Norman L. Riegle (1886-1942) was born in Specktown, Lykens Township, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, the youngest child of Harrison Riegle (1840-1899) and Hannah [Rickert] Riegle (1847-1919). He married Lydia Helt (1883-1942) of the Lykens undertaker and furniture dealer family. After learning the undertaker trade, Norman Riegle set up business in Robesonia, Berks County, Pennsylvania. In January 1922, while supposedly delivering a load of furniture and/or going to embalm a body, he was held up and wounded on his way home by a “gang” of men. While an arrest was made, no one was ever convicted and the crime went unsolved.
The headline pictured above states:
ROBESONIA MAN WAS VICTIM OF GANG OF ARMED BANDITS
Norman Riegel Held Up and Shot While Returning Home After Delivering Load of Furniture Near Bernville
Robbed of Money
Taken To A Reading Hospital
Here follows is a series of news articles from local newspapers describing the incident. Note that the Riegle surname name was often misspelled as Reigle, Reigel, and Riegel.
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From the Elizabethville Echo, 19 January 1922:
NORMAN REIGLE SHOT
Last Thursday night, Norman Reigle, formerly of this place [Elizabethville], now residing in Robesonia and who is in the furniture and undertaking business there, was held up on the highway about two miles from his home by three bandits, after being called out during the night on a supposed business trip.
Mr. and Mrs. Reigle and their family were getting ready to retire when the telephone rang. There was some doubt whether it was his ring or not, as the call did not come through the exchange and was not distinct. He finally answered and was told that he was to come to a farmhouse to embalm a man who was said to have died. Mr. Reigle knew the man whom he was to embalm and replied that he would come as soon as he could get an assistant. He was then told to never mind that because there were three robust sons there who would help him.
Mr. Reigle said he would come immediately, whereupon he was told to go to the last house at the end of town and if he saw the lights there he should stop because some of the relatives of the corpse wanted to go along out with him. If however, he would see no light, he would know that they had already left, and he should then come straight out.
Shortly after ten o’clock, Norman gave his wife good night, and left the house. He went to the last house in the town but saw no lights, and proceeded out into the country at a fairly speedy rate. When he came to two small turns in the road he slowed down, and at the first bend a man stepped out and tried to stop him. Norman put on speed and the bandit jumped to the side, but the next second two others stepped out and his car went headlong into the bank. A shot was fired which was aimed for his chest, but due to the heavy windshield which he had made from the glass of an old hearse, the bullet flattened, barely piercing the windshield. A second shot glanced off the license tag which was fastened on the top of the radiator. The third shot which followed closely affected the lighting system and the lights went out. He was then seized and after putting up a terrific struggle was finally robbed of a gold watch, a pen knife, and eight dollars in bills. Mr. Reigle said: “Boys don’t shoot. I’ve got a wife and family at home.” But before leaving one of the bandits said in Dutch, “Des iss was du griksht for dich wars,” (this is what you get for resisting) and he fired the fourth shot which struck in the abdomen. The bullet did not penetrate but ripped the muscle across the stomach. Norman then keeled over and was unconscious for perhaps an hour.
Upon regaining his senses he crawled on hands and knees towards a farm house. An automobile came but refused to stop. He was on the verge of collapsing when another automobile came. He signaled them and they stopped. As fortune had it a doctor was on the car and the treated his wounds and made him warm. Then they took him home and from there to the hospital. Had he not received aid when he did it is believed he would have died of exposure.
Mr. Reigle is a son-in-law of Mrs. D. D. Helt of Lykens and has many friends in this vicinity. Latest reports say his condition is as good as can be expected and that if no complication sets in he will probably recover soon. Two men have been arrested as being implicated in the plot and detectives who are working on the case believe the entire gang will soon be rounded up.
Several State Police later searched the scene of the hold-up. The bullet which pierced the windshield was found in the car and was said to be of a 38 caliber revolver. The money, torn in shreds was also found nearby. It was later learned that the man who was supposed to have been dead is still very much alive.
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From the Reading Times, 6 January 1922:
ROBESONIA MAN VICTIM OF ARMED BANDITS
Norman Riegel Held Up and Shot While Returning Home After a Business Trip
Wounded Man Brought to Local Hospital
A daring holdup and an attempt to perpetrate murder, occurred near Robesonia last evening when Norman Riegel, a prominent undertaker and furniture dealer of that place, was held up by three armed men on the Bernville Road while proceeding toward Robesonia in his motor truck. He was compelled to alight and then was shot in the abdomen by one of the men, who fled after relieving him of all the valuables in his possession.
