The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1919-12-11
DETAILS OF HOLD,
UP 1T PLANT CITY


The Plant City Courier Of yester-
day says:
A mild sensation was created in
Plant City about dark Sunday after
noon when Councilman H. L. Askew,
returning from drive on the
Knights road, reported that he had
been held up by two bandits near
Oaklawn cemetery on the north city
limits.
Mr.. Askew said he was driving,
with his family and Mrs. Susan
Chapman and daughter, Laura, or
the road just past the cemetery
where the brick highway passes
through narrow but dense swamp,
when he saw two men by the road
side. One crossed to the opposite
side, and when Mr.. Askew's Buick
was passing they jumped on the run
ming boards Zone on either side),
showed gun in his face and ordered
him to stop the car Mr.. Asked said
his wife was sitting next to him, on
the front seat, while Miss Laura
Chapman was sitting On the right
side, holding his child on her lap.
Mrs. Chapman and other members OF
the Askew family filled the rear seat.
The bandit who stood on the right
running board leaned over Miss Chap
man and showed his gun past Mrs.
Askew, skinning her knuckles as he
lunged over, placing the revolver in
Mr.. Askew's face. Mr.. Askew stop
ped the car as soon as he could,
while the man was urging him to be
quick about it. Just as the car came
to stop another car bore down, and
its lights, with the screams of the
ladies in Mr.. Askew's car, caused the
bandits to jump off and seek shelter
in the hammock.
Mr.. Askew drove on to town. but
within ten minutes as back at the
scene of the hold-up, accompanied by
City Marshal ]. A., Hampton and Ex-
Mayor Claude B. Root. They saw the
, two men about the same place. Mr.
shal Hampton suggested that hety
drive on by the men, which was done,
then they turned and came back, but
the men were not to be seen.
Charles E. and Clyde Barnes, hear
ing of the hold-up, had jumped into
an auto and followed the Askew car
They came up and made detour on
side road, met the two men. and
ordered them to halt. The men ran
Mr.. Barnes, it was said, shot al
them four times with pistol an
Cnce with shotgun, but with un
/ known results. Mr.. Barnes is said tt
have recognized the men as those hi
/ inquired the way to the Cook home il
the city On Friday evening.
Marshal Hampton had reached Tho
conclusion that these bandits were
men he had been warned to look for
The warning stated that they hat
killed man near Chester, Pa, stol
en- his car and disappeared, and wer'
likely headed for Plant City, as on,
OF them had left a photograph D
his sister with her name. and address
III his room. (The photograph wa
that Of Mrs. G. B. Cook. The poss
came back to the city, followed sev
eral clues, and found Mr.. and Mrs
Cook and children, sitting in an au
tomobile, in front Of Mays garage
while a young man was in the driv
er's seat with a Winchester rife be
: hind him. Marshal Hampton, Office
, j. H. Cocker and Officer w. B. Dor
many arrested the young man on tn
charge Of murder. He had no chanc
t. use his Winchester. The youn
man proved to be one OF the allege
Pennsylvania bandits. He was place
in Jail and Monday morning was TAX
en- to Tampa.
The man who was caught is said t
nave squealed, laying the blame o
the other two who are at large. bu
who had come with him from Penn
sylvania. He is said to have state
that If thev would drive the car bac
10 the road TO where the two bandit
had been seen and toot the horn, the
would come to the car. This is sal
to have been done. but the bandits di
not respond.
Marshal Hampton easily identifie
the car as the same which had bee
represented as taken when it's drive
had been killed in Pennsylvania.
had the same license number and en-
CINE number and a bloody rug in it !.