Morgan County Democrat. (McConnelsville, Ohio) 1886-1943, 1939-05-04
BANDITS ABANDON CAR
IN MALTA

Three gunmen, believed to have
been escaped convicts from the Ne
Osho, Mo-, jail, where they were
held on federal bank robbery charg--
es-escape having been made April
26: and who it is said, early Satur-
day morning held up and robbed a
beer garden at Columbus, were III
Malta early Saturday morning, leay-
ing at the Wagner service station
Oldsmobile sedan. Millard Pennell,
son of Mr.. and Mrs. John Pennell,
of Malta, heard machine pass
their house at $40 O'Clock, which
sounded like it was running on a
wheel without tire. The track
made by rim was easily traced,
which showed they came to Malta
over route 81. A tire jack was
found at the car, which would make
it appear, had anyone passed that
they were changing tire. The rim
was badly damaged, indicating that
it had been run some distance with
cut the tire. The supposition is
that while the car was at the filling
station, some of the party started
out in search of another machine,
and took James Gibbs 1896 Dodge
OF his residence on Main street, near
Wymer's garage. Gibbs car was lat
er found abandoned near Youngs-
town, where the culprits picked up q
Packard, and it was left at Steuben-
vile, and there took a Studebaker.
1t is stated that there were bullet
holes in the rear of the Packard, be-
1ieved to have been from guns of
pursuing officers.
Monday morning, city papers re-
ported running gun battle which
took place in South Point, Law
renee county, after a police cruiser
from Huntington, w. Va, gave them
a II mile chase 1t is stated that
the car was spotted in Huntington,
w. Va, when it passed stop sign.
as the machine used by three men
tendant few hours before. While
police blocked route So on which
they had been travelling when chas
ed by the Huntington cruiser, the
suspects were thought to have turn
ed off on secondary road and gone
into hiding. 1t is thought these
were the same parties in Malta.
When the three convicts broke
jail in Missouri, they stole the sher-
rifles. The cream colored Oldsmo.
bile sedan found in Malta bore Ar
kansas state license plates 1t is be-
lieved the plates were faxed, and
that the owner of the machine lives
in Tennessee. The car found in
Malta, had considerable gasoline in
it; and the inside condition would
for several days. A lip stick outfit
in the machine; also coloring of lip
stick on cigaret stubs found in the
car, would indicate that women
might have been mixed up in the
affair.
Monday three men and a woman
were captuerd in Wheeling, W. Va,
which it is believed were the par
ties who left the Ger in Malta. At
Wheeling the four were held under
$4,000 bond each as fugitives from
justice. FBI agents state they were
wanted for II bank and postoffice
robberies in Texas and Missouri.
and for 100 separate crimes. A
rookie policeman of Wheeling recog-
niZed the machine as the one used in
a filling station holdup. He seized
the driver and led officers in a raid
on a hotel room, where the three
remaining were trapped. The wom-
an grasped at pistol in the hotel
room, and when she was seized by
the other officers, said. IF | could
have got hold of that gun. there
would have been a couple Of dead
country cops around here" A U. S.
navy machine gun was found in the
room. The four escaped from a
Neosho, Mo-, Jail, by overpowering
the guards and using the woman es
a shield.
Later: Wednesday afternoon Sher-
iff l.. B. Adrean received message
stating that the abandoned OldsI
car, at the Wagner & Clifford SER
vice station, Malta. belongs to a par
ty residing in Joplin, Mo, and in
qIiry was made as to the cost of
putting it in shape 1t is estimated
that it will be about $50.