The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1913-12-11
GYPSIES STIRS FLORENCE.
Wandering Band Accused of Trying
Legerdemain on Bank Cashiers.

|
has just undergone an ordeal from
the alleged depredations of a. band of
gypsies that 'driv" up and tied
out in the pine grove at the Rev"
| R9nces crossroads few days ago.
There is quite a crowd of them,
some thirty or forty men, women and
| children, with a dozen or more We
hicles of every description, and lot
of old worn-out, broken-down plug
horses and stock.
They hit" Florence last week, and
this week, it is alleged, they have
been hitting" Florentines, especi-
ally the bank clerks and those of the
banks who stand at the window and
hand OUT or hand in the hard
dough-"
To start with, some of the women
of the gang hiked uptown Wednes-
day and made a straight shoot for the
| banks.
| One of the women walked into the
First National Bank and asked young
Sam Husbands, the money singer at
| the window, to change hundred
dollar bill for her. He did so will
ingly and counted out the dough and
handed it over to the woman. No
sooner had he handed it to her than
she "squaked" back at him, me
want gold," and pushed her money
back. Husbands smelled a rat and
recounted the "mon," finding, It is
alleged, he was SIS short in the trick.
He squealed and the old varmint did
likewise, but in language that made
Husbands hair stand. Me no no
English" she squalled, but never
gave up the SIS green bucks. Hus-
bands became suspicious and got rid
of the bunch by telling them there
was mo gold in town.
From the First National Bank they
went to the Palmetto Bank and Trust
Company and there, it is claimed,
caught the cashier for $40 in the
morning and S5 more in the after
noon.
Then they hiked out for the Com
mercial and Savings and made like
push across the counter at Roger
Clemmons for 500 bill change. He
came across with ten new ten spots,
but held his finger on the roll until he
got his $100. He had hardly turned
loose, however, before the old woman
wanted gold, and when he took it
back and placed it beside him on the
counter, he says one of the new green
ten spots was missing, but the woman
had made good her escape and there
was nothing to do but get a war
rant.
They next made for the Farmers
and Mechanics Bank, and Cashier
Gilchrist, having been made wise
over the phone by some of his bank
ing friends, had previously arranged
with Policeman Edwin Harrell to
come down and get behind the count
er; was "settin for 'em." In the old
women walked and one showed out a
500 bill, and after going through
the former tricks, she handed her
money back to Cashier Gilchrist and
wanted little mon" for what he gave
her. Gilchrist took de mon" and
found two of the $40 bills were short.
He suuealed and Harrell stepped out.
Both of them were looking directly at
the woman, yet did not see how
she had swiped the two bills so quick
ly. She had them rolled up in the palm
of her hand and "coughed 'em up"
when Harren attempted to pull them.
They were finally arrested and put
up a bond of $40 for their appear
ance later in the afternoon at Magis-
trate McCleneghan's Court, when
Judges Copeland, of Timmonsville,
and McCleneghan, of Florence, held
forth. A jury was obtained and they
heard the case and brought in ver-
dict of mot guilty." Other warrants
were sworn out and yesterday the
whole push was in Court again, but
the cases were compromised by the
repayment of the money to the banks
that had been beat out of their
dough, and upon the payment of the
costs by the band.
Since the gypsy band hit the town
there are all kinds of rumors and
reports of petty robberies, and the
women and children living near the
suburbs are afraid to put their heads
out of doors after dark. 1t is hoped
by the people here that the whole
gang can be made to leave the State
or Of laast hereabouts. Other COM