The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-03-19
FOUGHT TO THE DEATH
Desperate Men in Battle Upon a
Moving Train.
The Friends of an Arrested Miner
Rally to Rescue Him From
the Officers.
Special to THE MORNING CALL

LOUISVILLE, KY, March 1S-A terrible
! tragedy occurred on the Knoxville and Ohio
| passenger train this morning before day
light at Hells Point. one mile and a half
east Of Newcomb in Campbell County,
| Tenn. in which Sheriff John Burnett of
| Campbell County was killed, Deputy Sheriff
John Dali and Cruso f. Smith mortally
wounded and Jesse Jones sustained several
serious injuries.
Sheriff Burnett and Deputy Sheriff Dali
went TO Jelico yesterday to arrest miner
| by the name of Jesse Jones. The arrest
was made on the Tennessee side of the line,
not far from Jellico, and soon afterward a
| number of miner friends Of Jones came to
the rescue and succeeded in taking him
away from the officers. They then hasteued
to the Kentucky side and bade defiance to
the Tennessee officers, who deemed it pru-
dent not to cross the line.
When the train left Jellco this morning
the officers we're aboard Oh their return
home. Just after passing Neweomb Con-
ductor Brown passed through the smoking
car and found the closet locked He sus-
pected that Jones was in there, hiding from
the officers, for he had got on at Jellico and
had paid his fare to Elk Valley.
The conductor demanded that the party
VA IuS llStQC Suuulu ODGu Tie QOOTt anu IL
was opened and Jones was found on the
inside. The Sheriff arrested him and took
him to q seat and began to search him.
Deputy Dali was sitting close to the Sheriff
and the prisoner, and by the stove was
seated Gn old man by the name of Smith,
evidently a friend of Jones. Another man
sat near. clad like miner, and he carried
big Winchester in his lap which he handled
nervously.
Near Center another friend of Jones
named Cruso Smith attempted to draw
pistol on Sheriff Burnett, but was prevented
from using his weapon by Deputy Sheriff
Dali. The elder Smith then rushed at Dali
and the unknown man opposite commenced
to fire upon the officers. The Sheriff was
killed instantly, a bullet piercing his brain
and another entering his body in close
proximity to the heart, either of which
would have been fatal.
In the meantime Deputy Sheriff Dali
freed himself from the elder Smith and
opened fire, but he was overpowered and
rushed to the rear platform of the car and
thrown off, his assailants jumping after him
while the train was rolling swiftly along.
The train was stopped by Conductor Brown
as quickly as possible and run back to the
point where the shooting commenced. Dali
was found wandering about in a partially
dazed condition. and it was found that he
had been shot in tile temple, receiving a
very dangerous wound.
Cruso Smith and Jesse Jones were found
lying by the side of the railroad as if dead.
but they soon recovered consciousness. One
of Jones' arms was broken and he was
injured about the head. Cruso Smith is in
critical condition, being shot in the breast
and stomach and having his right arm
broken. Dale was sufficiently recovered to
take charge Of CTuso Smith ami Jones, but
what became of the elder Smith is not
known. He probably fed, as did the un-
known man who commenced the shooting,
both having no doubt jumped from the train
at the same time that their confederates did,