Reprinted with permission from Washingtonpost.Newsweek Interactive and The Washington Post.

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Thursday, August 20, 1903 TAKOMA'S STREET RAILROAD Town Council Undertakes to Operate the Wildwood Line The town council of Takoma Park, Md., has completed arrangements to operate the Wildwood Railroad, between the water tower and Wildwood junction. Action to that effect was taken by the council at a special meeting held Tuesday night in the adoption of the report submitted by a special committee charged to ascertain whether the road would be assured of financial support. The committee reported a schedule for running cars, offered several recommendations relative to the management of the line, and showed that by the sale of a sufficient number of twenty-four trip tickets months for $1, payable in advance, the project could be carried out. At the close of the meeting these passes were subscribed for. The schedule adoption is arranged so that the Wildwood car will make five trips in the morning and the same number in the evening daily, except Sunday, in time to connect with the cars of the Brightwood line at the Takoma junction of the Wildwood line. The car will only be operated between the junction and the water tower on Carroll Avenue. The special committee was instructed to complete the arrangements and begin the running of the cars. If the experiment proves successful, and traffic warrants, a closer schedule of cars will be made. The operation of the Wildwood Road recently reverted to the mayor and council of Takoma Park. Thursday, April 14, 1904 WILDWOOD CASE HEARD Defendants Pleaded Guilty and Sentence was Suspended Special to the Washington Post Upper Marlboro, Md., - April 13. - The cases against Benjamin Andrews and Robert Turner, who conducted the poolroom at Wildwood, this county, near the District of Columbia line, which was raided several times last summer by ex-Sheriff Hardisty and a number of deputies, was taken up in the Circuit Court for Prince George County here to-day. These cases were for conducting a gambling house. Turner and Andrews both pleaded guilty, and the court suspended sentence in both cases for two years, with costs to the defendants. The court told them that as this was their first offense and as they had promised not to engage in this business again, their sentence would be suspended, but the court reserved the right ot call them before him and inflict a sentence.

Monday, April 18, 1904 RIOT IN WILDWOOD RAID Officers Set Upon by Patrons of the Resort ONE OF THE ASSAILANTS HURT Struck on the Head with Stone and is Said to Be Badly Injured - One Arrest Made and Constable Vincent Says He will Arrest Every Man To-day that Was on the Place - Battle in the Pines Special to the Washington Post Hyattsville, Md., April 17. - There was much excitement and some bloodshed this afternoon at Wildwood, a resort located near the District of Columbia line, in Prince George County. For some time past Constable R. H. Vincent, of Bladensburg, has been receiving letters from the vicinity of Wildwood that the law against gambling and Sunday liquor selling was being violated at that place, and this afternoon, accompanied by Deputies George N. Stonnell and A. H. Dahter, he drove over to investigate. The officers had little difficulty in securing an entrance, and easily procured the usual refreshments. While Officer Vincent was talking with the manager of the place, and was about to place him under arrest, several patrons of the resort were planning an attack upon one of the deputies on account of his poliitical affiliations. Precaution had been taken to secure the doors against the constable's exit, but the officer's ears were open, and, learning of the contemplated attack, he broke open the door and was soon engaged in a rough and tumble fight on the outside. Several of the attacking party had stones in their hands, and Constable Vincent, with revolver in one hand and handcuffs in the other, kept them at bay. A big fellow by the name of Brown appeared to be the aggressor, and during the melee was struck on the head with a stone by one of the deputies and, it is feared, seriously wounded. His head tnd face were covered with blood. While in the act of handcuffing one of the prisoners a deputy was struck in the face, which was badly scratched. Battle in the Pines Wildwood is located in dense forest of pines, and is reached by a narrow path from the electric railway fully a mile and a half away. For about fifteen minutes Constable Vincent and his deputeis and a half dozen patrons of Wildwood carried on a battle in the almost impenetrable pines. Stones were flying in all directions, and for a time it looked as though somebody would be badly hurt. It was only due to the courage displayed by Officer Vincent that the fight was ended. A man named Pierce was placed under arrest and brought to Hyattsville and secured in the town lockup. Vincent says all the parties are well known to him. He expects to secure half a dozen warrants to-morrow, and is determined to secure the arrest of every man who was at Wildwood to-day. He says he intends to break up the illegal selling of liquor at this place. It is stated that the proprietor of Wildwood is a woman.

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