Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-10-06
SECURING FOR BANDITS
WHO ATTEMPT H0LDUP
HuntiredsS Of Heavily Armed Men
Search for Highwaymen Who Try
TO Get $1,000 Pay Roll.
MONEY SAVED By Merry woMA,
She Speeds Up Automobile and Els.
capes. but Not Until Uncle IL Killed
and She and Her Father and a
Chauffeur Seriously Wounded.
JSpecial ia The Ti,,ssn,sn,,o,

l'Speclal 10 Inc Times Dispatch,
BURLINGTON. ~ j., October B.
Hundreds OF heavily armed men to.
| night are securing the countryside
| near here for II dozen bandits who
Killed one man and wounded a womc n
ana two other men IN an attempted
holdup near Atsion this afternoon.
The dead man Is Henry Rider. aged
siNty-four. of Howell. Mich. His niece,
Mrs Elsie Smuthers. aged twenty-siS,
of Hampton: her father. \. j. Rider,
aged seventy. president of the New
Jersey Cranberry Growers Association
and j. NJ Rigley. a chauffeur, were the
wounded.
To-day was pay day at Hampton.
Mrs. Smathers volunteered to drive her
rather ana uncle 10 the boys in her
machine. They Carried with. them n
bag containing the pay roll, Estimated
at between $1,000 and $4,000. Along a
lonely stretch, group OF foreigners
stepped from the underbrush. strun g
themselves across the road and, with
iEawn guns, demanded Mrs. Smpth2I 8
to stop the machine.
Hand over that bag" commanded
the leader Of the bandits.
Mrs. Smathers's answer was twist
at the throttle. The machine leapcd
forward. and defantly the heroic vo-
man drove through the group. The
bandits fired simultaneously rs Mrs.
Smathers sped Oh.
Henry Rider was instantly killed. a
bullet striking him in the head. His
brother was shot twice in the face,
while three bullets penetrated Mrs.
Smathers's limbs.
Two hundred yards away from the
scene Of the attack. the engine stalled
and the automobile came to a sudden
stop. Rigley. In the meantime. had
taken revolver from beneath the seat.
He stood ur In the machine and be-
gan firing NJ the bandits as they came
running towards the machine. He was
shot seven times In the body. arms and
legs
But Mrs. SmatherS again proved her
heroisn. During the fusillade and de-
spite her wounds. she succeeded In re-
starting the motor. The leader OF the
bandits had approa rhcd within ten feet
when she threw in the clutch. and the
machine sped out Of range Of lying
bullets.
\ mile away Mrs. Smathcrs brought
the automobile TO stop. II was then
she saw her uucle's body lying in the
bottom of the tonneau. Her father was
lying partly on the seat unconscious.
Rtgley's inan,matc body was huddled on
the floor Il, her feet
Rapidly Hrowine weak from the loss
Of blood, Mrs. Smathers made her way
to nearby farmhouse and gave the
alarm. Telephone messages We're sent
Tor a physician. and to Sheriff william
r. Stcchet. County Detective Parker
AMI Prosecutor j. II. Kelsey.
Prosecutor Kelsey said he believed
The bandits are members of gang
which has been operating successfully
Ia parts OF Cumberland County. Many
:lut omoble parties have been held up
and relieved OF their belongings. The
authorities are convinced the hold-up
! liza n Ia p1I
racn appeared 10 be thoroughly familiar
with Mr.. Riders habit OF going to the
bank every two weeks 10 draw the
money 10 pay his help. Usually tho
aged man is accompanied only by RiE-
ley. tho chauffeur.
The dead man came here from his
| home three weeks ago 10 visit his
brother, who is one Of the wea!thicst
cranberry growers in New Jersey. Iirs.
Sma'hcvS is a widow of three weeks
fInr husband was the son Of Judge
Frank Smathers. of Atlantic City.