The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-03-26

Citizen ring Hin, stradd lii,
Back Fence on Leigh
Street.
BOTH DRAW THEIR GUNS.
Pandemonium Reigns in Neigh
borllood. but Sleuths Miss
Their Man.

While searching last night for man
named McNamee. who is wanted IN
Kentuckv for murder. Detcctive-Ser-
gean,s Bailey and Wiley imperiiled
their lives and only missed being shot.
The two detectives had reason TO be-
-iieve that AtcNamee had returned 20
Richmond. where he formerly lived,
ana they called at d house owned by
one of his aunts, on East Leigh Street
Sergeant Bailey Knocked at the
from, door o. the house while Ser
geant Wiley was Interviewing people
IN the house adjoining. y boarder III
the house came down to answer Ser:
geant Baileys knock. and the latter
asked 10 see the proprietress, saving
that hc wanted 10 see her on in1por-
tant business. Evidently the loarder,
who is a medical student. was unused
to city ways. for he lost his head. ana
on seeing the hurry form OF the detec-
tive barring the doorway, and, ap-
parently believing him 10 be mug,
spoke with him few seconds ana
then attempted to slam the door in his
face. at the same tiino calling to others
in the house to come to his aid.
Sergeant Bailey. fully confident that
the man was attempting TO practice q
ruse on him. and that the Kentucky
was in the house, struck his
foot inside. so that the door could
not be closed, and called Ito Sergeant
Wiley to run to the rear.
Bystnnders Come to Rescue.
A citizen Who was standing nearby
ran to the rear through an alley, and
Wiley ran back through the
house adjoining. When the citizen
got to the alley in the rear and saw
Sergeant Wiley climbing over ten
foot backyard fence he mistook the
officer for the man wanted. and lcveled
his gun in the latter's face. Sergeant
Wiley was straddling & the fence and
was unable to reach for his gun. The
citizen called to him to halt. a the
same time yelling that the murderer
was attempting to escape. and shout
ing to Wiley that he had the man in
hand.
In the face Of the gun the detective
coolly asked who was below. He was
firmly budged on the fence. WHO are
your he called again, and reached
back to his hippocket.
Halt" cried the citizen. 'If YOU
move. I'll Kill you" Just then the
moon came from out behind the clouds,
and the citizen recognized the man on
the fence, and the officer recognized
his friend.
Had Narrow Escape.
"Whew!" both exclaimed. "That was
a narrow shave" The citizen lowered
his gun and nearly tainted. He had
barely missed shooting the detective. 4
who. as it happened, was warm. per.
sonal friend. Both finally recovered
from their fright. and ran back to
Sergeant Bailey, who was having din
culties of his own. The latter detec-
tive, believing from the actions of the
boarder who had shut the door in his
face, that the murderer he was hunt
ing was secreted in the house, had at
length forced an entrance, and Fad
three men at bay.
They We're watching him. and he
was watching them. Attic first sign
shooting would have become general.
and In such crowded quarters 1t was
likely that some one would have been
killed.
The whole thing turned out to be a
mistake. AS soon as the boarder rec
ognized the fact that he was confront
Ing an officer Of the law he gave way.
and the house was turned over to tile
detectives. The boarder, who was
trembling in every limb, apolosized
for his mistake, and the detectives sex-
planned the situation
another man walked up quietly and
said, FOUR man isn't here. I know
whom you are looking for. but he has
not come back There was a sigh OIL
relief when the whole affair was ex-
planned to the mutual satisfaction OIL
everyone concerned. The man on the
renee felt better, the citizen felt bet
yer, me detective at the front door was
renewed, and the household IN genera
was glad that the mistake had not
ended in nelodramatic style.