Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1914-03-27
HELPED HIM
To ESCAPE
CROWD
Street Car Man Says HOIdup
Suspect Told Him He Had
Had Fight.

J. C. Smith, a motorman on a.
Houston to Copenhill street car, Fri
day positively identified Edward
Marshall, whose stage name is Ed
ward Rhynata. the actor held as the
bandit who attempted to hold up the
Atlanta State Savings Bank Wednes-
day afternoon. as a man who ran
down Bell street to Houston shortly
after the attempted robbery and
climbed aboard his car.
Smith identified Marshall at once
when he was led from his cell into
the station sergeant's office.
That's the mani" the ,motorman
exclaimed He came down Bell street
like rabbit
Smith told the police that he was
operating his car out Houston and
saw Marshall running swiftly down
Bell street. which crosses Houston.
street,
Leaped on Rear of Car.
Smith says he thought the man
wanted TO catch the car and he
slowed down. Marshall, he says,
Ieaped on the back end of the car
and jerked the bell rope to send the
car ahead. Smith says he then no.
ticed crowd of negroes running
down Bell street, armed with revolv-
ers. clubs and guns, and shouting,
stop that man! He's a robert"
Il was afraid the crowd would
shoot or throw things into the car"
said Smith, so / jumped off and
drew my gun. l leveled it at the
crowd of negroes, particularly at one
in The front rank who carried re-
volver, and told them to keep back.
The man tried to pull the bell rope
to go ahead, but the conductor, r.
F. Dobbs, caught his hand and told
him he was running that end of the
car. He asked the man what was
the trouble. Marshall told him he
had had a fight with negro and
that the crowd was trying to beat
him up. So I told the conductor to
put him off the car, for there were
ladies inside of it and we didn't want
any trouble. So held back the
crowd of negroes with my gun and
Dobbs pushed Marshall off the car on
the other side from them and told
him to run. He ran up Houston
street to the Troy Laundry. where he
vapiSbad ipfn an alIaye
Dobbs also has seen Marshall and
identified him. The statements of
the street car men and identification
by numerous negroes, who say that
Marshall had been hanging around
the back for several days prior to
the hold-up, all failed to shake the
apparent confidence Of the actor.
Innocent, He Repeats.
I'm innocent Of this charge, ana
I've got an abb to prove it, he says.
"At the time was supposed to be
smuggling this negro bank officer l was
in a drug store uptown buying some
salts had heard were beneficial for
skin disease. That may sound idl-
otto, but it's the truth, and the truth
is always respectable. At least, It's
said to be. and I'm going to see If It's
So"
]. o. Ross, Jr., the negro bank offi-
cial who was shot at twice and then
slugged in the struggle in the bank
vault, will be at the hearing Friday
afternoon to identify. IL possible, the
man who attacked him.
Marshall has retained lawyers ana
will combat his prosecution from the
start George Greenwood, manager
OF one of the local theatrical booking
agencies, stated Friday morning that
the connection of the suspected man
with THE White Rats" a vaudeville
organization, and his stake work
would assure him of aid, until such
a time as he should be proven guilty
OF an offense.
Mrs. Marshall. wife OF the accused
man, is being cared for by the the
atrical folks of the city. She accom-
panied Greenwood on a visit to her
husband Thursday afternoon. No one
Is allowed TO confer with the prisoner
without police officer being present.