The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1885-02-25
TWO TEXAS WOMEN.
They Place Pistols in the Hands Of
Manacled DesperadOes, Who Shoot
Their CustOdians.
Marshal Gosling and One of the
Women and the Despe-
radios Killed.
TERRIBLE SHOOTING AFFAIR
In a Railroad Cara Deputy Marshal
Killed by Two Desperadoes Under
His Charge.

SAN ANTONIO, Feb. % Marshal Gosling,
accom- panied by two of his trusted deputies,
J. F. Manning and ]. L. Loving, were con-
veyiDg two United States prisoners from
Austin to San Antonio for safe-keeping.
The prisoners were James Pitts and Charles
Yeggar, who have won notoriety in Tampa
sas and Burnett Counties as highwaymen
and Postoffice robbers. The officers and
their prisoners occupied seats in the smok-
ing car on opposite sides of the coach. The
priso ners were securely nandcutfed together.
They were escorted by Mrs. E. A. Drown,
the grandmother of Pitts. and Miss Rosa
Yeggar, sister OF one of the prisoners. The
women occupied seats Immediately in front
of the prisoners, who. in turn, were escorted
by tour men occupying seats removed from
them, The smoking Car was well
filed with passengers, among whom were
several cattle men in flow of spirits.
AS the train pulled ont of San Maries, the
two women left the smoker. carrying with
them leather valise, into the first second
class coach adjoining. After short absence
they returned TO the smoker and occupied
prisoners. This maneuver attracted
the officers attention, and deputies,
who eyed the prisoners closely until
they became satisfied that al was
well. The prisoners and women were quite
atfectionate N their demonstrations, but
more so than they had been before the
maneuver occurred. The first intimation
sharp report of pistol. This was followed
by rapid discharge of shots, which filed
the coach with a dense smoke in
riffs of which the prisoners were noticed
to be moving toward the opposite seats,
occupied by Gosling and his deputies
The first shot evidently missed the Mar
shsl. He was in the act of drawing pistol,
and while rising to his feet q second shot
rent the air, and simultaneously with the
crack of the gun the gallant Marshal fell
forward with his head into the aisle and his
weapon drawn, piniening Deputy Manning
for time to the seat. Before the Deputy
could free himself from the body of his chief
he received bail in the neck aud one in the
shoulder. Clearing the seat Manning took
position in front OF the door to
prevent the escape of the prison
ers by that exit After he had
drew a pencil and began TO remove the ex-
ploded shells from his six shooter, while
the prisoners were peppering away at him.
Deputy Loving backed to the rear door of
the car firing whenever q glimse of the pris
oners was to be had through the smoke.
ing LeviDg to the platform of the sleeper,
where the deputy fred his last shot
as the despersdoes jumped from the train,
which was in full motion. AS they struck
the ground Colonel Msyfeld, of Helena,
earns County, who was in the rear end of
the first class coach, fred well-directed shot
at the prisoners, as did Conductor George A.
hr of foH m ha nyor hu
the firing. The prisoners made off in a
northerlY direction up lane four miles
north of New Brownfels. Pitts is presumed
to be wounded, as Yeggar was almost
dragging him when they were last
seen in the lane. The train, after
delay of three or four seconds, was stopped.
All was confusion; the coach was filed with
the stencil of blood and powder fumes. In
vestigation revealed that Marshal Gosling
was dead, lying on his face on the seat oc-
cupied by him before the firing. The fatal
ball took effect in the rear.of his head bury
ing itself in the brain, Just back of his fore
head. Mrs. Ed Drown, the grandmother
of Pitts, was lying near the dead
Marshal, shot in the stomach and in
great sgony. Miss Rosa Yeggar, q sister OF
the prisoner, was found in an unconscious
state in the seat recently occupied by the
prisoners, shot through the leg below the
knee.
Deputy Marshal Manning was powder
DGrnt in the face and shot in the neck and
shoulder. Two shots had gone through
the first class coach, one of which grazed
the head of q lady, who was thrown
into q swoon. The rear of the smoker was
riddled with bullets. The train stopped
within 400 yards of the lane through which
the prisoners were fleeing. The Deputy
Marshals had reloaded their six-shooters BY
this time, when Loving was called to the
assistance of the conductor, who had the
four men mentioned above under arrest,
while Manning started in pursuit of the
despeIadoes. His strength, however, failed
him from the loss Of blood, and he
was taken aboard the train, which
pulled out for New Brownfels. where the
wounded women of the four prisoners were
disembarked and lodged in jail. The re-
mains of Marshal Gosling accompanied by
Deputy Manning. were taken to San Antonio
and removed to the residence of Mrs. w. K.
Wallace his sister, where they were viewed
by hundreds of his friends. The wounds of
Manning are serious, but not necessarily IA
tai.
Posses left Austin and San Antonio for the
tcene Of the tragedy to aid in the capture of
the desperadoes. while Deputy Loving organ
ICED posse at New Crsunfels last night and
instantly started in pursuit They found
the dead body of Pitts short distance up
the lane from the scene of the tragedy and
came upon Yeggar eight miles distant, who
gave nght and was pierced Dy tnree Dalls
fired by the posse. Thus disabled he
was taken to New Braunfels, where he
died. The four men under arrest are
confederates of the dead desperadoes. The
excitement over the death Of Gosling is in
tense.
SAN ANTONIO, Feb. 22.-Later-Mr Drown,
motheI-in-law of Pitts, died at a. m, in the
jail at New Braunfels, in great agony. Pitts
was wounned In four different places, three
OF which were mortal. They, at the
request of Mrs. Drown, were buried
size by side today. Miss Rosa Yeggar, to.
gether with the wife of Pitts. and the wife
OF her brother, are incarcerated in the sec
ond story Of the JAIL while the male con-
federates are incarcerated In lower cells of
New Braunfels Jail, where they will be held
until the talk of lynching subsidies.
Deputy Marshal Msnnings, who made q
gallant fight against the desperadoes, is ly.
Ing in a precarious condition. Gosling was
born at Shelbyville, TenD., in 1853. He was
educated at the Annapolis Naval Academy,
studied law IN Washington City, located at