The Clarksburg telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1874-1926, 1912-11-07
BOLD GANG or THUGS
AT LAST ROUNDED UP
1t is Believed in the Arrest Of
Five Men on Various
Charges.
CONFESSION NJ A D j.
Drag Net Drawn As Rcsult
Of Highway Robbery Of
Coal Miner.

Dery OF heynObdSYihe coal miner
late Saturday night in Glen Elk No.
2 by three men, who were later iden-
titled by the victim, Mayor Frank r.
Moore and Police Chief Harry L.
Brooks have rounded up a gang OF
five supposed professional thugs, three
of whom have confessed that the gang
committed a long series of highway
robberles and burglaries the last sew
eral months in this city and nearby
towns.
The men are Benjamin Plumm, OF
Grafton; Ernest sw'ser, George Fogg,
Jason Hall and Matthew Fogg of
Cjarksburg. They are now in jail
awaiting trials.
sa ngJ Used n Revolver.
Glen ,Wylett is the Reynoldsylle
coal miner who charges that three
members Of the gang held him up at
the point of a revolver and robbed
him late Saturday night. This hap
pened near the Swift storage house
in Glen Elk No. 2. Wylett declared
that while one man held revolver
under his nose. the others went
through his pockets, took SO in mon
ey, : icy to a tool chest and one or
two other articles. Acting upon
descriptions OF the thugs given the
mayor and the police chief by Wslett,
George Fogg was arrested later the
same night on the Glen Elk bridge by
lieutenant Nicholas N. Whyte and
Policeman George Isenhart Benjamin
Plumm was arrested Sunday morning
in some brush on the hill at the
southern end OF Water street by Po-
licemen lsenhart and James Simms;
and these policenrmen and Policeman
Ode McCloud caught Matthew Fogg
soon afterward in the rear of the
court house.
They Are Identified.
After these three men had been
taken into custody, Wylett identified
them as the thugs who held him up
and robbed him Plumm, he. said,
was the one who poked revolver
into his face, When George Fogg was |
searched at headquarters, revolver
and some Of wylett's property was
found in his pockets. A charge OF
uplawfully carrying revolver will
likely be one of the charges to be
preferred against George.
Mayor Moore and Chief Brooks had
suspected for some time that this
gang was the one that had committed
several highway robberies the last
few months in Clarksburg and its
suburbs, and they straightway began
working upon some evidence 10 this
effect, part OF which they had gathered
and more of which was furnished by
the prisoners.
Two More Caught.
Shortly following the issuance OF
orders to the effect, Jason Hall was
arrested by a policeman on the bank
of the West Fork river in the West
End; and Ernest Swiger was caught
hanging uaropnd police headquarters
trying to find out what. was happen
ing. by Chief Brooks and was prompt |
~ put in jail with the others. The
five men were then separately put
through a sort of third degree" ex-
animation by the mayor and the chief,
which resulted in the following con-
fessions by three of them:
Long List OF Crimes.
That Benjamin Plumm, George
Fosg and Ernest swiger are the
lighwaymen who held Up and
shot Thomas Scott, colored prop
rietor Of Traders alley pool
room, one night few weeks ago
in the West End; that Fogg and
Plumm held him up while Swiger
acted as the lookout; and that
either Plumm or Fogg shot Scott.
That the same night, Jason Hall,
George Fogg, Beniam'r Pl"rr'
and Ernest swiScr. he'd ~ and
robbed foreigner in Glen Elk
No. 2. Gqj uGle
That several weeks age, swiser
and Pllmm broke into a coal
company's store at Simpson,
stealing several pistols, razors,
trousers and other articles.
That Benjamin Prrnrm, George
Fogg and Ernest swiger held up,
beat and robbed jew named
Wiser on the overhead railroad
bridge in Glen Elk.
That the gang attempted to
blow safe at Bridgeport few
weeks ago
Apartment House Burglaries.
That members of the gang COM
mitted the burglarles two months