Paragould soliphone. (Paragould, Ark.) 1918-1950, 1921-11-04

DStu6 Oiou6ht w q AODPALdl ACl q.
w. J. Davis, aged %, one of the
bandits, who has been living at $40
West Markham street, Little Rock,
was shot through the abdomen and
was operated on at the peniten-
tiary last night. His condition is
serious. A man named Logan, a
resident of Alicia, received a flesh
wound during the battle in the
bank
Robbery Planned in Little Rock.
The robbery was planned in Lit
tie Rock by Davis and two other
men known to him, he said, as BILL
and as Watkins They hired William
Upton, LEGAL taxicab driver, to
drive them to Alicia Tuesday night.
Upton is held In Jail at Walnut
Ridge. but is believed to have had
no connection with the robbery.
Davis was captured soon after
the battle In the bank at Alicia Se-
verely wounded, he staggered to the
home OF farmer from which the
of the family were absent
and lay down on a bed. He was
taken in custody by Deputy Sher-
III ELAN Hall Of Portia, who brought
him to Little Rock last night. Dep
uty Sheriff Hall said that feeling
ran high in Alicia against the
wounded bandit and that there were
threats of lynching. There was
general objection to bringing Davis
to Little Rock. Hall said, but he
managed to get away with his pris-
oner
Just before the bandit car reach
ed Alicia, according to the stories
told by both Davis and Upton, the
three robbers oyerpowered Upton
and tied him to tree. They then
drove into town and entered the
bank with drawn reyolvers. Sew
eral persons were in the bank q
the time and they were ordered to
throw UP their hands.
Bloody Battle in Bank.
r. S. Beavers, a farmer, was
standing near the door Of the vault
when the bandits entered. He saw
that q robbery was planned and
stepped inside the vault, from where
he fired on the three robbers. His
first shot went wild and Davis re-
turned the fire. Beavers second
shot struck Davis in the abdomen,
but it was not known at the time
that the robber was wounded.
Wnen the robbers were fired upon
they began shooting at everyone IN
sight. Mr.. Light was shot twice
and died instantly. The Rev. Mr..
Franks was shot once just below the
heart.
The three bandits. still firing.
retreated to the car and drove rapid
ly out Of town along the east road.
Three miles east Of Alicia the
two uninjured robbers abandoned
the car. "a Buick six, and fled to
the woods, leaving payiss In the
car. They took Davis pistol, 80
automatic. All sthree were armed
with automatic pistols.
Deserted. Davis walked to the
home Of c. w. Fraley, a farmer.
whose home was near by The Far
leys were not at home, but Davis
entered the house and lay down on
the bed. The Fraleys returned soon
afterward and notified the officers
of the presence OF the wounded ban
dit.
Meanwhile, the other two bandits
on foot fled eastward through the
woods and fields in the direction
of Jonesboro. 1t is said that in all
probability they have reached I;
sparsely settled woodland country,
where 1t may be possible for them
to escape through the lines Of posse-
men thrown out by the sheriffs Of
Lawrence. jackson and Craighead
counties.
An hour after the robbery, Upton
appeared in Alacia on foot and re-
ported that the bandits had taken
him from the car and bound him to
tree beside the road with ropes.
Lynching Is Threatened.
Deputy Sheriff Hall brought Da-
Wis into Alicia and was ordered by
the sheriff to bring the man to Lit
tie Rock to the penitentiary. When
this became known men gathered
about on the streets in groups to
discuss the matter and objection was
made to bringing Davis to Little
Rock, or to giving him medical at
tention. Hall was told to take Davis
to Walnut Ridge. the county seat. or
to keep him in Alicia.
The argument about what should
be done with the wounded bandit
grew SO heated that just before Mis-
souri, Pacific train No. 3 arrived.
and while Hall was waiting at the
station with his prisoner, that two
men agreed to fight. each other in
defense of their opinions. They
retired about 200 yards down the
railroad track, Deputy Sheriff Hall
said, to stage this encounter and
the crowd fnllOwed them While