Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-02-24

A Lively Shooting ARRAY in Which Two
Prisoners Escape.


SAN ANTONIO, TEXAs, Feb. 21.-A
shooting affray occurred to-day on the In
ternatIOnal train from Austin to this place,
resulting in the instant death Of United
States Marshal Costing and the probable
fatal wounding OF others. The particulars
OF the tragedy are CLEANED from William
Lambert. Secretary OF the Texas Live
Stock Association, who made the trip
from Austin in GOsling's company. He
said for some time past two mail robbers
have been on trial at austin. The Of
tense for which they were arraigned
was the robbery of Smithwick Mills
post office, in Burnett county. Their
names are Pitts and Yeager. They
are members of the gang of which the
BrannOns, lately slain in Missouri, were
leading spirits. Their numerous friends
and relatives have packed the halls of
justice since the commencement OF the
trial. They were yesterday convicted
and sentenced for lite and placed under
the charge of Marshal GOsling, who
started with them for san Antonio to-day.
1--WE left Austin at 4:30 O'Clock" said
Mr.. Lambert Before leaving | heard
Costing say in reply 10 question from
one Of his deputies: Tell Pitts viii let
his wife 20 with him the whole way TO
san AntOniO.' Costing had the two pris-
Oners manacled together by the wrists,
and in company with Deputies Manning
| and Looring got on the train. Friends of
| the prisoners also got on the train, in
GLIDING Mrs. Pitts, wife of one OF the
| prisoners, who sat beside him; Miss
Yeager, a girl of Is, sister Of the prisoner
Yeager, Pitts mother. Mrs. Pitts mother,
| BrannOn, brother Of the slain Missouri
/ desperad0, and about hve other
men. One of the deputies had
,o1 M
! at escape would be made, but
he paid no attention to it, and went into
! the ladies' car. During his absence | saw
| Mrs. Pitts and Miss Yeager pick up a
| small black Yalise and 60 with 1t into the
| ladies' car. Presently GOsling returned,
| and the women came after him, resuming
their former positions. Mrs. Pitts had her
arm around her husbands neck. GOsling
| sat in front of me. 1 saw his pistol pro-
| truding from inside his vest. When told
of it he laughed and pushed it further in.
| | was looking out OF the window when l
heard noise. l can't say what. | turned
and saw Pitts, whose right hand was free,
| in the act of bringing down his pistol.
| Yeager held his pistol in his left hand.
| The two fired at GOsling simultaneously.
| He had half risen from his seat and was
feeling for his pistol, but sank back again
| without murmur. Manning and LOOr-
| ing mad their weapons out and the firing
grew general. The car was crowded.
The reports Of the pistol shots were in
cessant, and the smoke filed the COM
partment so densely it was almost impOs-
| sible to see the forms of the men, and
women could be dimlY discerned as they
sank to the ground. but who was killed
or who was killing could not be learned.
| heard Manning say, who was then stag
gering from a wound, pm get every one
of them, but his pistol hung fire. He was
shot again and fell to the floor. LOoring
and the conductor were getting in their
work, bit the prisoners who were still
shooting bore a charmed life. The
women sank to the floor and pa
| tiently waited the result Of the desperate
battle. In the hurry and excitement of
| the moment Pitts and 6eager, still chained
together, waving their pistols over their
heads, reached the door and sprang to the
ground from the rushing train. AS they
struck the earth they fell, and passen-
ger fired at them, and says he struck one
| Of them. They disappeared in the woods.
Re-entering the car l found that Mrs.
Pitts mother, who weighs 200 pounds,
was shot through the stomach and was
| dying; Miss Yeager was shot twice, once
in the leg and once in the hip, and Deputy
Marshal John Manning was shot IN the
| neck and left shoulder. He is badly
wounded. GoSling lay dead across the
cushioned seats"
The affray happened four miles from
New Braunfels, and when the train
reached there the wounded women and all
of Pitts friends were put off. The wO-
men were placed where medical aid could
be given, and the men were lodged in Jail.
Deputy Marshal Manning and Marshal
Gosling's body were brought here. Depu-
ty Marshal LoOring got off at New
Brauufels, formed posse, and immedi-
ately started in pursuit of the criminals.
Capt. Shelly, Of the State troops, is also
there and on a hot trail.
United States Marshal Costing was
native of Tennessee, and entered upon
his duties during the present admins
| trati0n. He was about So years old and
leaves a widow and two children. He
was au old newspaper man and a promi-
nent Republican politician in this section.
Of Pitts and Yeager little is known except
that they have been for long time notOri-
Gus road agents, and were run down by
United States officers.