Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1919-07-11
DIDN'T GET AWAY WITH 1T.
sootleeaers Attempt Wild West Stunts
Near Florence.

BootIeqqers Attempt Wild West Stunts
Near Florence.
Regular wild west scenes were en-
acted at a point q few miles beyond
Ebenezer on the Atlantic Cost Line
railroad yesterday morning, when a
party of white men about seven in
number, pulled the emergency brake
cord on train 35. and after bringing
the fast passenger train to stand
still, dumped several heavy suit cases
through the Pullman car windows
and then with drawn pistol, dared
anyone in the crowd to touch their
booty The conductor in the train
was Capt Leslie McLaurin and though
unarmed, he stood his ground with
the final result that all of the suit
cases and one or two other packages
which had been removed from the
car was thrown back into the bag
gage car and taken on as far as Cope,
S. c. Here the suit cases were placed
in care Of the agent to await the re-
turn trip Of Capt. McLaurin, but last
night when he stopped there to take on
the baggage it was found that 1t had
been seized by the authorities Of that
town and they would not release 1t.
OF course the baggage contained
whiskey. 1t is stated that there must
have been at least one hundred quarts
of it.
How much more was on the train
will never be known. 1t is not thought
that more than one suit case was taken
by the men who made themselves
very scarce after the men had display
ed such a determined spirit.
The story of the affair as gathered
from passengers was about as fol-
lows:
When train 35 had passed Ebenezer
there were three pulls on the bell cord.
Conductor McLaurin decided at once
that some one was merely tampering
with the cord, and pulled the engineer
ahead. This performance was repeated
at least three times. Finally the brakes
were applied by the pulling Of the en-
ergency cord. Capt McLaurin imme-
diately started back through the train
and when he reached the Pullman car
saw a man passing suit cases out OF
the window to other men standing on
the ground. All of the men were
white. It was then about SIX o'clock
in the morning and he obtained a full
view of the men who were in the
party, but was unable to identify any
of them, all evidently being strangers.
One of the men was a big husky fell
low and seemed to be the leader.
When Captain McLaurin demonstrated
with him for stopping the train and
for making of it a travelling bar room,
the man became angry. Mr.. Mc.Lau-
rim told him that he would have to put
the suit cases back on the train at
once, and the reply of the bootlegger
was that he dared any one to touch
them. With this remark the man pull
ed his pistol and kept it in his hand
BY this time number Of passengers
had alighted from the train and had
gathered around. The other members
of the liquor bunch scented trouble
and mixed in with the crowd and Capt.
McLaurin saw no more Of them. The
big fellow, however, was loath to give
up his liquor, especially when he appar-
entity enjoyed the advantage Of having
an arsenal in his hand with which to
carry his point and threatened trouble
again when Capt. McLaurin signed the
train back and Baggage Master john
son started to heave the suit cases into
the car. He levelled his pistol but evil
IDENTIFY thought better Of turning loose
on the trainmen, and started to walk
away to the edge Of cornf1eld, where
he witnessed the loading of the stuff.
In the meantime Can't. c. M. Gregg
who happened to be on the train and
had been awakened by a message
from Capt. McLaurin reached the bag
gage car and stood in the door way
with pistol in hand guarding the
baggage master as he picked up the
suit cases and placed them in the
car. The bootlegger after this made
no move and disappeared into the
corn field.
Just about this time an interesting
thing happened, and from it there may
result information leading to arrests
in the case. A Florence negro hack
driver known here as Goat" Brown
drove up in his big touring car. Some
of the passengers declare that they
saw a gun in his hand. Browns con-
nection with the case has not been de-
termined. 1t is understood that he
stated that he happened to pass by and
stopped to see what he trouble was
Brown is we'll known to the authorities
here. and has figured in several liquor
cases.