Kithful Bandits

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tj; m»d« i®** , SS L ; -rvr^*^ do*n the rlctUna.) -jure you •*» h^B *« tion before?” carried • Were T« ■ So you , _ eomebody?” No, elr. w* 4M tend to kill any!>o*r." ■What did rwt ** ■**« TM •»* tire d in Tnctohoe?" ert lB tfce car and wilted MtU 0»e buk c#M- ® d; ‘Wbo i«d the way Into tte baak?” -We all went in tnseUMr.** •What did yon dor' **I e jkaC the teller to ilea wm ten elaglf *'”■

five.”

••What did yon MZt dter* the teller put hie hands down to gst the chanye I pushed my fcun a«a him erd ordered him to throw hinds up.” - what did HQI smiled at me and pot Us -What did Laird and PsttU dor* "They went to ths aide found the • What did they do

Oeahler Edward U. Klee, of the Tockshoe National Bank, outside of the rault of the bank after the robbery; In the backgrtmad fa County Detective Unfreed.

•What the teller to What did* he dor* * seem to want to get the told him it he did hot ga I would shoot him." • Did he otter any reafaUBeet” • No. he wemt to the ratil a box.” "What happened neetr* body tried to come In the bank aad I chased them oak' "What happened neat?" "We nude the teller stand with hfa bee to the

rault.’

"Who hit him with the lead pigeT" "Pettll." Prttit Brook Yie&at "Who hit Mrs. Klee?" "fiattik" "Who shot Mr. Tomlin ?*• "Pettit. 1 "So Pettit did all the dirty work?" "Yes, eir "Looks at though you fellow* fell down on your part of the >oh?“ 'Well. I was busy with the teller." •Did you aee Pettit ahoot Mr. Tot !in?” -No. air, < heard the shot out could not eee from where 1 "So you plead gulHy to this charge?" "Tea" The other two the same story. Laird ■Mated, questioning, that he area a metal worker, out of emplo since Christmea. Ha was employed at P. a. Morgan's plant

ange.

He stated that the job was planned by Pettit and It was agreeable to «b«n. They all ware armed. They epent part of Thursday evening in Philadelphia. The aaamnnltion was fund-W by Andeepoa. who purehaa«l i In Newark. He stated that he **» iwv;. „ ■ He stated ^ Be heard •oman shoot aad he rushed to the r-sr H. said he trad a Shot in the >tr«et to scare the people. One of the ballets trad la the bdak struck the ck *

P*tH

Pettit stated that he was hone at I “Heytowa, near MlUrWe, He said

thr ^ roars in OewbU Qty

*nd that he was accused of robbing •Plumbing shop that he knew noth'nr about, aad waa derod to faave 2?? “W- Swrtr. Brni. bUM

"tut eerarr , .

He admitted \e caned the *bl h he brought hU compan

rnckahoe. The reatoa he eelerlTrt the Tuckahoe Bank to rob. he stated, *ar because it was a small place aad tney could m.,»e an easy get-away.

u B*We to say whether hfa

tather was living or dead. Hfa ®«her. he stated, was Ilrtag at 14«S H-nsaustta Btreet. HoUywood. Oal. h«i7 ^ U ** rarSta* about the ho d-up. in M99a Ana LSey ware

* »ung to go something to get

money.

that he was fa. , h lhr ro ^a. bat did not kaou thing .bom Ue woods around T Pettit admitted that be mad•m Pipe and be struck all ths vtothat he shot Mr. Tomlinaecdoo^ The gua was cocked •»a exploded when he struck him

,,”**•* Inside the bank aad forced ^ " lc * to face the vault aad then ub£d. M “ * ith rnm Houire Byrne asked If Mr. KUe ret u ' P * iai “M- "No ” He asked '' Hr. Rice had hfa hands over hfa !“ N ‘ d P«tlt replied he did not know. *“ wked If It biade any dltter'■oe If Mr. Rice had hfa hands up or ot- and Pettit said It did not. as ** kl * "out" to get away * >T,n ' him from chasing them He said he took the money that

Tomlin taken to the Atlantic City

Hospital.

