Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1914-01-30
THIEVES
SHOT DOWN
IN STORE
East Atlanta Merchants Lie in
Wait and Fire When Youths
Break Open Door.

With Frank Holmes, 10 years old,
of No., 1874 Powell street, dying at
Grady Hospital; his pal, Harry I'm
derwood, II years old, of No. 70 Car
roll street, Friday morning told a re-
markable story of the circumstances
that led up to their attempt to bur-
glarize the grocery store of G. H.
Waggoner and o. o. Waldrop at East
Point Thursday night, when they
were shot by the merchants, who
were hiding in the rear of the place
armed with shotguns loaded with
buckshot.
1T was just crazy idea that came
to us while we we're walking around
young Underwood said Friday morn
whether we had nerve enough to be
burglars. We didn't intend to steal
anything, and we didn't need any
thing; we both work and our families
are not destitute by any means.
81 don't know who suggested that
we enter the store. whether it was
Frank or myself. We have been
chums for several years, and are al
ways together
Didn't Intend to Steal, He Says.
Last night we were walking
around town after work, like we al
ways do, and we passed the store
where we were shot. Maybe l sug-
gested that we see II we could get in,
and maybe Frank suggested it; but.
anyway. we walked up on the porch
and wrerched the lock open and went
into the store, without any intention
of stealing anything. When we got
in lit a match and we looked around
and then started out. AS we were
leaving somebody shot us"
Young Underwood was more con-
cerned over the fate of young Holmes
than of what would happen to him.
81 hope Frank gets WELL" he said.
Hes a good hoy and the best chum a
fellow ever had. wish was the one
that's going to die, for Frank is
better boy than / am. We've run to-
gether ever since l can remember,
and we have never been in any trou-
BILE before"
Little Hope for Holmes.
At Grady Hospital Friday it was
stated that young Holmes had no
chance for recovery, and it was con-
sidered doubtful il he would live
through the day. The charge of buck
shot fired by one of the two mer-
chants struck him full in the abdo-
men, infiicting a terrible wound. The
boy Is unconscious, and has made no
statement of any character since he
was shot Young Underwood was
taken to Grady Hospital after the
shooting, but as he was not seriously
hurt, he was later taken to police
headquarters, where he is locked up.
The shooting Of the two boys came
as climax to a sensational series or
burglaries Of East Atlanta stores that
have puzzled the police and created
considerable excitement among the
merchants of the section.
Late Thursday afternoon Chief
be made Thursday night to rob the
store OF Marbut g. Minor, two blocks
from the grocery store of Waggoner
& Waldrop, where the shooting oc-
CURED. The Chief sent Policemen
Gresham, Womack and two others TO
the Marbut g. Minor store, with in.
structions to stay in the place all
| night.
Merchants on Guard.
While the officers were hiding IN
the Marbut g. Minor store, G. H.
Waggoner and o. o. Waldrop, whose
store has been burglarized four times
in the last month, were sitting on
sacks OF feedstuff in the rear Of their
own store. shotguns across their
knees, determined to guard their own
property and not trust to the police
to catch the burglars. For five nights
the two men have been vigilantly
guarding their store. staying until af-
ter midnight each time, until We'd
nesday night, when they remained in
the PLACE all night.