December 5

Attempted Auto Raid In County

Inexperienced thieves made unsuccessful attempts to steal three automobiles early Wednesday in the Fairfield area. Between 3 and 4 o’clock several men went into the David Metz garage, which had been left unlocked, and tried to steal the Chevrolet machine there. After endeavoring to get the car started, the thieves ran a short distance down the road to the stable at Edward Miller, located a short distance from the Metz Farm, and went through the exact same proceedings. They pushed the car out of the stable, abandoned it, and stole a blanket. In addition, the robbers also got away with a horse and buggy.

Failing to be discouraged at their unsuccessful efforts to secure a car, the thieves then drove the buggy down to C. P. Musselman’s farm and again made an unsuccessful attempt to get a car. Hearing the sound of a machine, Mr. Musselman thought that someone was in trouble and turned on the lights in his house. As the light was switched on, the thieves left the car, jumped into the team and drove away.

Mr. Musselman sent his son in pursuit of the team, but as daylight had not yet broken, the thieves made a successful escape. The thieves drove the buggy to Waynesboro where it was seen by several residents who said they were Negros. Failure to notify the Wayneboro police, however, prevented the Negroes capture and they drove through the city unmolested on their way either to Hagerstown or Chambersburg.

Public Sale

As a result of my pending divorce from my Former-Former Boozer husband, on December 7, I will offer at public sale the following: A twelve-year-old mule, who, like my husband, is as stubborn as they come. A nice old goat, who unlike the old goat I am unfortunately currently married to, does not have a week’s worth of food stuck in his beard. A portable pig-sty which resembles any room my husband has been in; a year’s worth of fire wood, some pieces as think as my dimwitted husband; a whiskey still, freshly holed with buckshot; 100 one-gallon jugs, freshly emptied of the whiskey that my husband preferred over doing a honest day’s worth of work; and, a towel my husband will cry in once he reads this notice and discovers what I have done with his precious “hooch”. Signed Becky Boyd

Cut In Train Service Effects Fairfield

“We might as well be wiped off the face of the map,” said a prominent Fairfield man when asked his opinion about the Western Maryland train service being stopped. His remarks well sum up the plight of persons living in Fairfield and other portions of western Adams County who are gravely affected by lack of train service to Gettysburg and all eastern points, which will cause their mail and newspaper arriving many hours behind ordinary schedules.

December 12

Railroad Men Convicted Of Theft

Harry Schwink, yardmaster of the Western Maryland railroad here, was found guilty in the circuit court of stealing lard, eggs and whiskey from freight cars of the railroad valued at more than $1,000. In another case, Harry Rhodes, a conductor for the railroad, pleaded not guilty to a charge of stealing whiskey valued at $270, but a jury found otherwise. Ed O’Connell, indicted with Rhodes, turned State’s Evidence and testified that he and Rhodes had robed the car and carried the whiskey to his home. O’Connell also said that half the men employed in the railroad yard are implicated in car robberies.

Alcohol Burned

A car attached to a Baltimore and Ohio Railroad fast freight, containing a full load of barreled alcohol, caught fire near Thurmont. The consignment was in route from New Orleans to Newark, New Jersey for foreign shipment. The flames were discovered when the train stopped for refueling. It was detached from the rest of the train in order to avoid spreading the flames. Upon hearing the news local bars emptied as patrons raced to the scene, with buckets, intent to reduce the source feeding the fire by carrying away as much booze as they could carry. It is reported a lively time was had by all.

Three Paroled

Samuel Stambaugh, 18, Earl Bentzekf, 21, and George Black, 20, all of Thurmont, were paroled by the court yesterday in consideration of their youth, previous good behavior, and the fact that they had good parents, after they had been found guilty of larceny of some automobile accessories belonging to Harry Fox, of Thurmont.