Dr. Randolph Marshall treated Mr. and Mrs. Rice, who received nr lace rations of the scalp. Mr. Alee also received a severely bruised head. Whan he **ood. where he waa driven, to vault. Pettit struck his up*

to Cell that he received a telephone call that the bank was robbed at ld.ll A. M. Aeewngaalsd by Deputy Sheriff ianise Hoffman they am4» a fast trip to the bask. State Trooper Bishop, who had been uotlBed at Court House, was there. H* immediately started to form a poem to aeour the woodr The Bute Troop st Hammonton was Informed to send all available The various poMee districts In the county. Including Wildwood. North - * - Qty on to send mer. The searchers scoured aad located the men arrested. After taking them, to the bank, where they were Idantlfted by Mr. and Mrs "Joe. the woods with the prisoners, where the remainder of > was hidden and It was reThe money,waa returned to the bank Just before the hearing. Squire Byrne, during the bearlag. tt mated that It may appear to be an easy place to rob, but that they would dad it Jum as easy to get Justice aad the kind they deaerre. HeH Without Bail . Squire Byrne held them without ball to await the outcome of Mr. Tomlin’s Injuries. The court room was crowded, but > demonstration was made against the prisoners, though there was bn

The

trial waa covered by representatives the Philadelphia papers. One vetoran reportar. sensing the attitude of the assemblage, aaid. "I can readl(y understand why Jersey Justice fa effective." The remark waa orer,nd caused one of the listeners "Do you expect bandits to Into our community, strike ur beat men. rob ns and then have bouquets showered on them?”

The Bobbery .Details

The robbery, which waa the moat audacious eWr attempted in Cape May county, took place in the Tucksboe Natoual Bank. Uat Friday morn-

ing at d.SO o’clock.

The three above mentioned men. or youths, held up the bank, as narrated. While the robbery was In proMrs. Rebecca Gandy, who lives a few doors above the building, entered to '"'■fce a deposit When the bandits discovered her they oidered her to come In, but she rushed out

and spread the alarm.

William Dougherty, maneger of a chain store located nearby, rushed icthe bark. The bandits threaten-

ed to shoot him. ana ue

After shooting Mr. Tomlin sue striking down Mr. Rice and hfa wif.

who to employee as a clerk In th. bank, the youthful bandits gathered Wildwood

up the money, amounting to »?.- be-* Thot-. tl3 07. and rushed from the building. Dotu. Joseph Hicks. Walter Mason They leaped Into their ear threaten- „„ g^Biiing. The Ufa two lag to kill any person that triad to rajMd cptured the bandit* atop them aad dashed away. , ocean City responded with Chief

HdM ato—v at Car Johnson end I

» K Utm who lives adjacent to' About 4M tk * »°9«Uee armed wie'L^mrd the ct^i^OttOT * JU wlth wolverm.

took careful aim end fired. The load

The North Wildwood police divided into couples In the chase. The bandits got lost la the wooda aad retraced their stage toward Tuckahoe. They came to the Woodbine-Marshall-vll*e road, but did not crons as they discovered a State Police car patrolling the highway. Several times the bandits stated that they could hear

The attaatloa of StaulUng and Mason. North Wildwood policemen, was eted to tracka in the woods by a.

>. who to six feet of

traveling at oat

60 miles per hour before he reached

the outskirts of Court Hon

passed througa Swainton at a mile a minute. Laying with his coin at 9* *U

most oc the handle bars th registered 70 passing ClerTbe strong ecu there wind

sceuod to lift the motorcycle along at Ocean View, where the dial registered as high aa the speedometer read. 80

miles per hour.

The outcome of the affa! r v Justlned e speed. Sheriff Redding and

Deputy #amee Hoffman arrived a few minutes later. County Detective Unfreed followed. Stale Troopers Jeeeb and Wilson, who arrived a few minutes earlier, were busy getting Information from the excited populace.

Sheriff Redding, aa soon aa he learned the fact*, assisted by

Bishop, started to lay a chain to prevent any possible escape. The State

Police Headquarters were tafi

throw a cordon around all roads lead-

ing from the vicinity and to tend

ble to the aoei

State FaKee 4nive Vith Dop

First Sergeant Dawn

of the

State Police, arrived with a detail of mnt liarper. Corporals Verba aad Upgea aad Htingr worth, Parkhuret. Waugh. Leary. Duggerto. Kelly, KeelYoung and Connelly. They Lad three police dega. The word waa crisply passed that they ware to bring the bandits out of the woods dead

or alive.

Wildwood responded with Chief

Oakford Cobb. Sergeant Lynn For-

' three policemen. North

with Chief Al-

Sheriff Redding beared-the place

except ng the officia * ir men. The band, is

presented a forlorn appearance. ThHr clothing bad been torn In the breah and they received numerous scratches and bruises when their car overturned. They were thoroughly cowed when they were brought back, hand-

cuffed.

