The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1916-09-05
Outrageous Robbery

u robbery was committed near Hanoye
! station, the details of which we're nc
made public until Wednesday. Th
! victims were Theodore Leonita, hi
: mother ard sister. They are italian
and were employed as cranberry picker
on the boys of Joseph ]. White. Tn
women had been to their home in Phila
delphia and on Sunday were returning
to the bog. Getting off the train a
Hanoyer station they were met by thu
son who had driven over to meet then
and they started for the bog over 6
lonely road with pines and bog on each
side. When in the most secluded Spot
they were confronted by six men who
pounced upon them and soon had the
three powerless. The attacking party
was armed with revolvers and had cyl
IDENTIFY prepared for the assault. They
had selected spot where they could
carry out their designs without fear OF
interruption as travel over the road is a
very rare affair.
The first thing the desperadoes did
was to carry them into the woods and
strip them of their clothing. That they
wanted money was soon apparent and
they made all sorts of demands and
threats but were not able to get any re-
turns that would satisfy them. The
daughter attempted to cry for help, but
the attacking party showed they were
prepared for such action and produced
sponge and ether and soon had the girl
in an insensible condition. Not salts
fed with this they bound and gagged
the rest of the party and continued the
search for money. In the wagon they
found Mrs. Leonito's pocketbook with
$40 in it and in the daughters purse
there was SO.
This did not satisfy the highwaymen
as they were confident there was more
money somewheres around. Their
grounds for this belief were founded on
information received from confederates
in Philadelphia. A few days before Mrs.
Leonito and her daughter started for the
bog they were called upon by three men
who wanted to get information how to |
secure employment at the bog. She |
told them all she knew about this part |
OF the business and then they asked her
when she was going back to the bog. |
She told them this also and that was
about all the information they really de-
sired. They had an intimation that
there was money around because the
husband of the woman, who is addicted
to drink, had, when under the influence
Of liquor, babbled about the money his
wife carried around in large sums, pre-
ferring not to use banks. The three
men we're Undoubtedly in the plot and
sent word to the'six who committed the
act as the woman did not recognize any
Of the latter.
When about to give up the search for
more money one of the men, in Italian,
said: give her another search" On re-
,eiving the order what clothing had been
eft on Mrs. LeonitO was torn from her
and in the hem of an undergarment a
arge roll Of bills was found, ranging in
at 500, $50, $40 and SIS
bills, the whole, according to the women,
the sum Of 50, 100. This seemed
% satisfy the robbers and they then left
heir victims, gagged and bound, first
giving threats of burning and death if
my information of the outrage was
made public. The six men then went
% an automobile they had near by and
started in the direction OF Lakehurst.
For over an hour the Leonitos were
helpless. The mother was the first to
get free and after she had partially re-
covered her strength she released her
on and daughter. The three were weak
rom fright and from the struggles they
lad endured and it was some time be-
ore they could get started for the bog.
They had some more clothing in grip
ack and putting themselves in as pre-
entable shape as possible they went to
he bog. 1t was journey full of terror
or they were in constant fear OF another
Ittack. When they reached their des-
ination they were nervous and showed
hat something unusual had happened.
With the threats hanging over them
hey kept their own counsel until Tues
lay, when WINS Horner, foreman at
he bog, made up his mind that the
people had been through some sort of an
'rdeal that had been severe and that
here was something which needed
attention. He used every endeavor to
discover what had happened and finally
got the story of the entire transaction.
He at once got in touch with detective
Parker and the search for the miScreants
was begun.
1t is to be hoped they will be discov-
cred and arrested but they had so much
lime in which to make their escape that
It will be extremely difficult to get near
hem. The people who were attacked
lid not know any of the six men, neither
san Mrs. Leonito give any information
that will aid in the Identification of
The men who called on her and gained
the information that enabled the others
10 successfully rob the woman OF her