Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-08-24
Thief SHOT,
4OTHERS NAbbEO
Wounded Thug Near Death
After Battle Between Mar
berth and Wynnewood
$4,000 IN LOOT RECOVERED

Five freight thieves. one OF them scri
ously wounded. were captured at l
o'clock last night by the Lower Merior
police after fifteen minute revolver
battle in Wynnewocd road. between
Wynncwood and Narberth.
The wounded man. who is reported to
be dying in the Bryn Mnwr Hospital
and his companions. are believed by the
authorities to be part of band OF
thieves who have been robbing iennsyl
vania Railroad freight trains along the
Main Line ovur a period OF nearly tw9,
years. One Of the thieves escaped
during the battle last night. :,
Loot, valued at $1,000. was recovered.
Wynnewood Station.
The revolver battle. IN which seven
policemen were directed by Magistrate
Fred Walzcr. of Narbcrth, aroused resi- :
dents of the towns between which 1t
took place. Later. when the wounded
man was being taken to the ,ospital.
two accidents on Lancaster pike ana
.Ardmorc avenue added to the excite.
ment. First an automobile struck ana
overturned the machine taking the man
TO the hospital. and then another car
threw n mounted pntrolman from his
horse while he was trying to direct
traffic at the intersection.
Open Fire on Police
Magistrate Walzer returning home
about 10 30 o'clock last night. saw n
large touring car drawn into the woods
off Wynncwood road, near Windsor
avenue. Two men were in the machine.
The magistrate saw four others carrying
boxes from the woods. He located Pa
trolman johnson and left him on guard
while he telcphonCd the Lower Merton
police station.
Sergeant Mullin and five men in plain
clothes. armed with pistols motored to
the woods and were Immediately dis
covered and fired upon. The thieves,
with the exception Of the man who Inter
was wounded. abandoned their machine.
and fed down Wynnewood road. firing
as they ran.
The alleged leader of the gang. John
Smith, twenty six years old. of South
Beechwood street. this city, crouched
behind the automobile and fired at the
police. He finally fell. with three bull
let wounds in his abdomen.
The other men who were captured
gave the names Of Francis Hays. twen-
ty- four years. 1I1i Arch street; John
or. twcnty-six years. I53 Tree street !;
Anthony Leonard, twenty three years,
1910 Mexican street. and Cornelius
Freedman. twcTty four years, OF 2oos
South Fifteenth street.
Man Unconscious When Picked Up
Smith, unconscious when picked up
by the police. was placed In an auto.
mobile driven by William Tragor. OF
\arherth. While speeding out Lam
caster pike to the hospital. the machine
was sideswiped and overturned by an
other machine at Ardmorc avenue.
Tragor. Smith. and Patromen Johnson
and Stagg. who were in charge of the
prisoner, were thrown out but escaped
serious injury. Smith was still un-
conscious from his bullet wounds.
4 moment later another automobile
struck Patrolman Blacklidge' horse.
The patrolmnn and horse fell, but es-
capped injury.
Smith was taken the rest of the way
to the hospital in another machine.
Reports from the Pennsylvania Rail-
road to tho Main Line authorities have
shown a series of robberies from freight
trains in that section. The cars have
been broken into, and the merchandise
rolled down the cmbankmnet along the
tracks and then hidden in the woods
The loot recovered last night had been
covered by broken trees and bushes. 1t
consisted of stockings. suits. bolts Of
cloth and cigars and tobacco.