Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1914-12-04

Luther J.. Scherer. general claim
lagcnt of the Chesapeake and Ohio
Railway Company, who has been the
Sherlock Holmes In more important
criminal cases than, perhaps. any
other man in Virginia, was shot ant;
seriously wounded near Covington
early yesterday morning Mr.. Scher-
err with Special Agents a. NJ Rich
ardson. j. II. Rice and a. Headrick.
were at Payne's Grade a mile east of
Covington. Investigating series of
freight-car robberies, VIXEN the marty
was fired upon by man standing be.
tween two cars of a passing freight
train. -Four shots were fred One of
them struck Mr.. Scherer, entering the
left side of the back and lodging three
inches from the spine and just above
the hip. Mr.. Scherer. fell In his tracks
The freight train was moving slowly,
and was Immediately tagged by his
comrades, and they swung themselves
|, ,aboa I'D y Eyei,y tShr1pl on ne. train
was dfrested, -. pGts 1T was said last
night that the assailant had escaped
WOUNDED MAN HURRIED
TO CLIFTON FORGE HOSPITAL
Mr.. Scherer was placed aboard the
freight. and a record run was made to
clifton Forge, where the victim OF the
assassin's shot was placed in the
Chesapeake and Ohio Hospital He was
attended by DR.. j. c. wysor, OF Cliff
ton Forge. but the wound was regard
ed to be of such n dangerous char
acter that friends and family In Rich
mond were notified, and n special train
was made up to carry DIR. George Ben
Johnston and DR.. W.. r. Oppenhimer.
chief surgeon OF the Chesapeake and
Ohio Railway, to MIR. Scherer's side.
Mrs Scherer accompanied the physi-
pin lacf tsrI,t NJ
sons were called. An operation was
performed in the afternoon: and the
latest advlces received last night
stated that Mr.. Scherer was resting
well. and that all the Indications were
in his favor
WAS INVESTIGATING
FREIGHT-CAR ROBBERIES
Recently several freight cars, near
Payne's Grade, have been broken into
and robbed and Mr.. scherer. who was
in Clifton Forge. decided to make a
personal investigation. With the
special agents accompanying him. he
was standing by the railroad tracks
when the freight train passed. AS
one of the forward cars passed them
a white man leaned out from behind
il and fired four shots in rapid sue
cession. Startled by the fusillnde, the
detectives turned to shield themselves,
and as they turned one of the bullets
evidently from .3S-calibre revolver
struck Mr.. Scherer in the back. He
swung around from the impact and
fell. The train was moving slowly,
and the others. bent on catching the
would-be murderer. swung themselves
aboard and waved to the engineer. The
train was stopped and several tramps
were arrested Whether the man who
fired the shot was In the number is
not definitely known, the latest dis
patches saying that 1t was believed
he had escaped. Mr.. Scherer was
placed on the train, and the prisoners
were also taken 10 Clifton Forge,
where police and special agents Will
make every endeavor to discover the
man who fired the shots.
MAY HAVE PICKED
iSCEERER As HIS TARGET
Whether the man fred at random or
picked out Mr.. Scherer as his target no
one connected with the investigation
could determine last night, but the
general belief was that some mis-
creunt recognized the famous special
agent, and, on the chance of escaping
OIL the train, took pot shot at him.
The shooting occurred shortly before
> o'clock when 1T was still dark, and
the position OF the detective and his
special agents was made known by the
flashlights they were using.
AS soon as the train reached Clifton
Forge the Richmond office OF the
Chesapeake and Ohio Railway was no
titled. and at o'clock the special train
carrying Drs. Johnston and Csppen-
himer and Mrs. Schcrer had been made
up and was on its way. The tracks
were cleared for Its passing. and. af-
ter quick run, they arrived i'm Clifton
Forge at :45 o'clock.
ACHIEVED EAME
IN BEATTiE CASE
MIR. Scherer. who has figured in hum
dreds Of other criminal cases. achieved
his chief fame through his work con-
nccted with tho Bcattie murder 1t
was lie who gathered aud connected
all the widcly-vnried evidence In this
case and presented 1t to L. .. Wenden-
burg, chief prosecutor In such form
that 1t was found to be umimpeachable
when put into the record. 1t was said
at the time, and II is said now, that
Mr.. Sclerer had more to do with the
conviction of the murderer than any
other one man. and that 1t needed only
Mr.. Wendenburg's $ clear. reasoning and
CONTINUED on Third Page)