Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1893-12-07
CLuBBED TO DEATH
Three Negroes Murder Two Old
Veterans. Throwing
The BODIES UPON CAR TRACKS
The Trio Captured. the Last Being
Han Down an Chicago Yesterday
Details of the Crime

CHIcAGo. Dec 6--Frank Tansey. col,
ored. sho Is wanted In Dayton. Ohio.
for alleged completely ia the brutal
murder OF two en- soldiers. was arrested
here. aud Eill be h,ld here until Chief
Of Police Farrell Of Dayton arrives to
take charge of the prisoner. The ar
rest IL Iansey completes the tirst chap
ter Of the most sensational crimes com
mitted in the west. With two other
men. Louis Ray and Edward Woodson.
who are now in custody. Tansey Is
charged with killing James Shay and
Martin Wilson. two veteran inmates Of
the Ohio So.diers' homo at Dayton.
about two months ago. Shay aud vii
son had just drawn their pension money
aad the investigation 81 the police
showed that Ray, Woodson and Tansey,
al OF whom are colorel. knew OF that
fact aud planned the assault Tor tho
purpose OF robbery.
Was Brutal Murder.
The crime vas surrounded by horri-
BE circumstances, indicating the brutal
ferocity Of the lnurderers. chief among
when was that they placed the bodies
OF the two victims across the street car
track, where the wheels cut OF the
heads and mangled the trunks in
fearful manner. Ine discovery OF the
uutilated bo,iies of Shay aud Wilson
caused great sensation In Dayton the
police worked nigni and day 10 ferret
out the guilty parties The result was
the capture ol Ray and Woodson 10
Cincinnati a few days later. From re-
marks they Inadvertently dropped the
officers learned that third man was n
the job, and when the case was taken
before the grand jury indictments were
returned not only against the two prison.
ers but Que against Frank Tansey. who
was known 10 be friend OF Ray and
Woodson.
Victims Were Old Soldiers.
The murder Of Shay and Woodson
caused mighty hue and cry in north
ern Ohio. 1ne two men were old sol
diers who did valiant service in the re.
bellion and had lived at the Soldiers
home since the institution was opened.
The three negroes knew the veterans
had drawn $40 or ESQ pension aud
resolved to have II by fair means or foul.
They tried to induce two women 10 in
velgle the ex-soldiers into side street
at night. but the women refused TO par.
ticipate in the plot The fact. however.
that the men approached other parties
and talked of the proposed assault made
very important link In the chain OF
evidence in the possession OF the state.
Ii is supposed that the gang waylaid
Shay and Wilson after dark and at
tackled them with clubs and knives.
either killing them or rendering
them inssnsible. Either with the
foolish idea OF destroying the
evidence OF their attack or else from
sheer brutality the men carried the
bodies Of their victims To the track OF
the White Line" street cars and placed
them across the rails in lonely place
on the road leading to the Soldiers
home. The electric cars run fast at
that point. and before the motorman
could stop his car the first train to come
along passed over the iIanimate bodies
of shay and Wilson. cutting and mutt
lating them 10 a frightful manner.
Ray and Woodson were traced to
Cincinnati. arrested there and brought
back to Dayton for trial all within a
week.