The Rugby gazette and east Tennessee news. (Rugby, Morgan Co., Tenn.) 1884-188?, 1885-06-06
MADMAN ON A TRAIN.
Well Armed and of a Murderous
Mind.
Takes Possession of Car and Holds 1t for
Hours, Firing at Everybody and Every
thing in Sight.

CHICAGO May 31.--When the express
train on the Wabash Road left Kansas
City Saturday evening, Louis Reume,
travelling agent for tobacco workshop De-
troit, was one of the passengers. There
were in all about twenty people on the
train, which consisted of a baggage car,
passenger car, reclining chair car and
sleeper. Reume, who was evidently the
worse for liquor, had large flask of
whisky, with which he paraded the cars
during the first few hours of the trip, try
ing to pursuade the passengers to drink
with him. When his offers were re-
fused he became sullen, and finally, at
about nine O'Clock, he retired to the chair
car, without, however, going to sleep There
were but three or four passengers beside
him in that car, and these left when
Reume's strange antics became too obvious.
AS soon as Reume was the sole occupant of
the car he evidently determined to remain
so, and he resented all persuasons to the
contrary by flourishing a huge bowie
knife in one hand and firing with the other
from heavy six -shooter. Whenever the
train stopped at stations Reume retreated
to the wash -room, firing out of
the windows of the closets, and
threatening in the most deter
mined manner to kill any one who would
dare to come near the car. Between sta
tions he walked the aisle, watching the
door of the sleeper and the passenger coach
between which the chair-car run. He
never slep q minute. At Peoria, ILL.,, where
the train made a change of conductors, j.
G. HaZelton, of jamestown, n. Y, passen-
ger agent of the Southern Kansas Railroad,
who was on the train and knew Reume,
made an attempt to quiet the
mailman down, but Mr.. Hazelton
had to beat a hasty retreat, because
he was greeted with a demoniacal yell
and the threat: "I'll shoot you as well as
any other" The threat was followed by
two shots from Reume's revolver. Some
bananas prepared with morphine were
thrown into the car and Reume ate them,
but the drug was not strong enough. BY
this time the authorities all along the line
had been notified, and at FL Paso, ILL.,, the
Marshal made an attempt to secure the
maniac. About a dozen shots were fired
by both parties without avail An effort
was then made to sidetrack the car
in which the mailman held sway. The
sleeper was detached, but Reume rushed
out onto the platform of his car and com
PEELED the terrified train hands at the point
of his revolver to desist from further inter-
ference. At Englewood Valentine Spuck
tried to board Reume's car, not knowing
the state of affairs. He was warned off
by q bullet which grazed his throat
without infiicting serious wound.
At Twenty second street Reume took
the platform, and at Twelfth street he
returned to the wash-room. firing OCCASION
ally through the windows. AS soon as the
train reached the Polk street Depot the po-
lice, under Lieutenant Laughlin, made
a rush for the car. The rear end of it was
literally riddled with bullets. Amid flying
missiles Reume dashed from the train, firing
a shot at Policeman Con Barrett,
who attempted to board the
car, killing him instantly. Reume,
followed by a bowling mob headed
by the police, ran up Fourth Avenue, re-
ceving two shots in the back. At the
corner of Fourth Avenue and Polk street
Reume faced his pursuers. The mob scat
tered, but Lieutenant Laughlin jumped at
the madman's throat, and a terrible hand
to-hand struggle ensued, during which
Reume buried the butt of his
revolver in the brave officers skull.
During this scuffle Amos Lyons, negro,
who mistook Laughin for the maniac, hit
the officer a fearful blow with a brickbat;
but the officer held on, and Reume was Sc
cured. On his person were found cart
ridge-Lelt for sixty shots, of which fifty
were gone, and "A -caliber Colt revolver,
of the Navy pattern, Reume is at present
Q0:30 p. n.y. in dying condition at the
hospital