The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1914-06-12
ROBBERS
SET FIRE.
10 A Barn At Lock And
Make Their Escape
DeSpGradOGS RGSOrting To
Every Known Means
In Order To Get Away From
Posse And Officers
Sheriff WOOliSOn Spends
Most Of Night At Lock
But Unable To Get Any Trace
Of The Robbers
But Unable To Get Any Trace
Of The Robbers

Lock, Ohio, June ga large barn
on the farm of James Parkes about
one half mile east Of this place was
burned to the ground at about II
o'clock Monday night. II Is believed
TO have been lncendlary and 1t Is
thought that the two bandits, for
whom posse has been searching dur
ing the past several days and nights,
started the conflagration as ruse.
The fire was discovered few min
utes before IL o'clock. Excited with
the knowledge that the bandits we're
believed to be in the neighborhood,
the farmers in the district were all
Ion a sharp lookout at their homes
and paid little attention to the fire
from a standpoint other than curiosity.
No effort was made to save the barn
on account of the headway gained by
the flames before their discovery
The building contained farming ma
chinery and straw
Mr.. Parkes had several horses
stabbed in a smaller barn nearer to his
house. He was guarding this building
against invasion when the fire in the
larger building broke out. Immedi-
ately, he believed it to be a ruse to
draw him away from his horses to
the burning building. If it was a ruse
IL did not work. He stuck to his post
and watched for the expected bandits.
None came, however. 1t is the gener-
al belief that the hunted men were
taking desperate means to secure
horses upon which they could safely
get out of the district.
Neighbors had seen two strange
men in the neighborhood of the 'ParkeE
home on several occasions Monday
As no member of the Parkes family
or OF the neighbors had been to the
large barn at any time during the dag
or In the evening, II IL natural to be
aieye that the men were responsible
for the fire. An examination of the
ground in the neighborhood OF the
burned building revealed tracks Tues
day morning. The tracks indicated
that two men had entered and ther
left the building.
While there seemed to be a fairly
good chance Monday night of catching
the hunted men, Tuesday morninl
brought dlscouraging results. NJ
trace of either Of them could be fount
although every known hiding place
had been searched. While It is pos
aible that they are still In the vicinity
II is thought probable that they have
made clean getaway.
Sheriff on the Scene
Sheriff Woolison received tele
phone message Monday evening tina
the two men had been seen near Loci
early in the evening. Sheriff Woolisol
and Deputy Sheriff Mossholder lef
at $3.50 O'Clock in an automobile fo
Lock. The sheriff and his deput!
searched the highways and woods un
I'll 2;30 o'clock Tuesday morning an,
xhen returned 10 Mt Vernon being an
'able 10 ma any trace OF the deSpeT
.adoes.
q James Parkes stated to the sheriff
Monday evening that he saw the tw,
men near his home Monday afternoon
sDut paid no attention to them as h
mad not read the newspapers givlnj
an account Of the robbery near CO
iumbus and at Centerburg. The tw
men were seen later in the Afternoon
b. woman, who resides in the neigh
borhood OF the Parkes farm.
After the arrival of Sheriff Wool
son, Mr.. Parkes secured shot gul
and remained on his front porch al
night guarding his house. Even whei
fpe fire broke out at the barn he di,