SHERIFF TAYLOR - CAPTURE Surrender Until After Mortally Wounded, Half an Hour Before they Threw Down their: _Came Out. The mountain fastnesses of the southern end of the county have contributed anoth- er thrilling chapter to Centre’s criminal history. Though it caunot be compared in excitement to the Ettlinger tragedy at Woodward, on March 6th, 1896, for it was all over before many people knew that it bad acbually ocourred. But when the story of ‘the capture of four burglars in the old bara at the famous old Faust hotel in the Seven mountains, about three miles south of Potters Mill’s, became generally known everyone realized that the element of risk fun by sheriff Taylor and his posse was evel greater than that that surrounded sheriff Condo when he was trying to capture the murderer of constable Barner. The fist intimation had that there was a well organized band of burglars working this way came from Laurelton, on the line of the Lewisburg and Tyrone railroad, last Thursday morning. The night before four men had assaulted and robbed Reno Zim- merman of that place. They secured $15. 5 from him. Later that night they robbed the office of the Laurelton Lumber Co. A. M. Reedy’s clothing store and the Laarel- ton hotel. Mr. Zimmerman described his assailants as having coarse voices and speaking with German accent. AT WOODWARD. “The next night, Thureday—atter mid- night. Woli’s ‘store at Woodward was burglarized and five pair shoes, 2 watches, 2 zevolvers, 1 a 38 calibre and 1a 32 calibre, and a number of knives and razors ‘and $160 in postage stamps were taken. No one saw any’ suspects about the plage ‘and the burglars got away as quietly as “they had ‘come. AT CENTRE HALL. ; Friday night a party tried to rob the bank at Centre Hall and there the first clpe . that led to their capture was secured. The - Penns valley bank is located on the corner : of the public square at that place and is guarded by William McClenahan, the : night watchman. | bank is the exchange of the United Tele- Immediately over the phone and Telegraph Co. Night operator Mrs; ‘Annie Boozer was on-duty; but could not not be seen from the street below. The burglars climbed wp‘onto "thé ‘railing in - front of the bank and saw the interor of tho front room in which a light was Khurp- ing. Then, it is presumed, in order to ascertain whether anyone lived up ‘stairs they threw a small stone against the win- dow. It broke the glass ; frightening Mrs. Boozer so badly that she made no outery. Convinced that there was no one about the burglars started to pry open one of the ‘ bank windows when McClenahan heard the noise and fired a shot from his revolver. This scared the band off and they did noth- "ing further there than to break open the tool house at the station and take a hand car. ; OFF FOR LINDEN HALL. 4 With the hand car as a conveyance the band proceeded by rail ‘to Linden Hall. There they stopped at the crossing of the . public road and walked back to Ross’ store, in which the post office is also located. Forcing an entrance by a side window they ‘ entered the store and had taken the lock “ly ahove the front entrance. * off the safe and bad it about two-thirds sealed preparatory to blowing, when sonfe- thing evidently interrupted them at théir work, for they then unfastened the front door and went out onto the store porgh where they talked quite loud. This aroused A. E. Zeigler, who is assistant postmaster and sleeps in a room immediate: ‘Thinking that it was some of the lumbermen, who "are accustomed to rattle on the door at all hours of the night just as a joke, he got up and pounded on the porch roof. The men were silent for a little while but one “of then went out onto the road and looked up at Zeigler: ;: Then they; ‘got together and held another consultation and Zeigler pounded again, after which they walked off down the road. Then they pushedy the hand car down to the station apd walked back again, up the main street, talking quite loud. It was after3 o’clock in the morning by that time but they went on to the home of William Catherman, where they broke into his cellar and took a table cloth, meat, bread and other victuals and a tin bucket. Then struck off on the road toward Earlystown. : Meanwhile Mr. Zeigler had aroused Hale Ross, the owner of the store, and to- gether they went down to the saw mill to see if any suspects were loitering about there. None were to be found and none had been seen by the men at the mill, Then they went back to Catherman’s and discovered that the burglars could be easily tracked in the muddy road. The next step was to telephone to Belle- fonte for detective Rightnour. The ex- change here was able to find policeman Jodon at head-quarters and he went home to change his clothes to accompany the detective, but when the latter was aroused he said he had business at State College on Saturday and couldn’t put it off. Jodon telephoned this message to Linden Hall, whereupon - Mr. Ross, his eldest son Charles, William Catherman and Harry Hagan took up the trail of the burglars. A BAND OF BURGLARS. Tracked to the Old Faust Hotel Barn id the Seven Mountains they are Found Sleeping and Surrounded.