Angry – Commit Suicide

Mrs. Delaney Baker, aged about 36, whose husband was killed last year on the Western Maryland Railroad, shot and killed herself in the home of Weed Wolf, of Thurmont, while deputy Dutrow was waiting for her to prepare herself to accompany him to the Frederick city jail. For some time, Mrs. Baker has been keeping house for Mr. Wolf. It is understood that Wolf tried to get rid of Mrs. Baker, who was described as a high strung woman with nervous temperament, but she refused to go. On Wednesday she began breaking dishes and furniture about the house, and Wolf telephoned the sheriff’s office for help.

When the sheriff reached the Wolf home he placed Mrs. Baker under arrest and told her she would have to accompany him to Frederick. Being roughly clothed, the officer suggested she go upstairs and don some other apparel. While she was upstairs, the sheriff heard the sound of a revolver and upon investigation found that the woman had shot herself, the bullet entering the left breast and penetrating the heart. She lived about twenty minutes after the shooting. Wolf told the deputy that the woman had threatened on several occasions to shoot him and herself.

December 19

Winter Weather

Tuesday morning of this week was probably the coldest of the winter so far, the mercury dropping to near zero mark. Reports from Deerfield state that the thermometer was 5° below. The sky was free from clouds except now and then when snow would fall from the black cloud passing swiftly to the east.

Clarence Wallace Killed

Clarence Wallace, who shot and killed Leo Creager in October, was killed in Santa Barbara, California, last Saturday, while resisting arrest. It will be recalled how Wallace, along with his companion, had been arrested by Deputy Sheriff Lidie, and after making his escape from the Sheriff, was followed by Mr. Creager and others, and when cornered, deliberately shot Creager dead.

Luck fell to Detective Kahler, to be the first man to receive information indicating that Wallace was in California. On November 10, a letter from Ventura, California, written by Wallace, was received by an old friend, who alerted the detective. In the letter, Wallace said he was masquerading in Ventura under the name of Henry Daily. Wallace asked his friend to tell his old girlfriend he was ok and to write him back at General Delivery, Santa Barbara, under the name of Henry Daily.

A letter to ‘Daley’ was posted by the Santa Barbara police, who put the post office under watch night and day. When Wallace did not call for it, it was advertised a number of times in the unclaimed letter list. This, it is believed, brought the man to Santa Barbara from Ventura to claim the letter. As he stepped from the post office, a detective held him up at the point of a revolver. However, the fugitive attempted to grab at the pistol, where the detective fired three times. And so one of the most desperate and despicable men with whom this county has had to deal with was given his justice. Wallace had openly boasted that he would not be taken alive.

December 26

County Robber Eludes Sheriff

Early last Sunday morning, Edward Vincent, of Emmitsburg, entered the store of a fur dealer at Lewistown, and stole several thousand dollars worth of furs. After eluding all efforts to capture him, Vincent went to Baltimore where he supposedly disposed of his wares. Alerted that he intended to return to his old home near Fairfield via Emmitsburg, the Sherriff’s Office set up an ambush on Tuesday. They waited until they heard a truck lumbering up the road. As the machine drew near Deputy Sherriff Adelsberger sprung into the road and commanded Vincent to stop, but no attention was paid to the order. The Deputy Sheriff fired twice at the retreating machine. Early Wednesday morning Adelsberger took a trip to the former residence of Vincent between Emmitsburg and Fairfield and found two furs but saw no trace of the alleged robber.

Fall May Be Fatal

Miss Elizabeth Hobbs, aged 84 years, of Emmitsburg, was badly injured Saturday. She slipped on a step in her home and broke her hip. Due to her advanced age it was taught the accident would prove fatal, but her physician says he thinks she will recover.

Car Strikes Owen’s Creek Bridge

Last Friday night, around 2 o’clock, a large Palge Touring Car smashed into the bridge over Owen’s Creek on the State Road two miles north of Thurmont. From reports of those who visited the scene, considerable blood was found in the car, and whiskey bottles were found in and about the wreck. On Saturday it was stated one of the men involved in the accident visited the scene and took from a locker in the damaged car bottles of wine, whiskey and other alcohol and jumped in his car and drove away. Word is the occupants were returning from a dance in Emmitsburg.
 

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