. Country
stores were burgalized and large
quantities Of goods stolen. Farm
houses were robbed. Occasionally
a stock raiser, en- route home from
market after dark, was stopped and
the proceeds Of his sales removed.
1t became evident to the autho"i IS
that a gang Of robbers was opc at
ing but all efforts to make an arrest
failed. Detectives and police wee
looking for male robbers They
never suspected women Wee doing
the persistent thieving.
AS with success the band grew
holder, town residences and stores
in the heart Of the business sec.
tions Of the small cities were visit
ed and robbed. Instead Of taking
merchandise the robbers now con-
fined their efforts to cash and jew
elry, taking only such articles as
could be easily carried and were Of
good value. All sorts Of traces could
be secured. Abundant clews were
left behind, but these traces and
clews could lever be run down.
Footrints in the mud beneath a win
dow through which an entrance had
been made showed men of normal
size, and nothing was gained from
this by which the robbers could be
discovered.
w. D. Cromie owns the largest
store in Woodbine and sometimes
has a large amount of cash on hand.
After the robberies became frequent
Cromie hired a trusty man to sleep
In his store and was very careful
not to let this fact become known.
Two weeks ago this Waterman was
awakened by a peculiar noise. At
a rear window he heard low NUT
terings in rather shrill voices. Then
came the sound of a glass cutter
and one of the panes of glass was
neatly removed. Then through the
hole made by the removal Of the
glass q leg was pushed. The watch
man waited In the store, his revolver
cooked In hand.
But, instead of using the gun, he
stole noiselessly forward and, just
when the body coming through tho
window was in the most awkward
and helpless position, the watch
mar grabbed both the legs and gave
q jerk forward. Right through the
window came the body, and as 1t
struck the floor the Waterman pin
toned both arms over It's head. A
wild shrek rang out. 1t was a high
treble voice.
Its a woman" gasped the watch
man. The two robbers outside took
to their heels and disappeared in the
darkness.
The Waterman dragged the pris-
oner to the light, tied her hands and
raised an alarm.
The prisoner was recognized as
Mrs. Fred Lind. despite her disguise.
This consisted of top boots, trousers,
a shirt, cost and hat, giving her all
the appearance of a man. These
articles proved to be her husbands
clothing. which she had altered to
fit herself. The boots were her hus-
bands, and, while much too large
for her. she had wrapped her feet
in cloths to make them steady.
When first placed in jail Mrs.
Lind still wore the disguise which
made her appearance that OF a man,
but later she appeared in court
dressed as a oma However, the