Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-07-09
BANDIT
ROBS MILL
Of $500
Covers Night Waterman at Scott
dale and Escapes-SuspeCt
Taken Here Freed.

j. J. Crawford, arrested by At
lanta 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 a loss to
explain why he should be carrying a
grip containing a blackjack, a glass
cutter and two razors on a friendly
visit of a 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 to Turpin at
the DeKalb County jail on Tuesday
by saying that a pair of his trousers
had disappeared and he went TO see
II 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 J.
w. Meyers, the night Waterman Of
the mills, who ran to the store upon
hearing the explosion of the nitro
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 deadsn the sound of the crash.
At 3 o'clock he fired the first and
only shot of explosive. blowing ths
door of the safe from its hinges and
hurting it across the room.
Meyers was making his rounds In
the mill nearby when he heard the
explosion.
THE first thought that struck me-"
said Meyers, when l 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.
q crept around the corner of the
mill, and as l neared the store l
saw a 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.
81 ran after him, shouting at him
to halt, and tried to draw my re-
volver as ! ran. The hammer of the
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 flew
to his hip and he had me covered
with a revolver, l had been unable
to get my weapon out of my pocket,
and | threw up my hands
He then threatened TO kill me If
/ made any noise, and with his re-
volver pointing at my heart forced
me to walk backward into the mill
As l entered the mill he acted as
though he were coming in after me,