Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1885-06-05
BATHS WITH . MADMAN.

BATTLE WITH q MADMAN.
A wel-Armed Lunatic Takes Possession
OF Wabash Passenger Car at Kansas
City-He Defies Arrest and Holds All
Corners at Hay Until the Train Reaches
Chicago-His Capture In the Latter City
Only Effected After He Kills One Police
man and Receives Mortal Wounds.
CHICAGO, June 1.-Offieer Cornelius Bar
rett was shot and killed at the Polk street
depot yesterday afternoon by Louis Reaume,
an insane passenger on the 1886 Wabash
train Reaume was shot three times in the
back and is not expected to recover. lie is
at the County Hospital.
When train No. 6. on the Wabash line,
which arrived in Chicago yesterday after
noon. left Kansas City, Reaume was among
the passengers. He was constantly passing
through the train with huge revolver in his
hand. saying that some persons in Denver
were trying to lynch him, but that he intended
to sell his life rs dearly as possible When
the new crew came on at Peoria they were
warned to look out for him. Reaume wan
dered through the cars while the train was
in motion, but whenever it made stop he
would lock himself in the saloon and gaze
out of the window with his revolver in his
hand At the outset Ire also had big
knife, but a baggageinaster managed to Dor
row it aid did not give it back. When Ell
Paso, ILL.,, was reached the City Marshal
started to arrest Reaume. The latter fired
two shots at him, which were returned, but
the Marshal did not persist in his attempt.
There were about fifty passengers on the
train, twenty of whom had been riding in
the same cara reclning-chair car-with
Reaume At FL Paso Reaume drove them
all out at the point of his revolver. An
attempt was then made to cut off the reclin-
ing-chair car from the train, but Reaume
again presented his gun and threatened to
blow hole through any one who touched
his car. Reaume remained monarch of all
he surveyed until he reached Chicago. At
Chenoa Conductor Putnam sent the follow
ing dispatch:
cd0o: have an insane man in my train who
has possession of one car. Policemen at Kan.
sas City, Jacksonville, and Peoria all afraid to
men out on No. to take him when we arrive
in Chicago They had better come in citizens
clothes and will have to look sharp or some
one will get hurt"
The conductor and all the train men took
paths W WdiH pthooStSCio liOt W 81 ACot tAiO
chair car, but Just as the train was leaving
Englewood Valentine Spuck, resident Of
that suburb, jumped upon the platform Of
Reaume's car. The latter resented this
trespass upon his peculiar domain by firing
shot which graZed Mr.. Spuck's chin
and cut off one Of his coat but
tons. When the train arrived at the Polk
street depot fourteen policemen in plain
clothing were in waiting. The policemen
stood on either side of where the car was
to stop. AS it came to standstili smoke
was seen issuing from one corner, and the
report of a revolver followed Immediately.
Officer Barrett staggered back, and eXclaim-
ing: II am shotw fell into the arms of
Officer Herman. He did not speak again,
and died ten minutes afterward in the
ladies' waiting room of the depot
Reaume did not cease firing until he had
fired nineteen shots from the car-window,
rapidly Ieloading his six-shOotsr as fast as
it was emptied. Lieutenant Laughlin crept
along the west side of the car and fired q
shot through the window near where
Reaume was. This caused him TO emerge
from the car, and he made dash north
around the head of the train. He continued
to discharge his weapon until it was empty,
and ran west toward Fourth avenue,
followed by the officers and large crowd
of citizens. Everybody VINO had gun be-
gan to fire, and probably $50 shots were
heard in the next five minutes Lieutenant
Laughln headed the pursuit and soon
caught up with Reaune. The latter
snapped his pistol in the Iieutenaht'S face,
but the plucky officer grabbed him by the
throat and soon had him OH his back.
After a desperate struggle the mailman was
dsarmed and taken Is the Armory, where
an examination showed that he had been
shot thr e times in the Back, twice under
the shoulder, aid once in the small of the
back.
Reaume SAID in reply to numerous ques-
tions that he was thirty-three years of age
and was born in Crosse Isle, an island in
the Detroit River. He belonged to the
well-known Canadian-French family of the
ReaunleS. lie was a freScO-
painter, and had lived most
of his life in Detroit bVt for few years
had lived in Denver, Col. He said
they We're going to lynch him there, but he
didn't know why, as he hadn't done any
thing that he knew of. His wife and only
child were now in Denver. Within a short
time he was removed to the County Hos
Iital In the patrol wagon handcuffed and
guarded by several officers.
The officers can not agree as to whether
he is simply insane, victim of delirium
tremens, or has committed some crime for
which his head was m danger At one
o'clock this morning Reaume was reported
TO be little more comfortable He was
sleeping quietly.
DENVER, Col, June Louis Reaume
left Denver on Friday evening for Detroit,
Mich, to visit his mother, Mrs. George w.
Thompson. lie had received intelligence
of his mothers illness and left here mex-
pectedly. Reaume bore good reputation
here. He seldom drank liquor, and was
dutiful to his family.