The Lancaster news. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1905-current, 1914-11-06
TOOK HOLD-UP Men
WITH AN EMPTY GUN

10 news and Courier: TWO white
boys, John Driggers and Frank Coop
er, and negro man, John Frank
Ii, armed with pistols shortly before
noon today held up five negroes on
the Columbia, Newberry and Laurens
trestle, at the city limits. and robbed
them of what cash was on their per-
sons. With their booty they proceed
ed up Broad River road, but when
crossing Broad River bridge were
met by Melton Lorick, the white
keeper, who held them at the point
of shotgun until Sheriff Mccain
and deputies arrived from Columbia
and took them in charge. The prison
ers in the sheriff's Office. after the
money had been found on them and
the pistols taken from their persons,
confessed to the crime, 1t is claimed
They were locked up in the State
Penitentiary. charged with highway
robbery and carryig concealed wea-
pons. Mr.. Lorick's gun was unload
ed, but this the prisoners did not
know until too late. The robbery was
bold one and occurred within sight
Of the Penitentiary. Five negroes,
Lewis Jackson, O'Dell Keyser, Meals
Keyser, Gus Keyser and Essie Jack
son, all farm hands employed on the
MI rot Of 20 Two
s. Huffman, in the Dutch Fork, we're
crossing the Columbia, Newberry
and Laurens tres1lc at the edge of
the city limits when they were con-
fronted by three armed men, who, at
the point of pistols, compelled them
to turn over what cash they had and
submit to being searched.
Hold-Up Reported.
The negroes reported the hold-up
and Rural Policeman Koon, first get
ting the report, telephoned the de-
scriptioir and news of the robbery
ahead. The highwaymen were max
liz up he Broad River road MIR.
Melton Lorick, the keeper of the
Broad River bridge, secured a shot
gun, and not daunted by the fact
that he had no shells. determined to
attempt to check the robbers if they
came in sight Soon he saw them
about to cross the bridge and, step
ping boldly forward, pointed his
empty gun at them and commanded,
Hands Up" The highwaymen
raised their hands, and Mr.. Lorick
held them until the officers arrived
The prisoners offered him $35 and
their pistols il he would lower his
gun. but he warned them to stand
or else they would abide the conse-
quences. Shortly afterward Sheriff
j. c. Mccain, Deputy Sheriff Heise,
Rural Policeman Koon, Deputy Bo-
land and Guard j. c. Robbins, OF the
Penitentiary. with the bloodhounds,
drew up in a machine. having made
the run OF three miles from Columbia
at break-neck speed. The prisoners
were brought to tho sheriff's office
and there searched. Three 32-cali-
bre pistols. two of them Colts and one
Smith & Wessson, all loaded to the
hilt, and electric searchlight, cart
ridges and an iron chisel were found
on them. Some money was found and
after they were taken to the Peni-
tentiary another search revealed
more money, the total amount recov-
cred being s26.5O, which they had
taken from their victims on the tres
tie in amounts of $3.50 or more.
Two of Them White.
Two OF the alleged self-confessed
highwaymen are white. One John
Driggers, about 16 year of age, was
said at the sheriff's Office to have
been paroled from the State Re-
formatory at Florence about a year
ago. The other, Frank Cooper, is
about Is. Both are residents of
Columbia. The third member OF the
gang is a negro named John Frank
lin, alias William Fessinger. He is
about 20 years old and of a surly
disposition. He told the sheriff that ne
was released from the city chain
gang only last Saturday and at one
time served on the chain gang in
Florida. He claimed also to be from
Alabama. The officers consider him
a bad character.
Officers are inclined to the, opinion
that the three had started out for a
regular robbing game. and that the
hold-up on tae trestle was just the