Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1914-11-11
HOLD-UP MEN NEAR COLUMBIA.
Entire Gang Caught, Searched and
Held in Custody.
columbia Record, 5th.)

Five negroes, four men and wo-
man, were held up and robbed on the
C., N. & l.. trestle Thursday morn
ing shortly after 10 o'clock, by three
armed men, who were arrested a
short time afterwards and identified.
In the presence Of Sheriff John c..
Mccain, J. G. Robbins and Rural Po-
hceman Koon the men arrested first
as suspects made a confession. The
prisoners, now in the penitentiary,
are John Driggers, white, Frank
Cooper, white, and John Franklin,
colored. On their persons were
found $3.50, two Colts special re-
volvers Of .32 calibre and a siX-inch
barrel .32 calibre S. & W., an cleo
trio flash light an iron cbisel and
cartridges. The pistols were en-
cased in new leather holsters.
The victims Of the hold-up were
Lewis Jackson, Odell Kyser, Ncs
Kyser, Gus Kyser and Essie Jack
son. They are farm hands employed
by j. II. Huffman, the we'll known
planter of the Dutch Fork section,
who lives few miles from Broad
river. The negro victims were re-
lieved Of all their money, ranging
from $40 to So each.
AS soon as possible after the dis
appearance Of the highwaymen the
negroes gave the alarm, among the
first to hear Of the bold crime being
Rural Policeman Koon, who at the
time was at Bachman Huffman's
who telephoned the news to the She
riffs office. Sheriff Mccain, Deputy
Sheriff Heise and George Boland. an
other deputy, were rushed to the
Broad River bridge in an automobile
With the county officers were j. C.
Robbins, of the penitentiary guards,
and his bloodhounds.
A Brave Bridge Keeper.
Risking his own life, Melton Lo-
rick, keeper of the Broad River
bridge, intercepted three suspicious
characters as they were endeavoring
to cross the bridge. Mr.. Lorick had
heard Of the hold-up on the trestle
and was prepared to meet desperate
persons, as he carried his shotgun.
He covered the three suspects, who
it was said, offered him SIS if he
would allow them to go. They also
offered the bridge keeper pistols and
y; Il ho 1,
but Mr.. Lorick steadily declined all
overtures of compromise and warned
the men not to attempt to escape. He
held the three armed men until the
county officers arrived and a search
disclosed the fact that they were
armed to the teeth.
The white men who are being held
told Policeman Koon that they re-
sided on Palmetto Hill. The negro
declined to say anything about him
self. The prisoners were taken to
the penitentary, where further
search Of their persons was made.
Ten more dollars was the result of
the second search.
Driggers is about 16 years of age
and Cooper 8. They are apparently
up-country boys, but the negro's face
and demeanor indicate that he has
had a varied career.
The layout of the highwaymen was
taken to the office of Sheriff Mccain
and placed in the iron safe in an ante
room, where the pistols attracted
considerable attention. The weapons
are in first-class working order and
when taken were loaded in every
chamber
The hold-uD, as reported to the
authorities, is perhaps the most dar-
ing crime enacted in Richland coun-
ty in many years. The c., n. & L.
trestle is near the city limits and is
located where it is easily seen from
any direction. Persons using it as a
means Of crossing the canal and river
are constantly passing in both dircc-
tions and the hold-ups could not we'll
have selected a more open place for
their operations.
When we read Of an American en-
bassy abroad being under fire there
is SOME consolation in the reflection
that the building doesn't belong IN