Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1885-06-05
THE MANIAC ON THE TRAIN.
His Wild Career from Kansas City t.
Chicago.

The following are full particu-
lars Of the ride of a mailman on Il
passenger train on the Wabash road,
w hen the express for Chicago over the
Wabash road left Kansas City, Saturday
night at 6:3O, Louis Reume, a travelling
agent for the American Eagle tobacco
Works of Detroit, was one of the passen-
gers There We're in all about twenty
persons on the train. Reume, who was
evidently the worse for liquor, had large
flask of whiskey, which he paraded
through the cars during the first few
| hours of the trip,trying to persuade pas
sengers to drink with him. When his
offers We're refused he became sullen, and
| finally at about o'clock, he retired to the
char car, without, however, going to
sleep. There were but three or four other
passengers in that car, and these left
when Reume' 5 strange antics became too
obvious. AS soon as Reume was the only
occupant of the car he evidently deter
mined to remain so, and he resented all
perSuaSiOuS to the contrary by flourish
| ing huge bowie knife in one hand and
firing Il revolver with the other. When
ever the train stopped Reume retreated to
| the WaSh-roon, firing out of the window
of the closet and threatening to kill any
one that would dare to come near the car.
Between stations he walked the aisle,
!
! slept minute. AT Peoria, where the
| train changed conductors, j. O. Hazelton
of jamestown, New York passenger agent
of the southern Kansas railway, who was
on the train and knew Reume, made an
attempt to quiet the mailman, but he had
to beat hasty retreat, as he was greeted
with denoniacal yell and the threat,
IN shoot you as well us any other" The
threat was followed by two shots from
Reume's revolver. Some bananas pre-
pared 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 El Paso, ILL.,, the
marshal made an attempt to secure the
maniac. About a dozen shots were fired
| by both parties without effect. An effort
was then made to side-track the car in
which the madman held sway. The sleep
er was detached, but Reume rushed on
to the platform of his Car and compelled
the terrified train hands at the point of
| his revolver to desist from further inter
ference. At Englewood Valentine Schuck
tried to board Reume's car, not knowing
the state of affairs. He was warned by "A
| bullet which grazed his throat without
intlicting Il serious wound. At Twenty
second street Reume took the platform,
and at Twelfth street returned to the
wash-room firing occasionally through
the windows.
AS soon as the train reached the Polk
street depot in Chicago, the police, under
Lieutenant Laughlin rushed for the car
the rear end of it was literally riddled
with bullets. Amid flying missiles Reume
dashed from the car, firing shot at Po-
liceman Cornelius Barrett, who attempted
to board the car, killing him instantly.
Reume, followed by "a bowling mob, head
ed by the police ran up Fourth avenue,
receiving two shots in the back. AT the
corner of Fourth avenue and Polk street,
Reume faced his pursuers. The mob
scattered, but Lieutenant Laughlin
jumped at Reume's throat and terrible
hand -to-hand struggle ensucd during
which Reume buried the butt of his re-
yolveri in the brave officers skull. Dur
ing this scutfie Amos Lyons, II negro, who
mistook laughlin for the maniac, hit the
! Ofiicera terrible blow with brick, but
! the officer held on and Reume was Sc
cured.