Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1917-08-22
BELOHER BACK BEHIND BARS
Was brought In from NOrtl, Carolina
Last Monday-Again in jail.


la Monday and again lodged in the
Oconee jail. He Is not the delicate
appearing young buck that he was
when he was first convicted and SEN
fenced to spend the remainder OF his
days behind prison bars or at labor
on public works, nor has he even the
same shock of light brown hair as of
yore. In place Of this he has substi
tuted bright. golden nued suit of
hair that almost stumped Sheriff
Jas. NJ. Moss in his endeavors at
Identification. Belcher at first stout
~ denied his identity, stating that
he was native OF Kentucky, mo-
torman by occupation and q resident
of West Virginia. He gave az his
place Of residence, when last work
Ing as motorman. Charleston, w.
va. He got his story off we'll, puz-
zling for the time being the officers
who went to Asheville, N. c., for
MIN. He had been captured by
North Carolina officers In barn
near Hominy Creek, and Belchcr
gave five men Commute fight and
LETT his marks on four of his captors
before he was finally overpowered.
shackled and handcuffed and taken
to Asheville for safe-keeplng. She
rif Jas. M. Moss. when he went for
Belcher, took with him as special
deputy County Auditor d. A. Smith. |
whose nerve is considerably larger
than his physique or he would never
have gone with an officer to return
with desperate convicted criminal
and escaped convict.
Ihe Following account Of the ar
rest OF Belcher by the North Caro-
lima officers is given In al Asheville
paper:
Bob Bclcher Taken Again.
"Fighting with a desperation spur
red on by thoughts Of long term in
South Carolina prison, Bob Bel |
cher, South Carolina desperado and
escaped convict, withstood the com
bined attacks Of five officers for 20
minutes before he was finally over
powered and handcuffed at Hominy
Creek, near Gambler, at a late hour
last night.
-Four OF the five attacking officers
bear marks Of the battle this morn
ing Deputy Sheriff 7. d. Collins has
fractured rib. caused by kick
from Belcher's hobnailed boot; Den
uty Sheriff William Wright had his
clothes almost torn from his back: |
T. d. Parkfier. North Carolina
agency detective. has the marks of
Belchcr's tusk-like teeth on several
places about his body, while Con
stable Z. +. Joyner was also bitten.
The only member Of the party to es-
cape unscathed was Sam Justice, an
AsheVillc chauffeur, in whose car the
officers made the trip to Gambler.
'Belcher offered more real resist
ance than has been shown to Bun
combe county officers by any two
CRIMINALS in years. For 80 minutes
the convict, weakened though he was
by years Of confinement in a South
carolina dungeon, successfully with
stood attack after attack hurled at
him by the brawny officers and the
chauffeur. For full half hour the
man was fought before he finally
gave way to superior numbers and
was handcuffed. Not until the last
ten minutes OF the fight had begun
were the officers able to take from
beneath the first Of Belcher's two
suits Of clothes his revolver, a as
! calibre Colt, with a barrel eight |
inches long.
Bloody and dirty, weak and tired, |
the officers brought him to Asheville |
last night and lodged him securely |
In the Buncombe county Jail. This |
morning Sheriff E. NJ. Mitchell tele-
graphed the sheriff Of Oconee coun-
ty, South Carolina, that Belcher IS |
once more in the clutches Of the law.
THE officers came upon their man
asleep in the hay in the barn loft of |
a man named MacAbee. AS luck
would have it, all Of the five men
managed to get in the barn before
Belcher awoke from a deep sleep.
O1hcers said early this morning that |
had Belcher awakened before he did
No a,x1,
Two of the officers drew guns on the |
convict just as he awoke. Undaunt-
ed by the sight Of the cleaning steel, |
belcher arose from the hay with |
screams and hurled his giant form
straight at the nearest body. With |
THIS move every member Of the at |
lacking party went at the man. each
seeking to find his gun.
The fight was a fierce one. Off,
GERS say the conflict in the Euroneon
trenches would not surpass it. Bel
cher displayed wonderful power of |
resistance, and this, coupled with his |
o:"tc strength, enabled him 10 meet |
'ie otehslVe or his captors as he did !
Zen years ago. according to in
formation from the sheriff's office
thls morning, Belcher killed two rev.
cnue officers in South Carolina. He |
was sentenced to a long term IN |
PRISON. but three years ago managed |
to escape. He sought the mountains |
OF the Hominy Creek section for ref |
nge and remained in hiding there
abouts for some time, finally being
caught by sheriff's posse. Several |
months ago Belcher again escaped |
from South Carolina, and as before, |
went straight to the mountains of
the tlominy Creek section.
"The hunt Of last night had been