The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1923-09-13
[ IRA CULP And HIS SON use
AUTOMATICS ON OFFICERS
Local and Federal Officials Are
Forced to Stand With Hands
Above Their Heads


sinner, is again in bad odor with the
law of the land. He and his son P. J.
Culp, are likewise reposing in the
Oakland Jail, having been brought up
to Oakland on Thursday afternoon
following their arrest that day at
their cabin in the mountains west of
Barton in this county, upon warrants
charging them with various offenses.
The tale is told by an eyewitness
of the affair as follows:
Federal Enforcement Agents Will
liam R. Harvey and George w. Haw-
kins, Sheriff Jesse ]. Ashby and Dep
uty Sheriff J. Frank Browning, of
Garrett county, dramatically rushed
upon the farm house occupied by Ira
Culp and his son P J. Culp, at the top
of Laurel Run Mountain about noon
,wsday. only to be brought up very
Snort at the entrance by the command
click of automatic rifles as the rifle
click of automaticrifes as the rifle
bolts were shot into place by the two
men. Ira Culp was wanted by the
Sheriff on a charge of assault with
intent to murder and the Prohibition
Agents had accompanied him in search
of a still which they had been inform
ed he was operating. AS the two men
stood on the corner of a narrow porch
holding the officers at bay with their
hands above their heads, Harvey and
Deputy Browning edged around the
corner of the house and running to
the back entrance, were finally able to
reach the elder Culp and disarm him.
In the meantime the young man, who
had been standing between the
two groups, backed up through the
garden several yards and sat with
his rifle cooked across his knees await
ing the next move. He was finally
disarmed by Sheriff Ashby, without
a. shot being fired, and after, both
"<a,llG'1d 4hey were brought to the
4arrett County Jail and before Mag
istrate E. l. West on Friday they
pied q jury trial.
The arrests We're made subsequent
to- long, tiresome ride over the
rough, mountainous roads leading
from Moscow, after the enforcement
Agents had met the county officers
at Piedmont, West Va.
As the officers neared Cups cabin
they hid their automobile among
bushes along the road and made their
way on foot up the steep side OF the
mountain and through brier patches.
When they approached an open
stretch close to the cabin they broke
into a run, and had almost reached
their destination before being dis
covered When they scrambled over
rail fence few yards from the build
ing, they were heard by the elder
man, who had been standing with his
back to the door, Culp glanced over
his shoulder to see who was coming,
then jumped back inside the room.
An instant later he and his son ap
with automatic rifles and ordered the
officers to ''stay back" This was fol-
lowed by the command "stick up your
hands" AS the officers hesitated the
commands were repeated and both
rifles clicked as the two men got
ready for action. During the instant
hesitation Harvey and Browning slip
ped around the corner of the house,
out of range of the guns and made
their way to the back entrance. In
this way they were able to get at the
elder man from the rear and disarm
him, while the younger mans atten-
ton was held by the two officers in
front of him.
The younger man then backed away
a few yards and laying his rife across
mis- knee, kept the entire group cover
ed. He was watched while warrants
charging Ira Culp with assault with
intent to murder Mr.. and Mrs. Robert
Shaw, wheE they went to collect their
ent on August 27, were read. The
ather was then handcuffed, and while
Ills son looked on, over the sights of.
MS rifle, Harvey unloaded the other
rifle and Browning unloaded an auto
matte pistol found inside the house.
The father then asked and was Civ
en- permission to prepare for his jour-
ney to the Oakland Jail, and while
Browning stood guard he clicked off a
typewriter note to an attorney, stat
ing his predicament and requesting
aid. This was later given to young
er son to mail.
While the elder man was preparing
for the trip Sheriff Ashby approached
young Cnlp AMI was finally able to
disarn him. H was also handcuffed
Wien The off GERS entered the house
tley found q fifteen gallon kettle of