The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-10-28
TELL WILD TALE
OF ADVENTURES
Woodmen Meet With Bad
Men in Forests of
Cumberland
HALTER AND BULLETS
ADD TO THEIR FEAR
Get to Civilization and Courts
Will Determine Wether
They Were Trespass-
ers or Sadly Used

CUMBERLAND, Md, Oct 27.-A
remarkable case was uncovered to day
by the arrest OF John w. George, at
Green Ridge, the scat of the million
dollar orchard proposition. of which
Frederick Merton1 q capitalist, of
NasAaastea D. G., IL the head. 81,
charge of assault with intend to muir
der Wood Superintendent Fred w.
Fiering and Andrew Zealor, boarding
boss of the Babcock Lumber and Boom
Company, Of Davis, W. Va.
George is superintendent for the
Mertens Sons, who have six or seven
hundred men working on the orchard
tract which Ia daily visited by pros
pectiye buyers from all over the coun-
try.
Niering and Zealor told a story of
the treatment at the hands of George.
and four or Ave others that almost
rivals fiction.
Viering. states that Zealor. on DC.
rober II, went to the Mertens orchards
at Green Ridge to collect 1884 due him
from seven different men. These men
had worked for the Babcock Lum be,
Conn and went to the orchards.
Zealor advancing them money to be
paid back after the first pay of the
Mertens people. When he reached
the orchard where the men were work
Ing, policeman seized him and shack
led, him with his hands behind his
back TO tree. and then tied mule
to his left arm.
Tied to Mules.
Zealor stood there for two hours.
The mule fell to the ground and Zealor
let himself down 20 as to avoid break
ting his arm. The policeman released
him from thu tree and tied him, still
handcuffed. to the mule beside of which
he travelled six or eight miles, turning
him loose after dark in a dense woods
with warning that II he came back
he would kill hiul
Zealor made his Nay back to Davis
and reported his condition to viering,
who took the matter up with George B.
thompson, manager OF the Babcock
Company. 1t was decided to take
steps toward Furnishing Zealors per-
secutors
The two men crossed the river into
west Virginia They were proceed
ing along the Western Maryland
tracks when two men appeared. vier-
Ing and Zea1or were ordered to get
INTO an automobile with three other
men and were taken to the company's
Office at Green Ridge and then placed
Tn the company lookup and shackled
together with handcuffA
Get Third Degree.
1t was ordered that they be taken
to the river and drowned or they be
hung or be put in the old house
they said. The blindfoldsd men were
then taken to the river, started afoot
while still blindfolded and shackled.
They were left there for about two
hours when their captors returned and
took them out. placing q rope around
Zaalors neck and declared they would
hang both.
The rope was tied to the rear spring
OF the automobile after Zealor had
been dragged over the road with hts
head down in a STOPPING position. and
one OF the gang tried to cut the rope
with his revolver. firing several times
close to Zealors head. Another of
the gang shot between the mans LEGS.
After a while the terrified men
were turned loose in the dense dark
ness. After some hours they found
their way to Cumberland. The or
chard people insist that the object
OF the two men WAS to entioe away
their laborers TO work for the lum-
her company A. -Dayis-
Frederick Mertens demanded an i'm
mediate hearing for George and JUS
tice Charles T. Norris, OF Little Or
leans. held him for further hearing