A woman'recognized Pettit as they were being brought into town. She shook h her/fist at him and said “What a fine non you have made ' The bandits were placed with their to the wall so that.they could be Identified by Mr. Rice and wife. The TIMES reporter naked Sheriff Redding for permission to question Pettit, which was granted. The police had recovered several thousand dollars in notes on the men, but a bag of change was missing. After asking several sundry questions the TIMES reporter asked: , “Pettit, what did fou do with the rest of the change?" He replied, "We left It In the "Where about in the woods?" he was naked. "I don't know exactly." County Detective Untreed inter-

.ss.'El

scattered

M completed the

rear curtains and ,

l« th. h«d. IhUM-l •’"“■gj™? hw a Mt-thl. th«rt Wrthh. 1.- ln XSi* T\»

the nearby towns were informed

saeed~ by~the~Reading Railroad sta- * on 0 “ Uo< * , A •HeertpUon of speea oy me . . . a couple of sunpecta was given to tlon Sheriff Redding. He phoned to Ralph commendsered n30l °^“ r 1| . , *"! Parent. County Detective of Cumberof the robbery spread Itas wUdflre vko piek ^ J 0M ^ through the Iowa. The bandits’ car “ Ba COUDl '' U - F p “

swerved on a slight curve In the front of the home of Mrs S P- AM**about a mile from the Marshallville-

Woodblne road, and upeet.

The men crawled out of the o' er turned ear and rushed through the ch'ckea yard of this farm. Mrz. Addison heard the taller man (PelUt) shout to his companions that -t was . "H— of a •**>' fro ® Bellepialn

.uliol W Tb.r .li~

In ths woods.

Meanwhile Mr. Tomlin was rushed to the ofgee of Dr. Clarence Way. at tea Isis City. Dr. Way administered drat aid treatment sad ordered Mr.

Not only did persons from Tuckahoe enter the hunt, but cl Use as from all the nearby localities. Word was forwarded to BellepUln. where Roland Masor. the owner of ser-ral saw mills, immediately closed hi. shop and directed kto force to enter the

hunt.

A number of the £taU Police patrolled the roods while their eompsa-

that be could show them where they a A tew minutes later the banware discovered la hiding., As i as one of the posse yelled at them, they aroee aad shouted "Don’t

kjot, we surrender."

Mena while County Detectives Figbee and Unfreed had gathered a nomof witnesses of the robtoiy. The a of the capture waa spread ng the pome and the bundlte were rushed to the Taokakoe Bank.

'“You had bettor know." PetUt remained silent Chief Cobb, of Wildwood, aaid personal rely: "Come on, sonny, it 1s bsttsr that

After they had been Identified by Mr. and Mra. Rios the bandits were whisked back to whore they entered the wooda aad the remainder of money was found. They ware t taken to Court House. On Saturday afternoon after Sheriff Redding warned them what they aaid would be used against them, the n made a confession, which was tal by a stenographer. The confess was corroboration, with more details, of their statement taken at the hear-

Xn. Bke’i Story Despite the fact that she was suffering frocp the terrible blow that she received In the morning when her bead was split by Pettit with a galvanized pipe filled with lead. Mrs. Rice refused to heed all admonitions to go home and rest, tried to persuade her. but the stated she would not go until he did, and Mr. Rice refused to go home until he was sure all the necessary details had been accomplished. Recognising the TIMHB reporter, she aaid: ‘T am glad to give any tacts possible to oar home paper. There have been so many reports and rumors." Asked If she though could tell what occurred, she "IH try." "I waa sluing at the desk here talking to Mr. Tomlin when the men. Laird and PetUt. came Into this I heard awnethlng going on at the bank window. The men told to hold up our hands, which we did. They bade ns to go In* room proper. AH *b.z time they were pointing revol ere at tt? " "Were you alarmed?" “Yen." she replied. "I waa afraid some thing would happen to Ed. The a placed ns here,” and she pointed a corner of the vault A pool oC blood waa mute evidence of what had transpired. “They were telling Ed to get the money. The next thing I knew I was on the floor. I did not feel the blow. I Imagined that I waa chloroformed. I was not fully conscious, but I had a recollection of Mr. Tomlin falling beside me, for I felt hfa arm tall across me. Then a shot waa fired. It must have b *n fired after be was on the floor, tor I felt bis arm before I heard the shot. I do not remember any details after

that" .

It appeared as though Providence j took care of both Mr. and Mra. Rice. How they eacaped having their skulls fractured from being struck with such a fiendish weap in the hands of a desperate criminal, even 'th'vigb It was a youth. Is a mystery. It required four stitches to eloee the wound In Mrs. Riee’s bead. She stated that Mr. Tomlin -did not offer to

resist.

There Is no question but what Mr. Rice was the coolest of the three during the holdup. Even after being InJuied. he maintained his composure and was able to glre the officials an accurate account of the occurrence. Mr. Riee't Story Mr. Rice kindly obliged the TIMES reporter by rehearsing the affair. He

said:

"The three men came In and one asked n.e to change a five dollar note. When I reach'd for the change he preaeed s revolver against my" coat right over my heart. I put my hands up. I could nee they were aovli and the presence of the gan waa t reassuring tor It looked as though It might go off at any time..”; At this Juncture Mra. Rice shuddered and laid her hand on her husband’s shoulder aad aaid: "It’s awful. Ed.

