The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1892-12-15
COLLINS CONFESSION.
HE TELLS NOW THEY TRIED TO ROB
THEC. AND o. TRAIN.
II Is Said Great Excitement Prevails and
That There is Danger of n Mob Taking
the Law into Their Hands.

HUNTINGTON, w. VA, Dec. H.-Chief
Turner OF the police force here, aided
by his assistants. cleared up the Chesa-
peake and Ohio vestibule train robbery
and murder this morning by the arrest
OF Tom Collins, at Braderick, just across
the river, in Ohio, charged with the
murder of the German passenger, and
being a confederate of Burrell Forgey.
who was placed in custody last night.
The chain of evidence is complete. Cap
tain Sam Matheson came down from
Charleston and has identified the men.
Collins is i'm Jail. which place is heavily
guarded, while Forgey is allowed to re-
main at his home, under guard, where
he is suffering from the wound in his
shoulder made by the ticket collector
bullet.
fhe city is in great excitement, and
there Is danger Of MOP taxing the Ia"
into their hands.
Fifty extra police have been sworn IN.
HUNTINGTON, W. VA, Dec. IA
Burrel Forgey, who was arrested for the
train robbery here Tuesday morning,
keeps a stiff upper lip" and refuses to say
anything. but Tom Collins, who was ar
rested this morning on the same charge,
has confessed. He was shot in the leg be-
fore he escaped from the car.
Collins story is in substance as follows:
at was Forgey and 1 who attempted
the robbery of the train lie was the ring
leader and first TO propose the job.
We had been planning the robbery Tor
two weeks and fixed upon Tuesday morn
ing to carry it out. We procured weapons
and armed ourselves heavily. He thought
we could get through without trouble.
Mrs Forgey fixed our masks and sewed
them into the front edges Of our hats
She told me she did not want her husband
to engage in such business as that we
were entering on. He insisted, however.
We went TO the passenger depot shortly
before midnight and waited around Tor
No. 4. AS it started out we boarded the
coach In front Of the sleeper. We ad-
justed cur masks in the vestbule. For
gey passed rapidly through the car to the
other end, brandishing revolver in each
hand and warning the passengers to
keep still. AS he went along there was
no trouble, but when he reached the other
end Of the car I saw a German jump on
his back and hurl him down. There was
a struggle and confusion and 1 heard sew
eral shots fred l hesitated a little and
then ran to his help. AS l came up TO
him / fired ] don't know whether l fit
the German or not, but / think my ball
went into the floor. AS this occurred l
felt the sting of a ball. and l knew l had
been shot. A deathly sickness then came
over me and 1 dropped my pistols and
started for the door. A passenger-Alr
Matheson-grabbed me and said: you
can't get off / told him to let me off,
that l was shot. Then l ducked under
him some way and got out 1t all appears
as a dream to me now. AS 1 jumped to
the ground l pulled off my wig and For
geys coat, which 1 was wearing because
Of the rain. My only thought was to es-
cape TO my home across the river. and
ran with all my might through swamps
and briar patches to the river bank. This
is how / got so terribly scratched up"
There are grave fears of popular yio-
ience. Some Of the most prominent and
usually conservative citizens express a
willingness to take hand in lynching the
desperadoes. The authorities have, it is
said, made quiet preparations to repel an
attack on the Jail. This means ugly work
II the people take the matter into their
own hands