Shelby, Sept. 8—Officers late this afternoon had not been able to locate the person thought by the gang camp guard to have been the leader of the hooded and robed band that early this morning held up the guard, freed Dillard Dean, a prisoner, and departed after locking the guard up with the 30 or more convicts on the Cleveland county chain gang. However, officers seem to feel sure they know their man and will locate him soon.
The delivery was one of the most unusual and sensational ever known here. In the darkness about 2:30 this morning a band of men, robed and masked, some in white and others in black, appeared suddenly at the chain gang camp within the city limits of Shelby, overpowered the lone guard, took his gun and keys, unlocked the Deane youth and forced other prisoners to file off his chains. Then the 11 or 12 hooded men threw the guard, Louis Eads, and his cousin in the room with the white prisoners, locked the door and departed with Deane. A negro passing about daylight heard the guard’s cry for help and notified Sheriff Logan, who was forced to break down the doors in order to release the guard.
General supposition is that the delivery was not to harm Deane for the youth was badly frightened when he heard the masked men ask for him but his fears subsided after one of the masked party whispered in his ear as they stood over other convicts filing away Deane’s chains. It is also local opinion that the men were not Ku Kluckers, but posed as such, and were not even natives of this county, as Deane at the time of his conviction of assault on a woman lived in Gastonia, and prior to that time had lived in McDowell.
Deane, a young man, was sentenced to two years on the road at the July term of court for assault on a young Gastonia girl while on an automobile trip in this county. His brother, Crawford Deane, was given a 30-day sentence at the same time for simple assault, he having quieted another girl in the car while the affair took place in the rear seat. The younger Deane completed his sentence last week and inquiries were made at Gastonia tonight to learn if he was at home last night. Since the leader of the masked party apparently knew where to find files and other tools about the gang camp it is presumed here that he had some connection with the gang in the past. However, officers, until an arrest is made, will not name any one they suspect.
From the front page of The Concord Daily Tribune, Wednesday, Sept. 9, 1925
newspapers.digitalnc.org/lccn/sn92073201/1925-09-09/ed-1/seq-1/
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