Who tad In the capture of the

Bank bandits.

gone aJ." Her eyes ware damp. Mr. Rice continued: "Re aaid, ‘Get the money.* X spurfor time and said. What money?’ He r eplied. ‘Quick, get the money or I’ll raoot you.’ Seeing It waa useless 1 want Into the vault. All the time he had me covered. I brought out the box with the least amount fat. ‘"They then forced me to stand face against the wall with my hands over my head. Some one struck me three times. The first blow struck my upraised hands and earned that injury,” exhibiting his bandaged hand. (Aa X-ray taken Saturday revealed that his fingers bad been broken.) “They took the money In the box.

lara laying nearby.” In regard to the amount of money stolen he stated: "I am unable to give you the exact figure, hut It was approximately $7,000. I understand several thousand has been recovered.” This conversation took place In the bank after the bandits had been taken away to locate the hidden money. Later Sheriff Redding stopped and informed Mr. Rice that the remainder of the loot had been recovered. It was $7,433.07. Rioe la very well known throughout Cape May County. He formerly w»a County Surrogate ar<i la now Secretary of the County Tax

Board.

Mr. Hem’ Story LUbura V. Hess, aged 63. who lives next door to the bank and who fired the shot that wounded Anderson, was asked by the TIMES reporter If he would relate the part that he took In the affair, as the TIMES was compiling an accurate account of all dels, He stated: ’About $.30 Friday morning I waa eating my breakfast. As you can see. I am a aoml-invalid, and I had restless night previous. This accounts for the late breakfast. I beard a abut fired, I said to my wife That la a nasty sound,’ and I went to the front porch and attempted to peer Into the bank through the window that tacee my house. The colored glam and frame work prevented from seeing distinctly, but I could see a man wearing an overcoat flitting around in the bank office. 1 hes'd a woman, who waa Mra. Rebecca Gandy, screaming. I then saw leaving the bank with a pototolver. Aa quickly aa my condition would permit. I rushed upstairs and obtained a shot gun. When I got on the porch again I noticed a car on the road opposite my house which leads Into the Reading Railroad atatlou and people were rushing around excitedly. I asked If that waa the ear and several persons yelled that It waa. < then noticed ■*-' of the occupants In the car had his revolver pointed at Mrs. Stille. who waa looking from her window. se on the opposite corner. 1 raised my shbt gun and took aim. the first cartrlage did not explode but the second shell scattered the buck shot through the curtain on the rear of the car and I since learned that It wounded one of the bandits. My Arthur, had In the meantime rushed for hts automatic revolver. This was apart and he was unable to take a shot at the fleeing bandits. The bandits returned fire, bnt their shots did no damage. My aon Arthur can tell you of the later details.'' Arthur Hess, aged 3$. stated: "A few minutes later, after I assembled my automatic, a car driren by John A. Leahy, a garage owner here, came Into sight. I quickly related what had occurred. We Jumped Into the car and followed the trail. We drove to BeUeplaln and spread the alarm. When we returned by the way of Weatherby road, we discovered the overturned motor '*r of the bandits. Corpbral Jeech and Trooper Wilson, of the State Police, had arrived at the scene a few minutes previous. We later took part in the search for the men. Mrs. Addison, who Uvea on •he road where the car overturned, showed us the direction In which the bandits had fled.” Walter ’talon, a 16-year-old boy of BeUeplaln. and Fred Clark, of Rlaley, N. J.. were instrumental In discovering the hiding bandiu. Clark, who U an old woodsman. caUed attention to the fresh made tracka In the woods. The boy. who was In the party directed by Policemen StnuUlng and Mason, of North Wildwood Police Department, said. "I will show you where they are.” and led the party to the vicinity of the bandits’ hiding place. Rlaley swung around where he could cover all the men In case they offered resistance. Am soon aa the party obtained a view of the bandiu they covered them with their -•--it guns and revolver* and yelled them. The bandits aroee. raised their hand* above their heads aad ahouted. “Don’t ahoot. we surrender." The capture of the bandits Is a uplendid compliment to the co-opera-tion of all branches of police. Sheriff Redding, who directed the capture. ’Ever since I have been In office I have been fortunate in receiving the cooperation of the State Police and the local police officials, but never before has the need of co-operation been better demonstrated. Personally I am elated at the apprehension of the offenders. It will show criminals that towns In Cope May county, even though they don’t have police patrolUng on their streets, are not so-called ‘easy picking.’ We must also thank the citizens who participated. Their assistance was invaluable.”