—Refused to AND POSSE one of the Band was then They Parleyed Arms and THE PURSUIT BEGINS. It was easy to follow the tracks in the soft mud. Is wae soon discovered thats here were four men in the party and they were evidently hungry for bits of bread along the road indicated that they were eating it dry as they walked. No one along the route had seen the men, however, until John Reish’s was reached. He said he had seen a man carrying a tin bucket hut there were no others with him. A little later the pursuers came to Curt Lingle’s farm and found out that he had seen three men going down his lane towards the woods. He told a WATCHMAN reporter that just after he had gotten out of bed, about5 o’clock in the morning, he stepped to the window to look out. His attention was attracted to three men going down his. lane and be remarked to his wife that some one was getting out to work very early. Then he thought they might be going fishing and stepped back to the window for another look, but could discover no rods. At his second observation be noticed that there were three men in the party, ‘one smaller evidently walking as fast as his legs would carry him to keep up. His peculiarly erect carriage made him quite conspicuous. TRAILED TO THE BARN. It was about 8:30 when Frank Brad- ford, of Centre Hall, met the Ross party. He and James Smetzler were on their way over to Gherrity’s to fish, they had known of the attempted burglary, at Centre Hall, also of the successful affair at Linden Hall, and when Mr. Ross told them that he had tracked the robbers to a point about a mile west of the Old Fort, where they had cut into the woods towards Potters Mills, they said they wonld be on the lookout for them. Bradford and his companion saw nothing of the men while driving to the Bank, but when they arrived there they were told by landlord Reish at the hotel that four men had been there only a short time before and purchased a pint of whis- key, paying for it all in pennies. Further inquiry revealed the fact that one of the quartet had stopped at the home of Mrs. Annie Hartman and asked for a tablespoon- ful of salt, saying that he intended to cook breakfast up in the mountains and had no salt. Mrs. Hartman was especially attract- ed by the man’s pleasant manner and later, when the robbers were brought back to the village, she recognized the one who is wounded as the man to whom she had given the salt. Bradford was about to start on up the mountain when two fishermen came down the road. They told him that they had passed four men only a short distance back, that they were cooking breakfast. This convinced him that the ‘game was only a short distance off, so before starting on he telephoned back to Centre Hall for the Ross party to harry up. The answer came back that they were on the way so he and Smetzler started on. All along the muddy road they could see the tracks of the quar- tet but not until within a quarter of a mile of the famous old Faust place did they see any one. There they saw a man with a bucket answering the description of one of the hand apparently fooling around in the brush of the old orchard. They were convinced at once that he was: one of the party but betrayed no suspicion that they were trailing him. They drove on past the barn that stands close to the road | beside the charred ruins of the old ‘hotel, noticing that the tracks led into'it. ‘Brad- ford bad already an idea that the men were in there, so after they bad driven past a considerable distance he became con- vinced of it when by peeping out through the back curtain he saw the man with the door. distance away, he told Pat and Walter of the situation and, borrowing a Winchester rifle, made a detour back to Sand Knob where he could still command the barn and intercept the Ross party whom he believed to he following. A THE WARRANT SECURED. After Ross and his party of pursurers had heard Lingle’s story and were unable to find any constables they decided to go to Centre Hall and secure a warrant. If was while driving to that place that they met Bradford and Smetzler and advised them to be on the lookout. Arriving at Centre Hall justice Wm. B. Mingle was bunted up and Catherman swore outa warrant for the arrest of the men. Charley Hagan and Charley Ross were