Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1885-06-01
A LIVELY FRACUs.
A L1natic Has Full Possession Of a
Railroad Train, But is Overpow cred
After Much Trouble-One Man Killed,

CHICAGO, MAY 81.
Passenger train No. 6. on the Wabash. ST.
Leuis & Pacific railroad arrived here TODAY.
an hour and half late, in charge of a mad
man Out of II or Is men, officers and
citizens. who finally secured him, one officer
is dead, shot through the body, another prob
ably fatally wounded and several citizen, in.
jured. The lunatic himself lies in the county
hospital mortally wounded with three bullets
in his body.
Shortly before dawn today. the station
policeman at the Wabash, st. Louis & Pa.
cine depot on Polk street read the following
dispatch:
CHENo, Ills.,
l have an insane man on nv train. who has
possession of one car. The police at Kansas
City, Jacksonville and Peoria were all afraid
to take him. Please send 10 or IL policeman
to take him when We arrive in Chicago. Ttey
had better come in citizens clother. They
Will have to look out or some one will get
hurt. PUTNAM. Conductor.
Nine officers in uniform and five in citizens
clothes, under command of Lieut.. Louph.
made up the squad which arrived at the depot
10 minutes before the train was due Az the
train approached the whistle sounded mum.
Der of warning notes. People hanging hall
way out of the windows were seen to ge,tu.
late widely to the crowd. Before the train
had come to standstill dozen passengers
jumped to the ground and fed, looking
back with blanched faces. Officer
Bsrrott was the first to observe the lunatic,
Who, with levelled revolver, glared at him
from the front platform of the chair car
Barrett turned half round and stopped Instant
ly, but too late. The ball from the lunatic's q
revolver struck him in the side, and in five
linn ha. n l.
lac was enough to safety anyone that W lille
his ammunition lasted he would not b. taken
alive.
The officers. after removing their wounded
comrade, began firing fucilade through the
windows of the smoking car, where the mad
man had taken refuge. After minute OF
two he plunged out on to the platform, fred
couple of shots into the crowd, then leaped
and dashed down 4th avenue with Officer
Laughton in hot pursuit. The lunatic fred
the last shot in his weapon, but without
effect, and then awaited Laughton's coming
with glaring eyes and frothing mouth They
clinched and both fell, the madman mean
while beating Laughton numerically on the
head with his revolver. Tho officer was IN
citizens clothes, and was set upon and terri
bly, pounded BY an excited colored man who
mistook him for the prisoner. The rest of
the squad arriving shortly after,
the maniac was overpowered, taken
first to cell and then to the
hospital to have his wounds dressed. When
he realized that further resistance was use
less, the prisoner grew calm and said quite
rationallv his name was Louis Reaume; that
he was 80 years of age and was enroute to
his home in Detroit from Denver. The train
men OF No. tell a thrilling story of the trip
from Kansas City, where the man boarded
the train, remarking that the people were
after him to lynch him and that if left alone
he would molest no one. At Elpaso, III. he
became violent and with revolver in hand,
ordered the train men to cease making some
changes in the makeup of the train. The
passengers all left the chair car, which the
mad man made his headquarters, and were
locked into others. No one dared to approach
the lunatic and after he had exchanged sew
eral shots with the city marshal, he ordered
the train to proceed, and from there to Chi
cago his will was only law obeyed.