Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-07-29
BANK BANDIT QUEST
. PR0vESFRU|TLESS
Sheriff Pushes Search With
Fresh Posse of Experienced
Mountaineers.
By staff Correspondent Of The Star.

6y SIAN correspondent OF Ine Stdf.
WOODSTOCK. Va. July 29.-The
somber bulk of Great North Mountain
holds the secret Of the mixed quartet
of bandits who held up the Mount
jackson Bank Monday. Late yester-
day afternoon Sheriff 3. NJ. Borden
and his men sprung their trap and
found it empty.
Penetrating deep into the rocky fast
nesses of Wilson's Cove. where the
outlaws were believed to he entrapped,
possibly shielded by relatives. they
closed in, only to find the COW barren
of their prey.
After searching places for &c con-
secutive hours seldom trodden by
man the posse retired, tired and dis
heartened, but on the alert to make
again for the hills at the faintest clue
telephoned here by the pickets left
guarding the few roadways leading
from the mountains.
Theory of Sheriff.
Just a the sun was setting yester-
day the sheriff and his men sur.
rounded a cabin reputed to contain
relatives of one of the four fugitives,
but the inmates Of the shack stoutly
denied having seen them.
Wild rumors spread through this
little town. which has not witnessed
such excitement since the day few
years ago when the Neff gang was
rounded up near where the footprints
Of the bandits were seen. that the
posse had encountered and returned
the fire Of the outlaws. 1t developed,
however. that one of the younger
members of the posse had taken few
shots at a big hawk
Sheriff Borden last night expressed
the fear that the bandits succeeded in
passing through Baughman's Gap,
loosely guarded Tuesday night, and
are making their way toward Cumber.
land, Md, or the Pennsylvania hills.
Sheriff Borden. however. announced
this morning that he had not aban-
doned the search for the bandits, and
was confident of their ultimate cap
ture. Tired. after five days of active
searching. the sheriff delegated the
search today to r. fresh posse of ex-
perienced naountaineers, who are
picketins the foothills Of Great North
Mountain. A telephone message was
received here this morning from the
West Virginia authorities that they
are following new trail on the Hardy
County side of the mountain.
Hidden i'm Mountain.
Veteran mountaineers, however. in
sist in their belief that the two men
and two women are still hidden in the
$4,000 acres of woodland on the Great
North Mountain.
Those first in the lore of the noun.
tain contend that it is a physical i'm
possibility for the quartet to have
escaped from the mountain without
detection. Their safety lies in the
mountain, they say. They point out
that the Nef clan traversed the noun
tains for 80 miles without encounter
ing human being and that the pres
ent outlaws can conceal themselves
for many days. There is water ir
abundance in the mountain gulches
and the berry season is at it's height.
Furthermore the suspicion persists
that the gang is not without it's SYM
pathizers who bear food to some secret
hiding place. possibly a cave.
Mystery of Horsemen.
The mystery of the horsemen who
scattered Tuesday at the approach of
a posse has never been solved AS
sured Of food, the four could hide for
days until the tumult of the chase
dies out.
Without once leaving the shelter of
the mountain it is possible to go into
three States-Firginia. West Virginia
and Maryland. Clever woodsmen
could cross the Shenandoah Valley by
night and seek refuge in the Blue
Ridge
Taking into account the physica!
capabilities of the women. 1t is re-
garded as impossible for them to
travel far on the mountain. The men,
Kirby Dellinger and Cecil Wilson, are
experienced woodsmen, but it is not
regarded as likely that they would
abandon their companions to their
fate and make their way to possible
safety.
Purchased in Washington.
Jim Moore, regarded here as the
highest bear hunter. came to town
last night. but did not join in the
search. He said. however. that he be-
lieved the bandits to be in hiding
within 80 miles Of here and within
Is miles Of the scene of the hold-up.
Further examination this morning
Of the contents of the suit cases found
IN the abandoned automobile of the
quartet disclosed that all of the cos
metics Of the women had been pur-
chased within six-block radius of
Fourteenth and I streets in Wash
angton.