Elmira, Ohio, was thrown into terror in the early hours of the morning when a gang of heavily armed robbers swept into town and turned the quiet streets into a scene of violence, gunfire, and alarm.
The men came prepared for trouble. After stealing a horse and buggy, they forced their way into homes, broke down doors, and robbed frightened residents before fleeing into the darkness.
The night raid quickly became something far more dangerous when a young man named Baird took up pursuit and opened fire on the gang.
The chase drew in Marshal Karhon, who arrived on the scene only to be struck by a bullet through the hip. He fell fatally wounded, while the robbers continued their flight toward the home of Superintendent Hillier of the Cleveland, Elyria & Western Railway.
There, the night reached its violent climax. As one of the robbers began breaking into Hillier’s door, Baird fired again.
Roused by the noise and danger at his own threshold, Hillier armed himself with a shotgun and waited.
When the door gave way, he fired, killing the intruder instantly. A second blast struck another member of the gang, though that man managed to regain his feet and escape with the others.
By morning, a posse had taken up the hunt.
Robbers Hold Up An Ohio Town
ELMIRA, Ohio. — A gang of robbers, heavily armed, entered the city at an early hour this morning. They stole a horse and buggy that was accessible to them, broke in doors and terrified and robbed the inhabitants of two residences.
From the second scene of robbery they were followed by a young man named Baird, who opened fire on them.
Marshal Karhon, who appeared upon the ground, received a bullet through the hip and fell fatally wounded.
The robbers jumped into a buggy and drove toward the residence of Superintendent Hillier of the Cleveland, Elyria & Western railway. Baird continued in pursuit and again opened fire as one of the robbers began to break in Hillier’s door.
The tumult aroused Hilliar, who, loading his shotgun, he literally blew the robber’s head off as the door fell open. Thereupon the rest of the gang turned and ran. Hillier fired the second barrel after them, bringing one of the to the ground, who quickly regained his feet and escaped.
A posse is now in pursuit of him.
The body of the dead robber was elegantly dressed.
Source: The Spokane Press. Spokane, Wash. November 14, 1902.
