The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1924-08-28
@LLEGED BITTINGER OUT
LAWS ARE ROUNDED UP
Gang of Men Hailing from Penn
sylvania, Thought to Be
Guilty, in Oakland Jail

OI more IHdl year past the peO-
pie of the Bittinger section of Gar
rett county have been terrorized by
the periodical visits of a gang of
thieves who upon two or three occa-
sions entered fields of the farmers in
that section, killed the cattle they
wanted, carted the carcasses off and
disposed of them. At other times the
fancy of the thieves turned to dairy
products, the contents of the smoke
houses of the farmers, to barns where
grain was stored, and with each re-
curing visit the residents were out
just what the thieves carried off with
seemingly no redress.
Last Sunday afternon a car bear
ing a Pennsylvania license tag drove
up to the store of Merchant Buckle at
Bittinger, and the occupants, five in
number, made small purchases of
cheese and crackers, which they ate
and then disappeared Shortly after
it had become dark Chester Green, a
farmer residing a short distance from
Bittinger, discovered that his cellar,
in which had been stored his butter
in jars and quantity of maple sugar
and syrup had been robbed. The alarm
was given and in a remarkably short
time Mr.. Green's neighbors responded
armed with guns and revolvers and
determined to capture the guilty per-
sons if it We're possible to do so. A
car, strange to the community, but
recognized as being the same one that
had been at the Buckle store in the
afternoon, was located at some dis
lance off the road and when the men
were questioned concerning their
movements and business in the COM
munity became indignant. They re-
fused to make intelligent answers and
when the men who had found them
attempted to place them under ar
rest they demanded to be shown the
warrants. These of course could not
produced, but tbs son of Justice
Emory of Bittinger, solved the prob
lem when he started in a car for his
fathers office to secure the necessary
paper, telling the members of the
posse before leaving to keep an eye
on the men. He had gone but a few
hundred yards, however, when the
alleged thieves made a break and sue
ceeded in getting away. They went
down a blind road, however, and as
a result were forced to turn back and
We're eventually headed off and held
until young Emory's return with the
warrants and then four of the five
men were placed under arrest, the
fifth member of the party having es-
capped through the woods. The four
prisoners were brought to Oakland
Monday and given hearing before
Justice West, who held them in sums
ranging from $1,000 to $500 for their
appearance at the Circuit Court.
Following the arrest of the alleged
thieves a bottle of moonshine was
found in their car. The driven was
under the influence of liquor and he
was fined 500 and sentenced to Jail
for 80 days on the charge of violating
the liquor and automobile law. The
car was also confscated and is now in
the hands of Sheriff Yutzy.
At the hearing before Justice West
the prisoners gave their names as
Frank, J. H. and John Fiddler and
George Burkholder, and their place of
residence Somerset county, Pa.
The arrest of these men was brot
about through the determination of
the Bittinger people to rid their com
munity of the visits of such charac-
tiers. Sheriff Yutzy has expressed
to them his appreciation of their good
work and is especially grateful to
Mr.. Emory, Mr.. W. E. Stanton and
his son and to the police officer of
Grantsville, who assisted the Bittin-
ger people in bringing the men to
Oakland.
Other Arrests Made.
At Frostburg on last Thursday ev-
ening Ernest Resi-, of Bittinger, and
James Burke, employed by the Con-
solidation Coal Company,we arrest
ed on warrants charging them with
having stolen from Martin Stanton,
Fee Bittinger, three automobile tires,
!. Tree demountable rims, one steering
wheel three inner tubes, headlight
rims and lens from his car on his lot
at Bittinger on August 81. The men
were brought to Oakland Friday and
on Saturday were given hearing.
Both were held under bond for their
appearance. Resi- was released yes
terday morning when he furnished
bail for his appearance.
Ney Shockey, 81 years old, and