The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1914-12-09
YEGGnEN ROB SAFE
BANK 1T NICHOLS BLOWN Up By
GANG OF five hen
Many PEOPLE SHOT AT
Three Men Arrested on Suspicion
As Bandits Pass Down Road They
Shot at Everybody They Caught
Sight of-Dogs Do Good Work in
Trial Chase.

Shot at Everybody Yney CauSht
Sight of-Dogs Do Good Work in
TRIAL Chase.
A telephone message to Mullins
from Nichols at an early hour We'd
nesday morning stated that the Bank
OF Nichols had been robbed. Rural
Policeman Hunter left by daylight
for the scene and Sheriff Dozier and
Officers Berry and Deans went to Pee
Dee, hoping to head the cracksmen
of should they attempt to escape by
train. Shortly after daylight Officer
Byrd noticed two men coming down
the railroad from toward Nichols,
and locked them up under suspicion,
pending an investigation.
It was not long before Officers Ber-
~ and Davis reported from Pee Dee
that they had picked up suspect
there. The officers boarded the Will
mington train and carried their pris-
oner back to Nichols. On the same
train was John Robbins, Of the peni-
tentiary, with his bloodhounds, hay
ing been reached over the long dis
tance telephone in time to catch the
train from Columbia
The bank building had been roped
on, and when the dogs were carried
in the bank they readily took the
scent and ran down the railroad for
some distance, and turning to the
right, followed trail over the public
3 road near the new bridge, where it
was lost. This led to the belief that
the robbers. escaped by a vehicle in
waiting for them.
After the dogs had failed to carry
the trail further Guard Robbins ere
turned to Nichols and left the dogs
in the opposite side of the street from
the Hazk. BY this time there was
possibly three hundred to four hum
dred persons in the crowd. He then
Instructed that the man arrested at
Pee Dee be taken out in the woods
and made to climb tree.
At the same time several other
parties were instructed to go OFF IN
different directions from that taken
by the person suspected. Robbins
blew his horn and a dog was releas-
ed. He ran through the crowd to his
master, passing over the hundreds OF
footsteps; finally he ran back, and
the moment he scented the tracks
made by the man arrested at Pee-Dee
he dashed of through the field and
followed the trail straight to the
tree. The prisoner was brought
down, protesting his innocence. Sew
erai trials were made, but the dog re-
fused to follow any other trail.
The prisoner was afterwards car
ried to Marion and placed in Jail to
await further developments. He gave
his name as Tom Reynolds and claim
ed Richmond as his home. He was
apparently about so years Of age. His
left arm was OF Just below the
shoulder. He had blue eyes,. light
hair, was fair-complected, with high
forehead, and seemed rather indifer-
ent to the serious predicament he
was in, only claiming that he was IN
nocent of the charge.
The burglary happened about 2::3O
5 o'clock Wednesday morning. There
was an explosion IN the bank build
ing. In the adjoining building on the
second story in the telephone ex-
change the operator was asleep, and
in room almost over the bank q
negro barber was sleeping. The
force of the explosion almost thre|
the barber out of bed.
The operator and barber stated
that they rushed out and saw three
men on the ground. In few sec
onds residents living near were up
and cropping through the misty dark
ness toward the bank. A second eX-
Dlosion convinced them that safe
crackers were at work in the bank.
Dr.. Ayers, who lives just across tie
street, ventured out with his shot gun
and fred three shots in the direction
Of the bank. One Of them struck the
end of a freight car and the others
were said to have gone through the
bank window. The shots were
pror. pity returned by the intruders,
and SO far as the reporter could learn
no one else ventured out until the job
was completed and the cracksmen
left, not until, however, they had fir
ed the third charge. It was claimed
by some that there was at least thirty
minutes between the first and last re-
ports.
While all this was going on the
operator and barber remained in the
building, panic-stricken. They were
afraid to leave on account Of the
guard and expected every moment
= that the building would be blown up.
They called to those in houses near
by to come and carry them away, but
could not get any one out.
Shortly after the third explosion
the safe-blowers came out and all
went up the railroad. Karl Griffin,
who lives just beyond the depot, says
a sthey passed his house he was
standing on the front porch and ask
ed what the 1couble was. They fired
one or two shots at him and proceed
ed on down the road. A negro hv-
ing near Nichols stated that he pass
ed hye white men on the railroad
about IL O'Clock and that two hours
later he saw them coming back from
Nichols.
The beautiful little Bank of Mich
OILS is almost complete wreck. The
entire front of the safe was blown
away and part of it hurled through
the ceiling, carrying off the top of the
house. Every window in the build
ing was shattered. A sledge hammer
and bolts were secured by which ar
entrance was made.
Inside the safe the cracksmer
found an iron chest in which the
money was stored. 1t was this tina
required in the third charge of nitro
glycerine In the strong box VA
eighteen hundred and fifty dollars il
currency and coin. In the box wa
thirteen one-hundred-dollar bills be
side other denominations. A careful
examination convinced the presiden
that very little of the currency wa
eecrrod hy tho huro1arS as the ter