Edgefield Advertiser

Fatal Mistake.

Revenue Officers Shoot Each Other For Blockaders.

Four Wounded: One May Die.

Three Others Wounded in Unfortunate Encounter Near Chapel Hill. Each Party Mistook the Other for Blockaders and Got Busy With Winchesters. Deputy Collector Jordan of Raleigh, Desperately Wounded.

Greensboro, N. C., Special. Two raiding parties composed of revenue officers and possemen, neither knowing that the other party was composed of their friends, met while searching for an illicit distillery near Chapel Hill at 2 o'clock Friday morning and as a result of their mistake engaged in a miniature battle, in which four were seriously injured, two probably fatally. The two who are in the most serious condition are Deputy Marshal Jordan and Posseman Banks. Deputy Collector Hendricks who was in charge of one party was shot in the hip. He was brought here Friday evening. The name of the other man injured was not obtained.

Two raiding parties, one from Raleigh and the other from Durham, having received information that an illicit distillery was in operation about five miles from Chapel Hill, in Orange county, started out and reached the distillery at almost the same time. The party first arriving was busy cutting up the still when the other party arrived. The party in the still was taken by surprise and the officers opened fire on the others, thinking that they were the moonshiners who had been operating the illicit distillery.

There were just three men in each party, and all began shooting. Four of the six men were struck by one or more of the many shots that were exchanged. After the firing had ceased the men found to their surprise that no moonshiners were near and that they had been fighting their friends. The wounded ones were removed to a farm house and physicians called in from Chapel Hill and Durham.

Neither party knew that the other was out, but were aware that moonshiners in that part of the country had given the officers much trouble. They were not surprised when they met and both sides felt sure that they were fighting the hardy moonshiners.

Durham, N. C., Special. At a late hour Friday night all the men wounded in the raid of a still near Chapel Hill were doing well and are expected to recover.

The wounded are as follows:

Robert Hendricks, of Greensboro, deputy collector, wounded in hip, this being a flesh wound and not serious.

J. B. Jordan, of Cary, deputy marshal, wounded through side of stomach and in the hip. His wounds serious but not thought fatal.

T. E. Rigsbee, this city, posseman, shot through arm, not serious.

John R. Banks, Raleigh, posseman, bone in leg below knee crushed by bullet and it may be necessary to amputate leg. That has not yet been decided.

The only two of the six officers who escaped without being wounded are D. C. Downing, deputy collector, of Raleigh, and A. L. Pendergrass, posseman of this city.