Imperial Valley press., 1922-07-24
HCentro Jurist One
of Victims Held Up
SundayonH Highway

heaulnB IKE the scenario OF the lat
est movie thriller, or a chapter from
one of the old ''Diamond Dick novels,
the escapades of four youthful bandits,
one of them slim, young girl, made
busy Sunday for the police department
and sheriff s office. Eventually they
captured the gang, let it go, got it back
and recovered the loot obtained in a
series of holdups early yesterday morn
ing on the San Diego highway, in the
vicinity of Jaeumba. The quartet gave
their names rs Dennis Mcdaniel, 90
years old, of Covington, Virginia; r.
r. Williams, 10, of Sperry, Oklahoma,
l.. X. Loud, "a, of Texas, and his al
legged wife, Dolly Loud, 10, of River
side, California
At O'Clock yesterday morning, the
telephone at the sheriff's office
brought news of the first holdup, near
Buckman Springs, the victims being
Judge /. Mayfield and his son Paul.
The judge doesn 7 say what his assess
ment was. For the next hour, the depu
ties were busy receiving complaints
from other victims along the line, who
had met up with the highwaymen said
10 be driving a Ford ear A posse start
ed out in search of the bandits, and
met them on the highway heading to-
ward this city. Search failed to reveal
any weapons, and the party claimed
they had been camping near Coyote
Wells. The officers had been informed
there were four men and woman in
the bandit crew and released the sus-
poets. i
Caught at Calexico
Ga4, a. L.. s.l IL.
more detailed description from later
reports that had come in, and decided
they had released the guilty parties
A description of the bandits was sent
to Calexico, and Officer Pullman
rounded up the fugitives They were
taken to the county Jail, where search
revealed gun and seven watches, hid |
den in the upholstery on the back of
the front seat A miscellaneous as
sortment of camping equipment and
food was also found in the ear. Search |
of the prisoners revealed $l7l .33, pro |
ceeds of the holdups and in their per |
sonal belongings several flashlights |
and spare auto parts showed that they |
had fixed things so their victims could |
not follow them.
A diary kept by the girl since July |
j, showed that she had started ont in |
search of adventure ON that date, and
the entries each day proved that she |
had found it. They related how she had
beaten her way from Los Angeles to |
San Francisco, and return by way of
the San Joaquin valley, riding on
trucks, in ears and on motorcycles.
Had Warning of Trouble
The last entry in ,the diary, under |
date of July 90 stated she was going |
to San Diego with cred" Mcdaniel. |
Dick Williams, and "Casey'', prophe- |
sled that she was heading for trouble,
and stated "here goes nothing" Anoth |
er entry showed a visit to her family |
home at Corcoran, and notes that her
father had given her "half hour to
get out of town."
At noon, yesterday, several victims
of the holdup visited the Jail and
identified their property and the ban
dts. AS each of the latter was con
fronted by his aceusers, he showed in
difference and uneoneern for the entire
affair, and the girl was probably the
least concerned of the lot
b. M. Sherwood and Ray Yates of |
the Mission apartments in this city, |
identified the gang as the men who
held them up at 4 O'Clock Sunday |
morning while they were camped at |
Jacumba and relieved them of $54 and |
a spotlight. Frank Outlet and Foster
Curtis of Seeley, who were camped |
about 20 feet from Sherwood and
Yates, contributed $40 to the bandits, |
who spent several moments telling the |
men how tough they were. After fin
ishing the robbery, the bandits dam
aged Yates ear so that pursuit was
impossible. Yates and Sherwood tele.
phoned to the sheriff s office that the |
men were heading toward FL Centric |
After leaving Jacumba, the men held |
up Oscar Webster and C0rnelia Foster I
of Imperial, taking $40 and watch |
from Webster and a $50 wrist watch |
and $5 bin from Miss Foster.
The bandits next stopped at Noun
tain Springs, where they held up Q. 5.
Jackson of Brawley, and Joel Hardie |
and William Woods of Ell Centre, get
ting Sc from Jackson, $lS from
Woods, and Hardie' s watch.
Girls Diary Tells Story
The girl denied knowing anything Of
the robberies, saying she was asleep at
the time named. This agreed with the
testimony of the men who identified
the gang at the Jail, as none of them
had & good look at the girl, but all
were certain that Mcdaniel, Williams
and Loud were the men who held them
up. When examined by Deputy District
Attorney Don Bitler, she said her real
name is Mildred Swope, and that her
father is David Swope of Gorcoran. She
said she was born in Riverside. Her
parents were divorced some time ago,