The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1874-12-17
A Terrible Struggle With a Mailman

At Irvington, Washington County. ILL.,,
small town on the Illinois Central Rail-
road, few days since occurred frightful
tragedy. The conductor of northward-
bound freight train put off a man who APP
peared to be labOring under temporary in
sanity, with the request that he be closely
looked after, as he was not in a condition
| to take care of himself. The man was
taken to the railroad station by a. L..
Marsh and c. Rohman, but sometime
about midnight the lunatic made his es-
cape, and made a terrible effort to break
into the residence of Mrs. Barton. Again
he was taken back to the station-house by
Marsh, ROhman, John Nj. Driver and j.
L. WOmack, who bolted the doors of the
statiOn-hOuSe, remaining on the inside
with the mailman. The mailman seemed
| not to be satisfied with this kind of pro-
cedure, and drew a pocket-knife and adj
vanced toward Driver, saying Il will Kill
YOU, or YOU must kill me-" Driver at
j tempted to pacify the mailman, when he
struck at him with the knife, but Driver
evaded the blow. The mailman next
turned to Marsh. who was sitting near the
door, and stabbed him in the throat, the
blade entering to the right of the wind
pipe and passing out on the left side of the
neck behind the jugular vein. Marsh sank
to the floor, saying, Boys, he has killed
me-" Leaving Marsh, with fiend-like fe-
rOcity, the mailman sprang toward
Womack, who lodged his first blow, and
clinched the terrible fiend closely around
the waist, but he was large, powerful
man, and much more than a match for his
intended victim, and soon succeeded in
getting his right arm free, and commenced
to stab Womack in the back and head. who
cried to Driver to "knOck him down,
he is killing me-" Driver procured a
crowbar, and made an attempt to strike
the mailman, but he, with wonderful pre-
sence of mind, managed to keep WOmack
between himself and Driver. Driver still
made for WOmack's antagonist, but the
blow intended for the mailman fell with
terrible force on WOmack's right hand,
crushing it completely, rendering WOmack
helpless, who let 90 his adversary, who
then sprang at Driver and was received
with blow from the crow bar across the
left side of his head, which brought him
senseless to the floor. AT this juncture of
affairs, Driver and ROhman started out for
help. leaving Marsh, WOmack and the
maniac lying upon the floor. But scarcely
had they left when the mailman recovered
himself, and seeing his knife upon the
floor started for it, and WOmack, antic
pating his intentions, secured an iron
poker and again commenced the combat
for life. WOmack this time had equal
chances, and fought with the knowledge
that his life was az stake. Six times the
demon advanced towards Womack, and
six times he was brought to the floor.
Help soon came, and the insane man made
his escape, and the next morning was
found near the Baptist Church, almost
frozen to death. having stripped himself
of nearly all of his clothing. His wounds
were dressed. after which a warrant was
issued, and the unfortunate wretch was
committed to jail. Young Marsh received
every attention at the hands of his friends.
but died the next day. Wednesday, NOvem-
Der %, and at o'clock, Thursday morn
ing his murderer breathed his last. Wo-
mack's injuries were not serious, and he
will soon recover. What fearful night
was that at Irvington Railroad Station,
and, no doubt, it will long aforementioned
by the people of that place.