sent back home from this place and G. R. Meese and Wm. Cummings joined the elder Ross and Catherman when they reached Potter's Mills. They drove on up the mountain until Bradford stopped them and a hasty consulation was held. ' It was decided that there were not enough of them to effect a capture and that the carriage should be sent back to Potters Mills for more men. While there the messenger learned that sheriff Taylor was on his way to the scene; having been apprised of the situation by: justice Mingle. Arriving back at the than the others who was behind and |. ‘bucket gointo the barn and close the] Hurrying on to Gherrity’s, only’ a ‘short JAMES GEWALT, THE WOUNDED .MAN, A Yarn A Cuts published through the courtesy of the Centre Reporter. “Two Planks were leaned against the side of the shed, on these the wounded man was skid to the ground, carried to al carriage and conveyed to the Potters Mills hotel and placed under the care of Dr. H. 8. Alexauder.’’ told the others that the sheriff was on’ ‘the way so they all decided to await his arrival. It was then nearly noon and the party had swelled to about. twenty men and boys. Some with rifles, others with shot guns and the camera fiend was there also. The time had slipped away in the diiving back and fourth to Potter’s Mills, for it must he borne in mind that the spot where the watchers were grouped is three miles up a mountain road from the Mills. They had gathered at a spot about vue fourth a mile down theroad from the barn, ata sharp turn in the road. From this point they could see the barn, yet wot be seen themselves. THE SHERIFF TO THE RESCUE. When sheriff Taylor gos the word here he made preparations to leave at once and with treasurer Phil D. Foster as his deputy and two new 30-30 Krag-Jorgensen rifles in the bottom of the buggy they left for the scene at 11:45. _ The drive over the mountain to Centre Hall required only. an Lour and with a fresh team secured at that place the sheriff proceeded on his joarney arriving near the Foust place shortly before one o'clock. At the turn of the road on this side of the barn he met all of the crowd of pursuers. Following the sheriff and treasurer Fos- ter were W. A. Sandoe and Frauk Shute, of Centre Hall. They swelled the eutire party to twenty-seven or eight persons. . After a hasty consultation the sheriff decided to surround the place at once. ‘covering bis rifle treasurer Foster saw one “barn doors. ‘ble, hut after the shooting it ‘became’ bvi- THE FIRST SHOT HIT. ? : While the sheriff was in the act of un- of the band crouching oni the lof above the Two hoards were off che side of the building and through this aperture he saw that the man had a revolver. Quick as a flash Foster's rifle flew 'to his slioulder aud a sharp report reverberated along the wountain tops, then all was still again. Those who were close enongh could see that the deadly 33-30 ball from the Krag had goue howe, for the man on the loft was seen to stagger and grope his way toward the side of the barn. It bad all occurred so rapidly that no one seemed to realize just what had bappened until the little party was brought to its senses by the click uf a revolver. Eyeiy rifle was up again in an instant and when someone dis- covered a revolver and about six inches of arm sticking out a crack ‘on’ the side of the barn directly where ‘they had seen the wounded man stagger there were six re- ports that tang out on the still air while their leaden messengers were ripping op the sides of the barn in 3 way that carried consternation to the hearts of ,the, robbers within, ’ DEPUTIES SWORN 'IN. Up to this time the sheriff had sworn in no other deputies than treasnrer Foster. He had delayed this matter with ithe hope of saving the eonnty all the. expense possi- dent.that the situation was a grave ‘one. Iv appeared . that the robbers jintended to pat up a fight for~ their liberty. Three prisoners are to the left. Ryan standing in front of Samuel Shireman. three minutes avoid: rthe camera; and it was only by deception that the: view! was Stakes First William Palmer, iaring. front; after the prisoners had been handcuffed. The trio endeavored to James This view was taken in Jess than The entire party deployed in a semi-circle about the barn at a distance of about 500 ft. They covered the north and south and east escapes. leaving the large cleared field to the west unoccupied because any one attempting to cross it could easily have been stopped by a rifle shot without the danger of shooting into any of the guards. Then sheriff Tay- lor and Mr. Foster drove up the road to the barn, tied their horses toa telephone |. pole about 50 ft. distant. Mr. Foster im- mediately uncovered a Krag rifle and took np a position to protect the sheriff who started for the barn. p THE SHERIFF ENTERS THE BARN UN- ! ARMED. He first examined an adjoining shed and finding no one there opened the large barn door. Sweeping the place at a glance he saw the much talked of tin bucket. Con- vinced that his men were there, though hearing nor seeing nothing of them, he call- ed out in loud tones : ‘‘I.am the sheriff of Centre county and at this time am unarmed, and come to arrest: you. I now call upon you to surrender peaceably, for I mean to take you,dead or alive. My posse has you surrounded. There is no chance for you to escape, for we are armed with Krag: Jorgensen rifies.”’ Not a sound was awakened from within by the sheriff’s demand. Still calling upon them to surrender he returned to his buggy bivouac near the barn the reinforcing party to get his rifle. was accordingly Acutdingly ig went Arouid His! entire | line, instructed, all the wen as. i how they should act and. depntized ‘the following of them : Frank Shutt, Frank Bradford and’ W. A. Sandoe, Centre Hall; P. D. Fos. ter, Bellefonte ; Calvin Commins, Colyer, ; and J. F. McCoy, F.A Carson, Frank b Pennington, Calvin Rah}, Walter Gherrity, ., Pat Gherrity, E. J. Sweetwond and Reuben vl Colyer, of Potters Mills, fies This circuit’ took about lialf an hour. 4 : All the time Foster was standing guard over the barn supported by a few men forty 156: feet to the rear. Not a sound was heard ! from within. Nota moan or a word from | the robber who was lying weltering in his own blood. Upon the sheriff's return he: again called upon the gang to surrender, but received no response. He continued his demand persistently for cnother half | hour until his deputies had become wost impatient to make a rush on the barn. | THE SURRENDER. t Just when they had about decided to storm the barn in earnest a voice from i within cried. : “Will you guamnice to. protect us it we, sarrender.’’ oF The sheriff answered by assuring them that he was the sheriff and would see that no one harmed them. *‘Yes,’! came the: voice from within the barn. again, “hut | some of them hot-headed fellows among you | Pia might shoot us without orders.” There- | upou every ah was ordered to lower his gon and, put the muzzle’ down, The sheriff, pacing. in trons of the ban; “then commanded : ~ “Now come out, one at a time, throw your reyolvers ou the ground and bold up your hands.” In a second or two the big man of the party, a fellow with a very florid com- plexion and heayy brown moustache, came out into the open and threw up bis hands. ‘Now the next,”” rang: out the sheriff’s stern voice, and another stepped out and threw up his hands. “Now. the next!’ Came the command that bronght a third one out into the line. ‘Now the next !”” Called the sheriff a fourth time but brought no response. ‘Is that all ?’’ Said sheriff Taylorand one of the band spoke up and said. ‘‘No there is another man up above, but he is'ghot.*’ Upon their protestations that all who were able had surrendered the sheriff ad- vanced and put hand-cuffs on them separate- ly, then he directed treasurer Foster to go up above and procure the wounded man. Frank Shutt joined Foster and togeth- er they climbed the ladder loft above where a horrible sight met their gaze. Lying pear the side of the barn, just where he had fallen after his futile at- tempt to [fire upon the ‘posse,’ was the | fourth robber. He was gasping for breath and had his revolver still clutched tightly |. in his right band. From his. mouth, great gushes of blood flooded at. each effort to breathe “and ‘when Foster; approaching, said where are you shot, ‘he ‘replied : “Through the heart.”” The treasurer knew ‘this could not be so and, told the wounded man that he must be mistaken. + The sight was more than Foster conld stand 'so:he ‘withdtew ‘with’ instructions to’ Shutt to dis- arm ‘the’ man and. get, him down, . Here was a ‘predicament. Is was evident to all that ‘the man was | very ‘badly ‘hart and liow £6 get him down the ladder Was a question, Someone’ suggested that he’ be taken down the ontside of the barn, . «. This | seemed thelonly way possible. According- | ly alplank was secured and stood up on a slant and the wounded ‘man was slid down, ‘a8 is shown in ‘bite of the ifthstrations: in ‘$his | issne. Sheriff | Taylor immediate] y | ordered bim bugtied to the nearest deetor so he. was: placed in ‘Ross’ ‘carriage and | taken to Reish'y hotel where Dr. Alexander ‘dressed’ his Ww onngd and was Joined later. by. Dr, Braucht. G10 if SHUEY 10 sya The other three prisoners were ‘londed into a sprifg wagon ‘and taken” to Centre Hall, where they were given a heating, 4 ,. BEFORE JUSTICE . MINGLE “At the hearing before nstice Mingle