Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-07-10
MAN HELD HERE
AS SCOTTDALE
ROBBER
Safe in Mill Store BIown-PaI
of Kirkwood Bandit Now Is
Under Arrest.

J. J. Crawford, arrested by At
ianta officers Wednesday morning on
the suspicion Of having cracked the
safe in the Scottdale Mills Store
Company building and taken $500 in
money, was released in the afternoon
on evidence that the story he had told
Of his movements Tuesday night were
true in every detail
Crawford was taken from a Georgia
Railroad train on his return from a
visit to scottdale. Later in the day
he was taken to Decatur by Sheriff
J. J. McCurdy, who Investigated his
story and released him.
Hoyt Garner. with whom Crawford
stayed Tuesday night in Scottdale,
also was arrested by Sheriff McCurdy
and later released. This leaves the
authorities with no one under suspi-
cion for the robbery.
Crawford, at first rather vague IN
regard to the purpose OF his visit in
Scottdale, later told Detectives Black
and Billiard that he went there to
visit friends, a Mrs. Garner and her
son. The detectives are at loss to
explain why he should be carrying a
grip containing a blackjack, a glass
cutter and two razors on a friendly
visit Of few hours.
He admitted that he had known
Walter Turpin, who blew the Kirk
wood postoffice safe. since Turpin
was released from the Federal Prison
and that he had roomed next to the
ex-convict at the Union Mission,
234 IL Marietta Street.
Visited Turpin at Jail.
He explained his visit 10 Turpin at
the DeKalb County jail on Tuesday
by saying that a pair of his trousers
had disappeared and he went to see
If Turpin had taken them.
The burglar who blew the safe Of
the Scottdale store made no effort
TO steal anything other than the $500
in cash, which was in the safe He
escaped after an encounter with ].
w, Meyers. the night Waterman Of
the mills, who ran to the store upon
glycerin.
The safe cracker effected an en-
trance into the store through the front
window, after breaking the plate
glass with a rock. covered with cloth
to deaden the sound of the crash.
At 3 o'clock he fired the first and
only shot of explosive, blowing the
door of the safe from its hinges and
hurting II across the room.
gaalFN s.rs h l. l.
the mill nearby when he heard the
explosion.
"The first thought that struck me-"
said Meyers, when / heard the ex-
plosion was that safe robbers were at
work. / listened a moment, but heard
no other sounds. Then l slipped
quietly out Of the mill and started
toward the store
Covers Waterman.
7 crept around the corner of thu
mill. and as ] neared the store /
saw man cautiously open the front
door and slip out. He closed the
door after him and stood for a mo-
ment, listening Then he started TO
creep silently but hurriedly around
the corner OF the building, keeping In
the shadows.
'I ran after him. shouting at him
to halt, and tried to draw my re-
volver as l ran. The hammer of the
weapon caught on my clothing, and
could not get the gun out of my
pocket / kept on running and yell
ing at the man, and he suddenly
turned. In moment his hand few
to his hip and he had me covered
with a revolver. l had been unable
to get my weapon out OF my pocket,
and l threw up my hands,
He then threatened to kill me II
] made any noise, and with his re-
volver pointing at my heart forced
me to walk backward into the mill
AS / entered the mill he acted as
though he we're coming in after me
but suddenly turned and darted
around the corner. ran out and
saw him going in the direction OF
the railroad station"