Note: This isn't an April Fool's joke. You can't make this stuff up. --Ed.
Rumors are flying in Delhi that the Tractor Supply Co. store on Main Street was hit by armed robbers on Wednesday. The stories vary, with some of the more extravagant ones describing multiple gunmen. According to the Delaware County Sheriff's Office, none of them are true.
"It's a good story, but it didn't happen," said Michelle Murray, the communications supervisor at the Sheriff's Office, who says that she has spent the week dispelling the rumor.
What did happen, according to Murray and Senior Sheriff's Office investigator Karl Vagts, is that the State Police out of Margaretville were investigating a report of a possible burglary-in-progress on Wednesday afternoon in the vicinity of the Tractor Supply Store.
"Apparently there were some troopers down there in that area," Vagts said. "Whether they were even in the store is unclear."
According to a State Police incident blotter, state troopers out of Margaretville investigated a report of a suspicious person in Delhi at 3:30pm on Wednesday afternoon. The blotter reports that the incident was closed after an investigation.
Still, once a story gets around, it's hard to shake. Vagts said that he has been fielding panicky calls for days: "I actually got a call last night at my house. First thing yesterday morning, I got a call from the local bank security officer saying that 'We put all sorts of security measures into effect.'"
"The rumors that are going around are absolutely crazy." Vagts said. "I heard there were three men. If there were a real robbery, we probably wouldn't have heard anything."
