San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1893-06-29
TRAIN ROBBERS ATTEMPT.
FIREMAN MARTIN SHOT AND
INSTANTLY KILLED
Near Breckenridge by a Desperate
Named May Who was Cap
tured and Jailed.

An attempt to rob an afternoon passen-
ger train on the Arkansas Pass railroad
bound for Corpus Christi from San Anto-
MO, was made yesterday afternoon
near Breckenridge. which has created
great excitement throughout the south
west. From all that could be learned the
affair was as follows:
About 4:25, as the trais left Brecken-
ridge, man entered the cab of the en-
CINE, ordering the engineer to slow up as
the train was crossing the bridge, and
stop on the other side. Fireman Frank
Martin, seeing the desperate man and
fearing him, jumped from the engine,
and as he struck the ground, the intruder
fired and the ball passed through Mar
tins body, killing hm almost instantly
The engineer, Mike Tierney, was bewil-
dered, so much so,. that for few mo-
ments he was not able to do or say any
thing, but succeeded in some way, in get
ting out Of the cab. The robber sprang to
the seat of the engineer and started the
train. The conductor, Ed Steele, heard
the shot, and as the train had been
checked, then starred, he at once detected
that something was wrong, andnap-
piled the air from one of the coaches,
thus succeeding in bringing it to a stand
still. AS the train was slowing up,
the rObber jumped and ran
ahead. He passed a section house Just
beyond the bridge, and c. II. Smith. a
section hand, seeing the whole proceed
ingS, exchanged shots with the demon
and succeeded in capturing him.
The story OF the capture is told best by
Section Hand Smith, who said:
by an accident | happened to be at
home. | am the section foreman, with my
headquarters on the edge of breckenridge
was hurt by falling from hand car sew
eral days ago and had not been able to go
to work. | had been robbed few nights
before and received a telegram from the
sheriff, Scale, to be ready to meet him so
as to identify my watch and person ar
rested by him. As the train reached the
stock pens and stopped | saw a man run
ming down the track with a pair Of six
shooters in his hands | saw the engineer
and Conductor Steele firing at HIM
Just as | stuck my head out of the win
dow, the man at once fired, the bali Strik-
ing in tie wall within foot of where IN Y
daughter was standing. and not missing
her head more than three inches. | felt
the air from it. | ran and grabbed my
gun and ran out and threw II down on
him and pulled the trigger, but it missed
fire and then | realized that it was empty
but hallOwed to him TO halt, which he
did, throwing up one of his hands. | low
cred my gun an instant. At that moment
he fired at me, but missed me and fired
over my shoulder. | then ran towards
him as fast as | could and told him
would kill him If he moved another inch.
He stumbled and dropped his two pistols.
BY that time got to him, picked up his
pistols and asked him why he had shot in
to my house and wanted to kill my
daughter and had fired at me? He an
swered: wv hen man is being pursued
and shot at he is not particular where he
shoots or who he shoots at | was
tempted to kill him there and then with
his own gun, but thought | would find
out what was up, so | took him to where
Steele and Tierney were and turned him
over to Steele"
After the robber had been turned over
to Steele, he gave his name as John ID.
May, but refused to talk of the affair,
saying only, that he knew not where his
companions were. As the engine was fol-
lowing May, however, four men were
seen driving away from the track at a
rapid gait, and it Is thought that they
were to assist I'm the rObbing on the other
side OF the bridge, after the train
stopped.
N
turned over to Sheriff Scale, of KarneS
county. he is about - years of age, and
is a stranger. A letter found on his per-
son, addressed to him at CO!ulla, con-
veyed the news that his associates were
busily engaged in locating spot for the
robbery, which had evidently been long
contemplated.
which was being conveyed to Beeville
bank, and this fact, it is thought, was
known by the desperate men.
The remains of young Martin arrived
here last night and were taken TO Sheern
& Burnett's undertaking esta blishment.
Mr.. Martin was fine looking man, aged
% years. The left arm had been cut off
about eight inches below the shoulder
aud the right leg was badly mashed. The
remains will be properly cared for and the
funeral will take place this afternoon at
o'clock.
A MOB IN READINESS.
As soon as the news of the tragic at
tempt was received in this city, Sheriff
Campbell, Chief Detective I. j. Hughes,
United States Marshal Ware. Deputy
United States Marshal Kilgore, Deputy
Sheriff Van Riprr and Detectives Bowen
and Bader, started on special train for
the scene.
The news soon spread over the city and
it was not long before the platform at the
Arkansas Pass depot was crowded with cit
liens, who were enraged with wrath, and
many were ready to lynch the man who
did the killing. Just before the time
the train was expected, the crowd and
excitement having greatly increased, IL
was heard by the police authorities that
mob was awaiting the arrival OF the
train aud that May would be killed.
City Marshal Druse, Captain Jesse
A. Bennett and a dozen police
officers repaired in the patrol
wagon to the depot to keep
the peace. Matters quieted for time,
and the patrol wagon was driven west
towards the turn of the track near the
/ & g. n depot, The mob, thinking