Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1897-12-23
MASKED MURDERERS
Two Men Attack q Farm House
and Do Deadly Work.
ALMOST A RIOT IN A COURT ROOM.
Chicago Election Judges Sentenced for
Falsifying Ret urns-Attampt to Wreck
Charged with Embexxls-
ment-Bank President Convicted.

LITTLE Rock, Ark, Dec. ia spe-
cial from Clinton, Van Buren, county,
says: While the family Of Mr.. Patter-
son, a prominent farmer, living six
miles southeast Of here, were seated at
the supper table, two men, closely
masked and presenting Winchesters,
appeared. Without stating their OBJ
ject, they fred, one ball striking the
old man squarely in the mouth. The
wounded man rushed into another
room for his pistol, where one
Of the masked men had gone,
and was closely followed by the
other man. who, in turn, was followed
BY the Pattersons, son and brother.
There the shooting continued till the
ammunition Of the masked men was
gone Then they slashed right and
left, cutting Patterson's throat from
ear to ear, choking senseless his
brother and slashing the throat Of
Mr.. Patterson's wife, but not seriously.
The murderers then rode away. Mr..
Patterson was found dead with his face
lying in pool Of blood. Young Mr..
Patterson's arm was shattered by o
bullet in the combat.
ALMOST A RIOT IN A COURT ROOM
CHICAGO, Dec. 1S.-John j. Hanrahan
and Patrick Ferris, Judges Of elections
In the Seventeenth ward at the last
municipal election, were yesterday con-
victed Of classifying the election re-
turns and sentenced to the peniten-
tiary. Albert J. Purvis, an election
clerk, who was on trial with them, was
acquitted. Both IIanrahan and Ferris
had many friends in the court room,
and when the verdict was announced
there was almost riot. Mrs. Hanra.
han, wife of the convicted man, be-
came hysterical and her female friends
added their vocal powers to hers as she
sent up shrek after shrek. The male
friends Of Haprahan and Ferris cursed
the jury vigorously and made vicious
threats against Assistant States At
attorney Barnes, who had prosecuted
the case.
ATTEMPT TO WRECK A TRAIN.
CHICAGO, Dec. 1S.--An unsuccessful
attempt to wreck the fast mail train
from New Orleans to Chicago on the
Illinois Central was made near Alma,
1888 miles from Chicago. Six pieces of
fish plate iron, four feet long, were
placed across the track at q place
where the embankment was very
steep. The train struck them while
running at rate Of IS miles an hour,
one Of the plates being cut completely
In two Fortunately, the engine did
not leave the track. The motive was
presumably robbery.
CHARGED WITH ENLIGHTENMENT.
CLEVELAND, O., Dec. ls.--John |.
Shepherd, one OF the most prominent
investment brokers In Cleveland was
placed on trial yesterday before Judge
Bauder on the charge Of embezzlement
Of S1SS, 900 OF bonds of the Fort Wayne
Railroad company from
Frank dc lIass Robinson. president of |
the Cleveland Baseball club
A BANK PRESIDENT CONVICTED.
SALT LAKE CITY, Dec. 1s.--James Y. |
Bacon was found guilty in the United
States circuit court ut midnight of |
false entries in his reports to
the comptroller OF the currency when
president Of the American National
h bsah Of this city. He was given seven
years in prison.
TWO MuRDERERs EXECUTED,
ATLANTA, Ca, Dec lS.-Grady Rey-
nolds and Bud Brooks were executed
Of jefferson yesterday for the murder
Of M. G. Hunt, of Bolton, Ga. Robbery
was the motive Brooks and Reynolds
were moonshiners.