The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1883-06-27
PAID THE PENALTY.
-Four Arkansas Train Robbers Executed on
One Gallows.

Four Arkansas Train Robbers Executed on
One GalIows.
LITTLE Rock, Ark, June 22.-At Clarks-
vile, Johnson County, to- day Cove and Jim
Johnson, Mcdonald and Herndon, who, last
robbing the Little Rock and Ft. Smith Rail-
road train near Mulberry Station, were
ranged in the presence of a large crowd,
several thousand persons from several
Counties being present.
A Gazette special says: During the early
morning all the prisoners slept soundly and
talked freely to the persons admitted to
their presence. Considerable time was spent
by all in reading the Bible, and during the
talk Mcdonald described the white man he
murdered at Silver City, Montgomery Coun-
ty. George Johnson, leader OF the gang, said
he could have committed suicide any time
after the conviction, and would have done so
but for Jimmie, his nephew, also to be hung.
He pulled knife ont Of the lining in his
shoe, where it had long been concealed. The
prisoners ate hearty dinner at IL o'clock
and talked on commonplace subjects. Nc
Donald complained of being compelled to
leave a blind wife and children destitute,
and believed she would net survive him ten
days. She declared he was innocent of Con-
ductor Gains death. George Johnson said he
believed Jimmie fred the fatal shot, not
knowing what he was doing. Jimmie re-
piled that il be committed the act he did not
know it. At noon the guard approached and
pinloned the prisoners and put them in
wagon, which was followed to the scaffold by
q crowd numbering 5000.
On the night of March II of this year, q
little more than three months ago. the west
bound train on the Little Rock and Ft.
Smith Railroad was boarded by band of
four robbers at station known as Mulberry,
lust on the western border of and inside the
County OF Franklin.
They at once began yelling like Indians,
ana swinging their revolvers over their
heads, ordered the passengers 10 hold up
their hands. In the midst of the panic
caused by their presence Conductor Cain,
who had charge of the train, came into the
passenger car, and as he approached Jim
Hernd0n shot him and he fell.
Milton Lester, a break man, then ran to his
assistance, when Munroe Mcdonald shot him.
Jim JC hnson then rushed in to prevent Nc
Donald Fl ON firing again, when the latter,
in the excitement fired at Johnson but miss
ed him. Johnson at once returned the fire,
shooting Mcdonald in the face and inf letting
a severe wound, which crippled him so that
he could not escape with the others. Find
ing be could not get away Mcdonald assumed
the wounded passenger dodge, in which he
wss highly successful unul Lester, the
wounded treakman, got eyes on him and
recognized him on sighta as the robber who
had wounded him during the skirnish.
Conductor Cain died almost Immediately
when shot, and the killing of the conductor,
the woundipg Of the brakeman, and the Grip
plipE of one of their own gang, so demor
allied the desperadoes that they abandoned
their original purpose Of reaching the passen-
gers and hastily retreated, the two Johnsons
going in one direction and Herndon in
another, leaving Mcdonald, the wounded
one. in farm house near the station, where
he was subsequently captured. Lester, the
brakeman, was shot just below the left eye,
the sight of which was destroyed, but he
finally recovered. Cove Johnson was the
chief in planning the robbery, but Herndon
was chosen as leader in the attempt.