The Washington times., 1922-03-08
IN
FREDERICK
HAUL
Of $4,000
Watchman Bound and Gagged
While Old Whisksy Is Load
ed Into Autos.

Travelling with a motor caravan
and armed motorcycle scouts,
twenty armed bandits early today
swooped down on the Old Horsey
Distillery, near Frederick, Nd,
and made off with $4,000 worth
Of choice old whiskey, leaving three
Government watchmen bound and
gagged. under threat of instant
death if they attempted to raise an
alarm.
Beyond the fact that an aban-
doned truck. laden with seventeen
barrels OF the stolen whiskey. was
found eight miles from Frederick.
on the Baltimore pike, there is no
clue to the direction taken by the
caravan. 1t is thought the truck
train may have broken up, por.
tions of the loot being taken, to-
ward Washington, Baltimore and
Philadelphia.
The Washington Police Depart
ment, upon being notified Of the
| raid. threw a Gordon about the city,
and close watch was kept on every
road which the stolen liquor might
be brought into the District.
The raid was evidently carried
out after days Of thorough prep.
aration. The distillery is thought
to have been under close surveil-
lance, day and night. by bandit
spies, who learned every movement
| Of the watchmen
Seven Autos in Raid.
With motorcycles far to the front
and following as a rear guard, the
twenty bandits, with three big au.
tomobile trucks and four touring
cars, drove up to the distillery at
o'clock this morning.
While the motorcycle men scat
tered to guard every approach to
the building, fifteen of the bandits
broke into the office and overpow-
cred the three watchmen-John r.
Hemp, Of Burkettsville, Md; VIII
liam Hart, of Baltimore, and John
Moredock. of Baltimore.
The three watchmen were tightly
bound and gagged and an armed
man stood over them until the
raiders left, more than two hours
later.
From fifty to sixty barrels Of the
aged whiskey, approximately 2,100
gallons in all, was rolled from the
building and loaded on the trucks
and touring cars. 1t took the
bandits until nearly 4:30 o'clock to
complete the loading of the cara
van.
Then the motorcycle outposts re-
ported the roads clear. The watch
t,,a I'd
attempt to escape and the caravan
made off.
Telephone Lines Cut.
Hemp finally broke loose. He
found the telephone lines had been
cut and was forced to walk. a long
distance before he could spread the
alarm. Sheriff James c. Jones was
notified and telephoned the police
at all nearby points to watch
every road away from Frederick.
In spite of the network. the ban
dts managed to slip through, and
took has been discovered, except
for the abandoned truck at JEFF
ferson.
1t Is the belief OF Sheriff Jones
that the bandits were the same men
who robbed the distillery Of 700
cases OF whisl<ey September Q last.
Much Of the stolen liquor was
brought to Washington on that
occasion and was sold by boot
legGers at q high price.
Posed as Dry Agent.
The watchmen told Sheriff Jones
that at o'clock a man who repre-
sented himself as an internal reve-
rue agent from Washington ap-
peared at the door OF the office and
demanded admittance. As the door
was opened, his confederates pushed
their way in with drawn revolvers.
The watchmen were threa tened with
death II they made any outcry or
attempt to escape and one shot was
fired by way OF warning.
Then the watchmen were backed
against the wall. disarmed. and tied
hand and foot with heavy cords.
Handkerchiefs were stuffed into
their mouths and they were bound
in place.
With the guards tied and gagged,
the bandits worked quickly. They
appeared to have complete knowl.
edge Of the location Of the liquor.
and lost no time opening the build.
ing. The trucks and touring cars
were backed up to a loading plat
form and the barrels Of liquor put
aboard.