Mr. Riegel had delivered a load of furniture to a family residing about four miles from Robesonia, on the Bernville Road, and was returning home. At a dark spot near a turn three armed men sprang from the side of the road and commanded the driver of the truck to halt. Only one of the men addressed Mr. Riegel, and he spoke in Pennsylvania German. It was too dark for Mr. Riegel to see whether the men were masked. After alighting he was ordered to throw up his hands, but before he could do so, one of the men fired. Riegel was then robbed of the the money in his possession.
The attempted murder and holdup was not discovered at ones. Riegel lay along the road several hours before he was found and taken to Robesonia for medical attention.
Shortly after the holdup one party passed the spot and saw Riegel in the road, but evidently believing it was a frame-up they passed on.
FIND WOUNDED MAN
Last evening there was a Masonic Lodge meeting at Robesonia and at about 11 o’clock, Dr. Fahrenbach, of Bernville, while returning home with friends, found Riegel lying along the side of the road. They brought him to Robesonia, and physicians were called who administered first aid. Riegel recovered sufficiently to give an account of his experience.
Meanwhile Dr. Fahrenbach got in touch with Dr. Oscar Fox of the staff of St. Joseph’s Hospital and arrangements were made to bring the injured man to Reading. He was moved after midnight by automobile to that institution.
The Consolidated Operator at Wolelsdorf was notified of the affair and communicated with the Reading police authorities, who in turn notified the state police at Wyomissing, and Sergeant Haggerty assumed charge of the chase, and with motorcycles the upper end of the county was scoured. Sergeant Haggerty also notified Pottsville and Hanburg, and a thorough search is being made despite the meager description secured from the wounded man.
RECEIVED PHONE CALL
While awaiting the machine which was to bring him to Reading, Mr. Riegel suddenly remembered that he had received a telephone call earlier in the evening requesting him to come and embalm a body at a home along the Bernville Road. He believes the message came over the party line from a telephone on which his phone is connected, because of the weak ringing of the bell. There is at least one pay station on this line, and it is impossible to trace the call.
It is believed that the message was a decoy intended to trap the man.
PROBE FOR BULLET
At 1:40 this morning the wounded man was brought to St. Joseph’s Hospital, and after a brief consultation by physicians it was decided to probe for the bullet at once. Dr. Fox was called upon to operate.
An X-ray was made of the wound an the plate developed at once.
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From the Harrisburg Evening News, 9 January 1922:
Roy Moyer, 25 years old, of North Heidelberg, has been arrested in connection with the shooting of Norman Riegel, a Robesonia merchant, several days ago.
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From the Reading Times, 9 January 1922:
FOUR SUSPECTS IN HOLD-UP CASE
County Detective Krick, Constable John W. Smith, Sergeant Haggerty of the State Police force, and Pivate Thornton of the Wyomissing Barracks, State Police, on Saturday afternoon, took into custody with the waylaying and shooting of Norman L. Riegle, Robesonia undertaker.
One of them, Roy Moyer, aged 25, of North Heidelberg Township, had a revolver in his pocket when taken into custody, the officers said. He was arrested on Alderman Harry Wolf’s warrant, Constable Staub serving the papers. Moyer was committed for a hearing.
The other three men were released on Saturday night. Two of the four were taken into custody are from Montello and other two from North Heidelberg township.
On the night of the assault upon Mr. Riegle the four men claim to have been at Montello. They stuck to this story throughout the stiff cross-examination conducted by the state and county authorities. Police were unable to shake the stories of any one of the four and when Mr. Riegle was unable at the hospital to identify them, the three were released.
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And, a related story from the Reading Times, 10 January 1922, indicating the postponement of a case involving Norman L. Riegel:
WEEK’S CIVIL COURT
Among the cases continued was that of John J. Reifsnyder and Clarence J. Reifsnyder, trading as John J. Reifsnyder and Son against Norman L. Riegel. The defendant, Mr. Riegel, was held up and shot a few days ago ind is now confined in a local hospital. He is the Womelsdorf undertaker who received a call and while on his way to the place in question was held up and arrested.
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The headline featured at the top of this post is from the Lebanon Semi-Weekly News, 9 January 1922, and was part of a similar article that appeared in the Reading Times, 6 January 1922, transcribed above. All news articles are from Newspapers.com.
Corrections and additional information should be added as comments to this post.