Perth Amboy evening news., 1924-07-16
HI-JACkERS IN PLOT
TO ROB RUM CACHE
AT kEYPORT BORO.
Daniel Walling, Jr., of Keys
port in Hospital Here Shot
in His Mouth
IN SERIOUS CONDITION
Nathan Cohen Beaten and
Left in Woods-BootIeg-
ging Battle is Reported

KEYPORT, July IA band Of
hi-jackers last night visited the
farm of David Walling. Jr., on the
outskirts of Keypovt. shot Wal1ing,
kidnapped and thrashed a Perth
Amboy man. Nathan Cohen, OF
Woodruff Place, that city. and then
the large barn and house
in an effort to locate. large supply
of liquor.
Walling is In the Perth Amboy
City hospital with a bullet wound
in his mouth and neck, his condition
being quite serious. He suffered
considerably from the loss of blood
from the time of the shooting until
he received medical attention IN
Keyport and was delivered to t1xe
hospital authorities. The bQ<4<
broke two teeth, passed thx
his mouth and out tnrouGh &n4
of his neck. Ccpen. after 1zv13
his cuts and bruises affended fo b5
a physician. was able to go about.
Walling is twenty-eight years o1d
and operates a farm in Raritan town
ship about two miles outside OF Key
port his widowed. mother living with
him. The activities of bootIeggers
has made 1t essential that they have
barns at their disposal in which they
might store loads of liquor whenever
they have 1t on their hands and
where they might get 1t when deIiv-
cry Is to be made. The high prices
paid by bootleggers for this storage
privilege Is said to have appealed to
many farm owners having large
barns could hide many cases of liq-
uor. According to the information
secured here, Walling apparently
had been one of those who had con-
sented to hire his barn out to Cohen
for this purpose.
The band of hijackers, which has
been active for long time In the
Cliffwood and Browntown vicinity.
received word yesterday that large
supply of liquor was stored in Wall
ing's barn. according to the police
version of the case. The men de-
cided to go to the farm last night,
load up the truck and make big
haul, but they were doomed to dis
appointment.
The fact that Walling, instead OF
going to bed, was sitting in his auto
mobile, which was inside the wagon
shed, at 1 o'clock this morning in
dicated that he had some reason for
staying up. The reason, in the per~
son of Cohen, arrived just as the his
jackers had pounced upon Walling
and ordered him to throw UP his
hands, the police say. 1t Is thought
Walling yelled when he was awaken-
ed from sound sleep to find him.
self staring into the muzzle of a re-
volver and several men surrounding
the car, as the single shot following
the Hands up" command struck the
farmer In the face and he was left
alone.
Cohen. according to the recon.
structed story of the affair, had en-
tered the yard in his car to have
talk with Walling just as the gang
had awakened the farmer. Seeing
Cohen approaching the hi-jackers
seized him, forced him into a car,
took him two or three miles up the
road, gave him severe beating and
threw him out of the car. The "ab-
ductors" then returned to the farm
where a thorough search of the barn
and the farmhouse was made In
order to locate the supply of booze
which the hi-jackers thought was
stored there. The mother of Walling
was unable to stop the men from
searching the house and after they
were satified there was no 'h.et
goods" to be found, they drove away.
Walling made his way to the office
of Dr. Alois Peteler here. being
greatly weakened by the loss OF
blood. DR.. Peteler treated him and
notified the police. Officer Coward
of the local force. taking Walling to
the Perth Amboy city hospital.
Cohen. after getting his bearings
following the rough treatment at the
hands of the hi-jackers, painfully
proceeded to the Doctors office. arr
riving a short time after Walling had
left.
The circumstances surrounding the
case are such as to indicate that
Walling and Cohen could not have
had any legitimate business to tran
sact at that hour of the night, the
police point out following an inves-
tigation, and it is now likely that the
federalA men will take steps to rem
edy the activities of the bootleggers
in Keyport and vicinity.