the pris ners ‘had litle to, say. An fact they | wold ‘give no Aurther intermation ; than that ‘their names were! William “Paimer, age 49; Samuel Shireman; age 323 ames | ‘Ryan; age 34. e8he names given: were no } yf 3 jis oy SHERIFF HucH S. TAYLOR. to thei’ doubt fictitious. Immediately justice Min- gle ‘committed. them to jail here without iL 3 Torr lg ia The sheriff procured his own team again and taking one of them in’ his ‘buggy, left thie other two for Treasurer Foster to bring over in a carriage’that” wads secured there. They arrived here about 7:30 Saturday evening. A great. crowd had gathered along the streets and followed the officers to the jail, where only the clanging of the big prison doors put an end to the invasion of the curious. IN JAIL. Once in the sheriff’s office the ‘men were given a hasty examination and: the names as above entered in the jail register.” They were locked up in steel cages on the second tier ‘on’ tlie ‘north side. Ryan and Shire- man together and Palmer by bimself. The latter seems to be the head of the gang, for the other two will do nothing '¢ or gay noth- ing unless he takes. the initiative. They have been very tagiturn since their arrest, yet at times they have shown a dis- + | position to ‘talk some, but have steadily evaded answering leading questions. They were: persuaded to stand for: their photo- graphs on Suuday ‘and "lined up before ‘photographer Mallory in the jail yard as if they ‘enjoyed it. When asked to’ stand again on Monday they seemed ‘to realize that they had made a mistake the day be- fore and said that they were'nt courting any more notoriety than they had already gained. : THEIR ARMAMENT AND PLUNDER. At the time of the arrest sheriff Taylor found the following articles on them, all of ‘whieh were brought here and turned over to district attorney Spangler : Five revolvers—38 calibre and lot of cartridges, stick of dynamite, knives, ra- ZOTe, purse containing paper money and lot of small change, tin bucket and table cloth—identified by Mr. Catherman, of Linden Hall, basket, bread, bacon, coffee, ‘pan, soap, mirror, etc. : Before leaving the scene the sheriff specially detailed Pat and Walter Gherrity ‘to make a careful investigation of the place for other plunder. The two mountaineers searched high and low and not without re- ward for in various parts of the barn they uncovered a tin tobacco box containing five fuses and percussion caps, found in the wounded man’s pocket after he had been taken to the hotel, a 10c. piece of to- bacco of the ‘“Worth”’ brand, a new two bladed knife of large size, an Ingersoll watch with a plated gold chain, about a pint of nitro-glycerinein two half pint bot- tles, four cheap silk handkerchiefs, a piece of cotton rag, might be a bread ‘cloth, and a black oil cloth pouch, ahout 12x6 con- taining a post-office’ registry envelope in which were stamps to the value of $167.44 in the following denominations, 1076 one- cent stamps, 800 twos; 340 threes, 493 fours, 492 fives, 491 sixes, 575 eights and 107 tens. : All of these articles. were delivered to sheriff: Taylor at the jail about mid-night Saturday by Walter Sheslty and J. F. McCoy. J (THE WOUNDED. BURGLAR. To turn back to the wounded burglar who ‘was left at. Reish’s hotel at Potters Mills where .he was’ receiving medical at- tention from .Drs. Brancht and Alexander. | Their investigation ‘revealed ‘the fact that the ball entered - the lefs ‘side of the neck ‘about an. -inch and ‘a-half “above the collar hone, passed. throngh. the windpipe and came ‘out: on top of ' the right ‘shoulder. ‘The ‘clean nature of the wound confirms the story, as’ told ‘above, that it was a Krag. that bit him. The effect of the shot wouldmuot ‘have been bad at all had it not torn his" windpipe ‘making the danger from strangulation with blood very great. ‘This man gave his name asShowalter,and Gewalt says he is 39 years 01d and bails from ‘Wisconsin, He i is rather tall, weighs about 160 Ibs, bas light blue ‘eyes, . a brown ‘moustache, bald on the front’ part’ of the’ ‘head giving the appearance of an abnormal. 1y bigh forehead and speaks German. On Monday. worning Sheriff Taylor, Commissioner Pi H.' Meyer’ and ‘county ‘physician R. G. H. Hayes drove over to Potters. Mills and. brought him to this place in Baum’s ambulance. ‘He seemed none the worse of the trip and arrived at the hospital about 2.0! "glock in the after- noon, He is apparently resting. easy. there; ‘being able to'sit up in bed. The tube that had beer inserted | in’ his’ windpipe has been taken, out. . “His guards at ‘the hospital are 1sase Dassen and Samuel Smith. "INCIDENTS. i P00 au ing da afb ey ik tn he ones
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