Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1885-06-01
EXPERIENCE ON A TRAIN


Passenger train, No. G. on the Wabash,
St. Louis and Pacific Railroad, arrived at
Chicago, yesterday, an hour and a-half
late, in charge of mailman. Out of the
twelve or fifteen men who finally secured
him, one is dead, shot through the body,
another probably fatally wounded. several
others injured, and the lunatic himself lies
in the county hospital mortully wounded
with three bullets in his body. Shortly be-
fore noon the policeman at the depot receiv-
ed the following dispatch:
"CHENoA, H., May 3l.-1 have an insane
man on my train who has possession of one
car. The police of Kansas City, Jackson.
Vile and Peoria were all afraid to take him.
Please send ten or twelve policemen out TO
No. to take him when We arrive in Chlca-
90. They had better come in citizens
clothes. They will have to look sharp or
some one will get hurt.
PUTNAM, Conductor"
There was difficulty in starting cut NO.
|" and it was decided to meet the train at
the depot. Eight officers, in uniform, and
five in citizens clothes, under command OF
Lieutenant Tough, arrived at the depot ten
minutes before the train was due. little
later mo 6" appeared in sight, and the po.
lice separating, so as to form two squads
awaited her arrival on either side OF the
track. As the train approached people
hanging half way out the car windows were
seen to gesiculate wildly to the crowd. Be-
fore the train had come TO a standstill a
dozen passengers Jumped to the ground aud
fed. Officer Barrett, who was FIRST to OBJ.
| ltn linz a
rear end of the smoking Car. The mailman
with leveled revolver, glared at him from
the front platform the length of one car dis.
tant. Barrett turned half around and stop.
ped instantly, but too late A ball from the
| iunatic's revolver struck him in the side, and
| in five minutes he was dead The officers,
after removing their dead comrade, began a
fuslade through the windows of the smok-
ing car, where the mailman had taken re-
! fuge. After minute or two he plunged out
on to the platform, fired couple of shots
Into the crowd, leaped from the train and
dashed down Fourth avenue. Officer
Laughlin started in hotpursuit. At him the
lunatic fired the last shot in his weapon, but
| without efYect. The lN@Yi0c stopped aud
awaited Laughlin's coming with cleaning
eyes and frothing mouth. They cllnched
the officer tripped his prisoner and they
both fell, the niadman meanwhile beating
Laughlin numerically on the head with hi:
revolver. The officer was in citizen:
clothes, and was set upon and terribly
pounded by an excited colored man, wht
mistook the officer for the prisoner. The
rest of the squad arrived shortly, the maniac
was secured and taken to the hospital t.
have his wounds dressed. When herealizet
that further resistance was useless, the pri
soner grew calm, and said that his name
was Louis Reaume that he was thirty
three years old, and was en- route to hi
home in Detroit from Denver. The train
men tell thrilling story Of the trip. Wher
the man boarded the train at Kansas City ht
remarked that people were after him &c
lynch him. and that, if left alone, he would
modest no one. At Ell Paso, Ill.,, with re
volver in hand he ordered the trainmen tt
cease making some changes in the make
up Of the train. The passengers all left thu
car, which the mailman made his headquar
ters, and were locked into the others. N
one dared approach the lunatic, and ate
he had exchanged several shots with th'
city marshal, he ordered the train TO pro
coed, and from there to Chicago his will wa
the only law obeyed.