Morning journal and courier., 1880-07-20
Three Bullets in His Head.
An Expressman Who Survived Three Pis-
 tol Shots.

An Expressman Who Survived Three PIs-
 tol shots.
 From the Boston Herald.
 As a specimen of human vitality-a man who seems to be utterly proof against pow der and buIIets-probably North. Adams pos sesses the champion of the world. TheWest- ern man whom the Herald told about few months since as having survived dislocated neck, and the murder who had to be extin- euished on a Connecticut scafold twelve hours after he had pierced himself through the heart. furnish no more remarkable in stances of the occasional tenacity of life than does MT. Thomas A. Halpine the North Adams agent of the American Express Com pany For nearly ten years he has survived and tended to business with less than three large bullets buried in his haad to such a depth as to be beyond the reach and rescue of the most skillful surgeons in the country. It was on the night of the 9th of January, 1871, that he was attacked while engaged as an express messenger between Albany and Boston, and his assailant was an old time Boston and Albany baggage master (and sub sequently an expressman between Spring field and Boston, )popularly known as t'Yank'' Filkins con the evening named, says Hal pine in a modest way, "I went to the office and made preparations for my usual trip to Boston It was @ clear, bright moonlight night, and was feeling unusually cheerful and happy as this was the last trip in the
 
 wife and myself had promised ourselves seve- ral little pleasure t1ips during the coming week, and as I left home that night said to her This is my last trip, you know little dreaming what was in store for me. When got into the car I found the stove was smoking, so opened both doors to let out the smoke, and they remained open for several minutes Just as the train started from the depot heard a noise, and looking up, dis covered man coming into the car. He said: Hello! is that you ? At first I thought it was Woodward, the other messenger on the route, and inquired: Where are you going, Woodward?' ? He replied: 'Oh, just across the river I had not taken a look at him un- til this reply, but the unfamiliar tone of his voice caused me to look up again, when I saw he was a stranger. Upon this said, I do not know you. I never saw you before. What is your name? Jones, said he, and I have run great many trips for this com do you make your first stop?' Thinking he was an old expressman, and a friend cf Woodward's only going across the river, and without the remotest idea that there was anything wrong about him, turn ed my head and commenced looking over my way bills, when bang went pistol and down I went. In an instant I knew what Jones was, but it was too late. I was down, and the blood was spouting from my mouth. My thoughts flew rapidly, and knew in few minutes we would be in the East Albany depot, and thought if I could get hold of him I could hold on until we got there. I arose on my knees, and, looking up, saw he was standing right over me with his pistol pointed at my head Instantly heard the report saw the flash and down went again. While lying on my back he stopped over, and, placing the muzzle of the pisto. close to my ear, fired a thtrd time. That fixed me, and I was unconscious for few minutes When came to the train was standing still. By tremendous effort got on my feet, walked to the center of the car and seized the bell rope, thinking to ring the bell on the engine and attract attention, but had not sufficient strength and fell to the floor. I, however, managed to crawl to the door. He came back and found me insenSble. l knew that I had been shot three times in the head, and the last shot thought had blown my head all to pieces. The remembrance of it is hor rible. The first shot entered on the right side below the ear and middle of my neck. It passed through and lodged under the left jaw-bone. The second shot entered my head just under the right eye, and the | third entered my right ear, and none of the balls have ever been extracted" When Mr. Halpine had somewhat recovered from the shock, he gave description of his assassin to | Conductor Sargent and Baggage Master Col son, and few days afterwards Filkins was arrested Suspicion, however, was first di- | rected toward him on account of his move ments and the tracing of the purchase of the | fatal pistol He was sent to the State pris- on, but subsequently, escaped Halpine, as already intimated, fully recovered and ex- | periences no i'll effects from the cargo of am | munition in his brain, except in very stormy weather. He believes, with many oth CTS, that Filkins is yet alive, and faintly cherishes the hope of sometime meeting him.