The San Francisco call., 1897-12-22
DEALS DEATH
TO A MASKED
MARAUDER
Keswick Depot Agent
ReSiSts a Pair Of
Outlaws.
Fires Upon Them When
Commanded to Hold
Up His Hands.
One Of the Raiders Receives a
Mortal Wound at the
First Discharge.
BOTH TAKE TO FLIGHT.
Steps and Then Falls Dead Upon
the Railway.
Special Dispatch to The Call.

KESWICK, Dec. 21.-The body of c.
Herrix, a woodchopper who turned
bandit for a time and sought to rob the
Keswick depot, lies beside the railroad
track near the building he had entered
with a mask upon his face. Herrix
was shot this morning by Station Agent
Louis Schuckman, who valiantly de-
Tended the funds in his charge from a
raid by the woodchopper and his COM
panion.
The office crew Of three men were
at their desks at work at o'clock this
was in a side room connecting with
the main office, where were Assistants
Charles w. Coggins and J. NJ. Bolts.
Only two men were in the waiting
room waiting for the train. Two men
wearing masks and carrying revolvers
came in from the outside and ordered
"All hands up" Herrix, apparently
the leader, covered Coggins and Bolts,
speaking coolly and quietly. He had
to repeat the order two or three times
before he could impress upon Coggins
that he really meant business. The
second robber, whose name cannot be
learned, turned his attention to the
waiting passengers, who were not as
obliging and as prompt as had been
expected. Herrix, with a revolver al
most touching Coggins' face, ordered
Coggins to call Schuckman from the
side office.
Come out here. Schuckman, and
hold up your hands," cried Coggins
three times before Schuckman re-
sponded.
Now Schuckman keeps a Wells
Fargo revolver close to his elbow on
his office desk. He came out to meet
the robbers, not holding up his hands,
but with his weapon ready to shoot.
He fired at Herrix as the latter stood
talking to Coggins. The ball struck
the robber in the breast Herrix cried:
"Oh. my God! I am shot" and dashed
from the room.
The second robber now turned his
attention to Schuckman, who stood IN
full glare of the lights in the doorway
leading from the side office. He fred
at Schuckman, who was not fifteen
feet distant, but his aim was too high,
the bullet burying itself in the door
casing just above Schuckman's head.
The robber then ran out through the
front door, following Herrix.
Herrix ran only to the end of the
platform, where he dropped dead, his
body lying across the main track
where it was discovered a half-hour
later by Track Walker Henry Foss.
Schuckman and his assistants, al
though still in possession of the field.
were afraid to go into the darkness
outside to see whether they had killed
the man, for they did not know but
they might get a warm reception from
confederates outside. They pulled down
the blinds, lay on their arms and
awaited developments
At Keswick, mile distant from the
station, a man having business at the
telephone accidentally heard over the
wire the proceedings at the depot and
readily understood that a hold-up was
being attempted. He sounded an alarm
and within thirty minutes a crowd Of
men from the town was at the DEPOT
congratulating Schuckman upon his
coolness and excellent marksmanship
ana OOlnS WHAT tney cOulQ TO get
trace Of the second robber.
The dead man was identified by 7
McMeekin as c. Herrix He had been
working in the woods for McMeekin
for the past three weeks and had inst
been paid off Herrix was a man of
about 80 years Of age, of medium
height, light build, sandy whiskers and
pinched countenance. Nothing is
known Of his previous history. His
body lies by the railroad track and viii
remain there all night, until the Coro-
ner arrives in the morning
The second robber was not identified,
although he is probably the man who
has been cumming with Herrix.
Louis Schuckman. the agent, is the
hero of the hour. He is of quiet dispo-
sition and strictly attentive to busi-
ness. He has never had any experience
similar to that Of tonight before. and
has never talked about what he
would do.
Only two weeks ago Keswick was
the scene OF another robbery. when
the Mccormick -Saeltzer store on
Main street was entered at o'clock
in the evening and the safe relieved
of S24O0 in gold.
The timekeeper of the smelter here
B. ]. Baker, says that he is positive
that the dead robber had worked at the
smelter last spring, giving his name as
]. c. Sharp.