The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1936-11-05

back 10 their native OKlanOma nils.
With the girls they set out from
Buffalo about the middle of Octo-
Der, 1884, in newly-purchased car.
They headed first for Ohio, where
Richetti's connections" live d {.
Floyd and Richetti alternsted at
the wheel.
Floyd was driving through rain
storm on the outskirts of Wellsville,
Ohio, early on the morning of Octo-
Der 20, when the car skidded into
a telephone pole. Floyd and Rich
ETH took their guns and baggage
out of the car and sent the girls
into Wellsville to have repairs made
to the car, which was not seriously
damaged.
A resident of the community sew
eral hours later saw Floyd and
Richetti lying on the grass in a
field not far from the scene of the
accident. He thought they were
tramps, and telephoned to police
headquarters at Wellsville.
When the police officers appeared,
in civilian clothes, Richetti was
asleep on the grass and Floyd was
seated near him. Floyd jumped
up, leveled a pistol at the officer
and ordered the latter to "stick 'em
up" The police officer pretended
he was workman enroute to a
nearby factory, but Floyd refused
to accept the explanation and called
to Richetti, who had awakened, to
''let him have it..
A brief gun battle ensued, with
Richetti and Floyd running down
a hill. None of the bullets took
effect, but Richetti, having emptied
his gun, surrendered. Floyd es-
capped into the woods.
Still believing his captive was a
tramp, the officer took Richetti to
the police station, where he gave
a fictitious name and identified
Floyd as "Joe Warren" of Toledo.
Sheriff Long, of Steubenville, who
had become familiar with Richetti's
appearance through photographs
supplied by the Omen, dropped in
the Wellsville police station on an
other matter while Richetti was be-
ing questioned. He recognized him
Immediately and called him by
name. Richetti thereupon admitted
his identity. The Wellsville officer
then identified Richetti's companion
as Floyd.
Sheriff Long notified the Cincin-
natl office of the F. B. I. and the
federal forces promptly swung into
action. Inspector Samuel P. Cowley
was in the vicinity in connection
with the Stoll KIDNAPPING investiga-
ton. Special agents proceeded to
the East Liverpool airport by plane,
where Sheriff Long met them. East
Liverpool police were enlisted in
the manhunt. Woods were searched
and roads blocked.
Learning that a man answering
Floyd's description had asked for
lunch at a farmhouse near East
Liverpool, the F. B. l. agents and
East Liverpool officers proceeded
to the farm. About p. m. Mon
day, October %, 1884, as this squad
was making a systematic search
of farms in that vicinity, Floyd
was seen in an automobile which
a farmer was starting to drive from
behind corn crib, on the farm cf
Mrs. Ellen Conkle. He had asked
to be driven to Youngstown.
When Floyd spied the officers he
ordered the farmer to back the
car up behind the crib. Floyd
jumped from the car as it backed
up, dashed past an outbuilding,
across an open field and over a
ridge toward nearby woods.
The agents and police pursued
him and commanded him to sur
render.
Floyd's response was gesture
of defiance. He may have been
thinking of that electric chair.
Instead of stopping he whipped
out AS caliber automatic pistol
he was carrying two-and chose
to fight it out.
The agents fired first.
Floyd was running to seek pro-
lection of a dense woods. With his
head and shoulders turned toward
the officers, he fourished his gun.
The agents paused and aimed their
guns. They knew that to permit
him to gain the woods would give
him an advantage which doubtless
would result in the loss of the lives
of several agents.
He fell, MORALLY wounded, with
his pistol, fully loaded, still in his
hand. The other pistol, a As caliber
automatic, was in his belt An extra
clip was in his pocket.
Floyd was shot at 4:10 p. m. and
he died in the Conkle house at
AIS p. m. He admitted his identi-
ty just before he breathed his last.
He refused to answer further ques-
tons. With his dying words he
cursed his captors.
NJ Q