Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1898-06-25
KILLED IN THE CAB,
Engineer Frederick Dempsey the
Victim of an Attempted
Holdup.
A MURDER NEAR WHITEHALL.
Masked Fiend Fires the Fatal
Shot From the Tender.

Disappointed in q Plan to Halt the
North-bound Rock Island and st. Louis
Passenger I'm a Lonely Spot, Vengeance
is Sought in the Taking of the Life
of the One Who Frustrated the Robbery
Assassin and Pal Captured.
An unsuccessful attempt to hold up
the north-bound Rock Island and St.
Louis passenger train of the Chicago,
Burlington l. Quincy railway at
Whitehall at lao last night resulted
in the cold blooded murder of Engi-
neer Frederick Dempsey, formerly of
this city. but who had recently moved
to Beardstown with his family.
Blood hounds were Immediately put
on the trail of the assassin and his
pal, and the latest reports are that
they have been captured, one of them
having been freed near Roodhouse.
The first notification Engineer
Dempsey had of his fate was when, on
leaving the Chicago 4 Alton crossing
which is about half mile north of
Whitehall, Fireman George Savage
detected a masked man, carrying a
revolver, creeping over the tank
toward the cab The fireman warned
the engineer.
What do you want?" asked the
engineer, at the same time turning on
the air.
The fellow answered with shot,
the bullet piercing Engineer Dempsey &
right lung and killing him instantly.
Fireman Savage escaped through the
cab window and sought protection
behind the sand cupOla.
Conductor Frank Heffner FASTENED
to the front when the train came to a
stop. He was completely unnerved
by the sight. He boarded the engine
and addressed his fellow trainman,
but no reply came. Engineer Demp'
sey lay dead on the floor of the cab.
As Conductor Heffner with Brake.
man John Ehmon was surveying the
situation in an endeavor to locate the
murderer, two shots were fired at the
former from the roadway nearby
Neither took effect.
| A shout of Come on BILL rang
out. and nothing more was heard ol
seen of the iiends whose only reward
was the life of fellowman.
| Conductors Story.
Conductor Heffner backed the trail
to Whitehall, where the body wa
taken in charge by the coroner. Fire
man Savage here was given charge o
the engine and guided it to Boards
town, where the regular crew wa,
put on to take it to Rock Island. Mr.
HefIner was seen by an ARGUS repre-
sentative. He said that there was n,
doubt the plan was to rob the train
The fellow who did the shootin;
boarded the baggage car at the Chi
cago & Alton crossing" he continued
"Wb 'ther the other man was on tn
traiI cannot say. | suppose the,
had pred on hating Enginee
Dempsey when he reached lionel
spot further north. In this they wer
disappointed, as the moment he be
came aware of the danger he brough
his engine to standstill, realizin;
that this would be a means of frus
trating the attempt which he sus
pected was planned. as the robber
would hardly have the nerve to opeI
ate so close to town. Fred neve
spoke after the shot was fired. A
soon as we could get back to White
hall l secured a pair of blood hound
and set them on the trail. On reach
ing Rock Island this morning | It
ceived a telegram that one of the fe
lows, who gives his name as jackson
had been run up a tree near Rooc
house by the hounds. and that tn
other had also been captured. "
Engineer Dempsey was 81 years {