Middletown transcript., 1911-03-04
A MODERN dick TURPIN"
Turpin Commits Five Assaults
in One Niuht

I The community has had this week an
object lesson in the evil results flowing
from the unchecked gambling and drink
ing openly carried on-practicaIly within
the town limits, in Hamtown. A Fagin
school of vice and crime has for years
been in unrebuked operation there, and
Herman Turpin and his accomplice
Rhodes, are fine specimen graduates. On
Saturday night Turpin-whose name
ought to be "Dick Turpin''-assaulted
and knocked down no less than three
persons and robbed two Of them.
His fret exploit was to knock Asbury
Rochester down with pair oisteel knuck-
les as be was nearing his home.
While he was half UNCONSCIOUS Rhodes
and Turpin rubbed this industrious,
harmless, old man OF $500. On Sunday
morning officers Hilyard and Gary ar.
rested Turpin while lying in drunken
stupor on lounge in house in Ham
town. After being manacled Turpin re-
fused to get up and in the struggle caught
hold of the stove and caused it to be over
turned and the hot Goals poured on the
floor. A big commotion was oceasioned
by the event, all the inhabitants turning
out to see the fun.
Turpin also cursed and threatened both
the officers. Earlier Saturday evening he
had knocked a young colored man named
John Dickson fiat in the road because ne
would not or could not, instantly raise
up the gross of fuIl''-25 cents, borrowed
cash, as Turpin alleged. Iprpin is a.huge
fellow with hand as big as a small BAN,
and they say he knocked Dickson from
under his hat spinning into the street
where he fell like beel!
Turpin's third exploit was performed
on the road to Forest cemetery that same
evening. He attacked an old black man,
70 years Of age, named Henry Draper,
with club, telling him also, and robbed
him of all his cash and the basketful OF
provisions he was carrying home.
The writer saw the top of thrifty
young Norway maple as big around as a
mans wrist broken and cut off, and only
about three feet of the stump left. Tur-
pin undoubtedly cut the tree to get the
club he used on the old man Draper.
On Monday morning he was arraigned
before Squire Cox on the charges OF as
saultiDg and robbing Rochester, and Of
assauIting Dickson, and the two further
charges Of resisting and threatening off,
GERS HiIyard and Gary. The third as
saut and battery OH old Draper was not
then known.
On the first charge he was held in $500
bail to answer to the grand jury; on the
second. held in the sum of 5000 moIe,
while for the two charges brought by the
officers, he was further held in 5000 each,
making total of 5000 bail for the four
offences, in default of which, be was
taken to the workhouse to await the
grand iury's action, Rhodes got wind of
the officers coming and escaped, and has
not since been captured. What are our
town authorities for, if not to break up
these nests of young rufians, who left
thus unmolested are growing bolder and
bolder in their criminal courses? I'm
luckily the increased penalty for robbery
would beck post lacto as applied to Tur-
pin, but he ought to get 10 years for the
deadly assault on Rochester. He is an
old offender and had only been out of
| Jail a few months when he committed
these crimes. Officer Hilyard says-he had
arrested Turpin seven times since last
August.
The TRANSCRIPT has uniformly treated
our coored people fairly and is told that
they join in saying this dangerous des-
perado ought 10 be locked up for a long
time. II be is indicted for all five of these
crimes, he can be kept in Jail the next %
years and we think he ought to be; for
he is bad, brutal fellow, and if not thus
restrained will murder some one next.