The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1914-12-09
!, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 8, 1914.
BUILDING IS PRACTICALLY sDI,.
SIROYED BX EXI'LOSIONS.t
Money Torn into Shrc,ls ami Parts Oi
Safe Hurled Through Ccilin3 bS
Discharges OF NitroglJccrinc.

Mullins, Dee. a.-Thrce explo@ons
from charges of nitroglycerine Ifa:-
tically destroyed the bank building of
Nichols, five miles from here, where
the safe was blown open by yeggher
at $50 o'clock this morning. pcr-
tions Of the heavy safe door Eerc
hurled into the ceiling, texring
through the roof. All windows Ia the
bank were shattered and the bui&in iny
was generally demolished. S
Just how much money was taken
can not yet be determined. The final
charge, which was to open an pner
chest containing the money, wd6 SO
powerful that 1900 81 bills were torn
into sheds. Of the $1,S54 in fcur
rcncy in the safe, $3G.Ci was p&%eA
ur in the debris this morning.
Three men have been arras:ed.
Two coming from the direction Of
Nichols were arrested early this Morn-
ing by Policeman Byrd. AnotheH Civ
Ing his name as Tom Reynolda and
his home as Richmond Va, wak a..
rested at Pee Dee by Officers Rerry
and Davis. Reynolds is apparently
about 80 years Of age. His lefK arm
i, off just below the shoulder,s He
has blue eyes, light hair, andSS fair
complexion. Reynolds visorouslY pro-
test, his innocence. ~
Several shots were exchangedR with
the robbers when the bank was being
robbed. Later when the yeggmer
were leaving. Harl Griffin came to the
porch and inquired what heS7trou-
BILE was. The answer was enc or two
shots fired at him by the escaping
safe blowers. ~
telephone message from Nichols
told OF the robbery soon after H Oc-
CURED. Rural Policeman Hunter with
several deputies left by daylight for
Nichols, Sheriff Dozier with onGers
Berry and Davis going to PAA Dee,
believing that the yeggmeps mi1 pos
'sibsy attcmpt tdsSUtsiVl u -
junction. Shortly after daylight. Off
Ger Byrd arrested two suspicious
characters, who were lodged in the
Mullins Jail. These were coming down
the railroad from Nichols. \ few min
utcs later n message vas received
telling OF the arrest Of Reynolds at
Pee Dee. The same train that bore
the Pee Dee prisoner to Nichols also
brought Guard Robbins from the
state penitcntiary with his blood
hounds, who had been called over the
long distance telephone in time 10
catch the early morning train.
AS a matter OF preCaution, the bank
building had been roped off. In con-
sequence the trail was readily picked
up by tho dogs, ana the trail followed
several hundred yards down the rail
road, thence into the public road to
the new bridge. Here the trail was
lost, and the conclusion drawn was
that the robbers had entered vehicle
held in waiting. Robbins then took
the dogs back to Nichols, where 500
or 400 persons had gathered.
Instructions were then given to
have the suspect taken to the woods
ana made to climb a tree Several
people were made to follow close by
TO guard the movements of Reynolds.
The dogs were then turned loose over
tho yard travcrscd b. the crowd. They
IL once picked UP the trail OF Rcy-
nolds, which was followed to the
tree. Others we're made to strike
trails but the dogs repeatedly refused
to follow these. Reynolds was placed
in tho jail at Marion to await de-
velopmcnts in the case.
In the adjoining building on the
second story is the telephone cX-
change. Here tho operator was asleep
and In an adjoining room almost over
tho bank negro barber. The impact
from the explosion almost threw these
out Of bed. They rushed to the win
COWS to SEQ what tho noise was and
discovered three men directly under
meath them. Hy this time many per-
sons living nearby were up and were
running through the darkness toward
the hank when the second cEaigc was
touched off.
DR.. Ayers, who lives directly across
the street vcnturcG out with his shot
gun and fired three cartridgcs in The
erection of the bank. ono struck the
end Of freight car and two were
SAID TO have gone thrOigh the bank
win lows. The shots were answered
With pistol shots hy the robhcrS and
SO far a@ C"utd hc learned no one else
attempted to intercept the lcotcrS.
i'N a"mc ii j" claimed that there were
a@ many as 80 minutes between the
'irSi and tn" last report