Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-07-27
SHOT BY AUTOMOBILE
THIEVES FROM BUSHES
William II. Elicit, Of Urcwc, 'Fclc:
graph Operator. brought to St:
f.liznbctti'S Hospital
HIS CONDITION Is CRITICAL
Endeavorcd to Follow Two Men Who
Had Stolen Caf Belonging t6 His
Brothcr-in-I,aw-O One Suspect Is
Under Arrest:

lowering between life and death in
st. Elizaheths Hospital, where he was
brought early yesterday, William r.;
Elicit, telegraph operator at Crewe;
last h,rht tHaressed In whispers Il
hope that he would live: Elicit was
shot br two hnkhewh men; said to
hare been runiiine SwaH IN a car owned
by John Ross. a bru,hcr=in=iaw of Igl=
lett
Mr.. Ross came Ia Hithmund Sester=
day and had long conference With
Captain bf Detectives MeaIahen: AZ
the story was told, II appears that two
men stole into ,hs itusa sarnge hit
Crewe and turned bn the power md
drove the auto tn ths street, This eem =
molten awakened the ltess family and
Rose aud Elicit hot Nh, mud, taking
another ear, pursued the robbers.
Tho rursuers weru nimoat up with
the rohhern when tho lnttcr jumped
from tho auto and RIM Into tho bushes.
Elliott promptly Jumped out OF his
Car and started into the bushes after
them. a shot from tho bandits rang
out. It missed the mark and failed
to Brighten Elicit. He pressed on. and
another shot came from the robbers
revolver.
BALL ENTERS BODY
JUST below HEART
"Oh. I'm shot" Ross heard the
wounded man exclaim. The bandits
made their escape through the bushes
and Ross gave his entire attention to
Elicit, who lay there in heap. The
ball entered the body an inch below
the heart, it was found on examina-
ton at the hospital here, and had
ranged in rather a straight line, com
ing out close 10 his backbone
The shooting took place about mid
night Wednesday night and Immediate
~ the entire countryside about Crewe
arose and tried to throw 4 human cor
raj around the robbers and would he
murdcrcrs. Telephones were kept busy
and the Police Department at Rich
mond was notified TO look out for sus-
poets.
All trains have been closely watched
between Richmond and Grove since the
shooting, but so far the bandits have
not been located Persistent rumors
in Richmond yesterday were that the
men were soldiers but every effort to
run that rumor down failed. and the
theory was discrcdited.
AUTHORITIES DOUBT
THAT MEN WE'RE SOLDIERS
DR.. H. c. Smith. of Crewe, who ac-
compan:cd Elicit TO the hospital. said
that. the men who stole the car and
who shot Elicit were strangers in
Crewc; that few saw them 10 recog-
nizc them, and that 1t would he diff
hcult to show whether they were SOL
dicrs or not. Telephone messages to
the police here early yesterday morn
ing asked them to look out for two
soldiers" and claimed that soldiers
were the criminals who did the shoot
ing. The otlcey sent To the first ira in
arriving In Richmond from Crewe
aftcE the shooting was nonplused as
To what to do when twelve soldiers
got off that train
1t was said that Nottoway nuthori-
ties were searching for two soldiers
who had disappeared from Crewe
after the shooting. Major T. w.
Bowlcs. OF the Richmond Blues. said
that IL either of the men had been
members OF Troop II of the Blues, sta
toned in Crewc, he would have been
appriscd OF the occurrence by the
commanding officer there immediately
For the reason that no such adviccs
mad been received at headquarters, he
was inclined to scott at the report or
rumor that the bandits were soldiers.