The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1916-04-18
Auempted Holdup.


| DR.. R. S. Clarke, of Mount Holly
had an experience Sunday evening
that was not at all pleasant and which
ne does not care to have repeated
He had been out in his automobile all
day and was on his way home. 1t
was at half past eight o'clock that the
automobile party was in the vicinity
of the power house of the trolley
company, at Hainesport, when the
doctor noticed man in the road. The
latter did not say anything but stag
gered around, as if drunk, waving his
hands and making motions which
seemed to accompany an intoxicated
state. DR.. Clarke thought there was
danger of striking the man and he
swered his machine sharply in order
to avoid such mishap, when the man.
without word, fired revolver. The
bullet whizzed past the automobile
and went so close to the cheek of Mrs.
Clarke that she felt the current caus-
ed by the bullet so that there was a
sting as if she had been struck.
Hardly had the first shot been fired
when another revolver was fired but
DR.. Clarke had speeded his machine
so that the bullet from the second
shot fell short. There were five per-
sons in the automobile and the won
der is that any of them escaped being
hit. The first shot was fired at an
angle and close to the occupants, the
other shot coming from the rear of
the car. The doctor ran his car to the
residence of Mrs. DIR. Parry and tele-
phoned to Mount Holly.
Prior to this summons there had
been another attempt to hold up a
car. Benjamin Stiles, of Crosswicks,
was coming towards Mount Holly and
when near the trolley switch east of
the Hainesport road, his car was APP
preached by two men and shots were
fired when Mr.. Stiles refused to stop.
Coming to Mount Holly the owner of
the car notified Detective Parker who
at once started for the scene of the
holdup. When he got there he could
not find any trace of the men who had
attempted to hold Mr.. Stiles up.
While looking in the woods Parker
heard the shots that were fired at DR.. |
Clarke. The detective thought the |
sound came from up the Lumberton |
road and he started in that direction |
but soon discovered he was on the |
wrong path and retraced his steps. |
In the meantime Deputy Sheriff Fleet |
had received DIR. Clarke's message
and, with a number of men, started |
for Hainesport. Here he was joined |
nv Parker and his party and they
went down the road.
At Rancocas Park they saw two
men who moved in a manner to create
suspicion and it was decided to arrest |
them. Parker grabbed the two and
boarded a trolley car that was COM
ing towards Mount Holly. The men
showed fight. One of them drew re-
volver and put it on Parker's forehead
between the eyes. The detective gave
a quick strike and threw the gun out
of range and in doing this he was
compelled to let go of one of his pris-
oners. The entire party went off the
trolley and one of the men was forced |
into an automobile that was near.
Then there was lively tussle. The
man in the auto broke loose and fell
into the arms of constable Joseph
Haines who at once grabbed him and
the fellow pulled his revolver and
tried to shoot, but the gun was pushed
aside before the trigger could be
pulled.
In the mixup one of the men got
away but the officers held on to the
other and brought him to Jail. At
first he refused to talk but finally
surrendered and told his name, which
is thought to be fictitious, and also
gave the name of his companion. The
man said his name was John Carey,
his home being in Philadelphia. He is
10 years of age. He said the two had
come to Hainesport for the purpose of |,
committing robberies. His compan-
ions name he gave as Alex. Cwalina,
whose residence was stated to be in
Philadelphia. Cwalina formerly lived
at Hainesport. He is 10 years of age
and while he does not seem to have
a criminal record he has given the
people of Hainesport much trouble
having been before the court for steal
ing from the schoolhouse at that place.
The authorities of all i'ia towns be-
tween Hainesport and Philadelphia
were notified to be on TIE lookout for
Cwalina and about three o'clock yes
terday morning Deputy Sheriff Fleet
wood was called and was told that the
man been caught by the Moorestown
police and was brought to Jail here.
William Elsinger, who lives near
the Hainesport railroad station, nearly
a quarter of mile distant, heard |
some of the shots and thought he
heard something strike his house. He
took lantern and made search but
could not find anything. Yesterday |
morning he resumed the search and
discovered bullet of 80 calibre i'm
bedded in the side of the house,.
On the two men were revolvers of
80 calibre and it is evident that they |
were out for mischief, attempting to |
carry out their designs without regard