Albuquerque morning journal., 1920-04-08
WOUNDED MAN
CONF FESSES He
HELD Up CARS
BernaIiIIo Robbery Is Ex-
planned in Story of Repka,
Who Was Shot by Man
in Third Automobile.

IN InlfQ AulOIIlODlle.
Confession that he and a cowboy
companion held up. or attempted
to hold up. three cars near Berna-
Ilillo on the road between that town
land Albuquerque. on the night of
/ April 6. was made to a deputy
sheriff at Berna,illo yesterday
|afternoon by Fred William Repka.
He was shot by a man in the third
car and is in a critical condition.
! Repka describes his companion
in the confession and also re-
lVolVer which the cowboy handed
TO him to use in the hold up work.
| A man answering this description
was caught at Lamy and revolver
Ialso answering RepkaS description
was found on his person. The con-
| fession was given by the shenftS
office at Bernalillo to the Journal
at a late hour yesterday by tele-
| phone. At that time the sheriff
had not returned with the cowboy
identified with the hold-up,
Persons in two of the cars con-
frOnted by the hold-up men re-
ported the matter here, but the
sheriff at Bernalillo is puzzled by
the fact that the men in the Ford
car. one of whom shot Repka, have
not been heard from. In his teS-
timony Repka says that the cow
boy stopped the first car. This
was evidently the one driven by
lJulius Seligman of BernaIlllo, VINO
was bringing a nurse, Miss Munch
to Albuquerque. Repka was to
take the second car. which he de-
scribes as being a pig one, and
states that he shot at it after it mad
failed to stop. Mrs. Hakk Johnson
stated to Sheriff Garcia Wednes-
day morning that she and her hus-
band were confronted by Il man
Iwho held up his hands and notion
ed for them to stop. This was
and at about 8 p. m. After they
lhad passed they heard shot Dut
nothing in their car was hit.
Met Cowboy in Albuquerque.
Repka said yesterday afternoon,
Iprior to his written confession, that
!he had met the cowboy in Albu-
Iquerque and they had started to
Rernalillo together. He did not
Ilearn his companions name. His
confession lOllOWS,
"My name is Fred William
lRepka and my home is at 250 West
Ferry street, Buffalo, N. Y. I am
I22 years of age. | was in the navy
land last served on the Mount Yer
Inon navy transport. | was dis
charged a year ago, let out by the
armstice. The night we came
from Albuquerque myself and
cowboy came from Albuquerque
together. Coming down the road
towards Bernalillo he swore that
after it got dark he was going to
hold up the first car that came
ialong. He told me after he had
held UP the first car that | had to
get the second.
ole held up the first car while
r stood back from the road. 1t was
IA large car but could not tell what
kind it was. An old couple sat in
the front seat. Other persons |
did not see if there were any
Iothers. After the car had left ana
a second came in sight he handed
me a gun, a As. white-handled,
lold type, single action. and told me
ito hold the car up.
Was First Experience.
"In a way | did not like to do II
as it was my first experience hold
ling up anybody The car did not
istop: it was headed towards Albu-
luueruue and was a big car. At
Ithe time we were holding up cars
ionly one of us showed up the other
lone always stayed back in the
bushes along the road. After this
lsecond car had passed 7 shot at 1t.
after the Ford came along the
light showed me un in the road. |
ihad the gun in my hand pointing
toward the ground. When the
people in the Ford saw me they
must have seen my red handker-
chief across my face. and when
the Ford got near me the man SIT
ting alongside the driver shot me,
The man with me helped me a
short way and then left me to get
help and never came back, | con-
tinued on into town and went to
the doctors. The cowpuncher was
5 feet Z or inches tall, wore
Stetson hat with a wide brim, was
smooth shaven, had on oVeralls
and cowboy boots.
"On the stopping of the first car
saw the cowboy taxing money
from the people in the car. do
not know how much he got as ne
wouldn't divide with me.
"I swear that the above is true
and correct statement in every part
of what happened on the road from
Bernalillo to albuquerque on the
night of April 6, 1920.
(Sigued)
"FRED WILLIAM REPKA.
Se'igman Gives Story.
Mr.. Seligman said yesterday that
he was driving to Albuquerque
Tuesday evening, bringing with
him Miss Annie Munich. nurse
living at 115 South Seventh street
About two miles out of Bernalillo
he saw a man crouched at the side
of the road and as he slowed mp
his car the latter fired a shot over
their heads and jumped out in
front of the car, Seligman had