The gold leaf., 1910-09-01
ROBBED ON HIGHWAY.


Up On the Public Road Near Dabney
in the Night Time and Relieved or a
Part of His Cash-Trial OF Accused
Men Falls Through and Mystery Is
No Nearer Solved Than it Was Be-
fore.
Ouite a sensational trial was held In
! the court house here Friday afternoon.
The charge was highway robbery and
the eccuser was Mr. ". !. Aiken well
| known Young man OF Granville county,
who lives near CreedmoOr, and the ac-
cused were two strangers, Mr.. w. }
Gentry and Mr. J. W. FOgle, who work
for a New York portrait (plcture en-
Iarpinp house, travelling the country on
foot. Mr.. Gentry is q native OF Rich
mond, Va, and Mr.. Fog lie is from Mary
land. his home being near Washington
CITY. They had been in Henderson be-
fore spending a couple OF weeks mere
abOuts in March when they canVassed this
territory The hearing was before JUS
tices W t. Gary and I. Il. Jones. Mr..
r. T. Hicks appeared for the prosecutor
and Mr.. T. N. Pittman for the defense.
All the testimony being in Mr.. HICKS
and Mr.. Pittman spoke each dong MS
duty toward his client as he saw IL
some very strong points on the law ana
the evidence being made on both sldes:
The presiding justices then retired ana
after a short consultation decided mat
there was not sufficient evidence to
establish probable cause and rendered
verdict accordingly releasing the accused,
Justice Gary delivering the opinion OF
the court
MR.. AIKEN'S STORY.
While riding along the public road near
Dabney Sunday night before last, accord
inc tn the story told by Mr. Aiken, he
was held ND bv two men, both strangers
to him and n demand was made for his
money The largest man stepped IN
front and the smaller one climbed up on
the buqpy from behind and thrust pis-
toI in his face. Having relieved him OF
his money. fifteen dollars, which they
suppOsed was all he had, they got in the
vehicle with him and drove to Hender-
son. They had not proceeded very far
before they forced him to take drink OF
something which caused him to lose his
senses soon afterward and he does not
know what happened until ne came 10
himself next morning in Norfolk: MT.
Aiken saws he does not know Whether IL
was whiskev or a dope OF some klhd
that he drank. A doctor whom ne says
he consulted in Norfolk stated that IL
was chloroform
The buggy was driven TO HENDERSON
and abandoned by the occupant oT occu
pants in the street near tne oeapoalu il
station 1t was seen by Ohcer Cra0tree
and Officer Sherman as it came up Maih Nt.,
street below the pOstOttice' very 1SIIe @
attentiOnwas paid to the matCer ouC MI.
Crabtree says he thought at tIe liIlle
there was only one person III IIe pussy.
The NOrthbOund train, due in heHuersoi1
at 3:11 a. m, had iust blown oeycnu
the coal chute and ran up to the s'"'ion
shortly after the buggy passed
Making their rounds back toWaru Ihe
depot after the train passed the morse
was found united, hitched to the pugsy,
standing in the street near Mr.. MAJOR
cigar stand Watching the venicle
for awhile to see if some one wOuiu come
back for it, the officers decided to Cake II
in charge. UpOn examination an empty
pocketbOok and some letters bearing Cne
address OF W l. Aiken, Oxford, \. y were
found in the buggy. This was all tnere
was to establish the identity or owner
ship of the property. The horse anu anu
buggy were taken to Southerlahu
stables to be cared for.
SENDS TELEGRAM FROM NORFOLh'
Monday morning about eleven O'Clock
telegram was received by the chief OF
police from Mr. Aiken in Norfolk asking
him to look out for the horse and buggy
and take care of them until he came
That night Mr. Aiken got back to Hen
dersOn reaching here on the train from
Ner9k IS dqf Fht TO 25 ayEYea ah af 1te g. IN
mainder of the night. Next morning IN
explaining the circumstance as to how
his horse and buggy happened to be lett
here loose in the street as they were Mr..
Aiken related to four policemen and to
Mr.. SOutherland the story OF the robbery
and drugging as above given, but SAID
he had no knowledge OF coming to Hen
dersOn or getting on the train here. lie
said he did have some sort OF vague
recollection Of being walked up and down
the platform at Norlina. From then on
until he reached Portsmouth his mind
was blank. As he was going over on
the ferry boat his senses returned to him
enough to realize that the same two
men were with him. He was in dazed
state and could make no resistance. tie
was completely in their power. On the
Norfolk side he says he stopped and sat
down on the curbstone. policeman
approached and slapped him on the
shoulder somewhat roughly. lie was
about to be arrested and hustled of to
the police station on the charge OF beng
drunk. Examination showed that he
was not drunk, the odOr OF liquor was
not about him. The policeman asked If
he was sick. Unable to speak he nodded
his head in assent At this iuncture the
two men who were with him decided
that it was best for them to leave which
MIR. Aiken says they Gu. As they start
ed away he tried to make the policeman
understand that he wanted them arrest
ed and held but he could not speak.
Later when the power of speech returned
to him the men had disappeared and
could not be found. Then it was he con-
suited doctor who prescribed for him.
STRANGERS APPREHENDED.
Tuesday of last week three strangers,
W. j. Gentry, j. W. Fogle, and young
brother OF Mr.. Gentry, appeared in Dab
ney. They had walked out from Hen
derson after making inquiry about the
country and stopped at several houses
on the way soliciting orders, in their line
OF business. At Burroughs store they
made few small purchases OF something
to eat and spent few hours there En-
quiring OF some one in what territory
they would be most likely to find bust
ness it was suggested that they try the
country out in the Dexter neighborhood
and then about Townsville In this
direction they went
When Mr.. Aiken returned to Dabney he
told about the robbery of the Sunday
night before, describing the two men as
strangers. one larger and older than the
other and having the appearance OF a
foreigner or Snowman. The telephones
got busy and the picture men were To-
Gated out in the Dexter neighborhood
where they were directed to go. Messrs
Gentry and FOgle We're taken into Gus
tody warrant being sworn out against
them before W. l.. Burroughs, Justice of
the Peace, and they were sent to jail in
Henderson in default of bail. This was
on Wednesday and it was not until Fri
day afternoon that the trial was had
I before Justices Gary and Jones.
Rafnra tho hao hol 4 Ioo. .-.,,, l.