The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-12-06
THE SCRANTON TRIBUNE WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER G. 1s99

and hooking out the window he saw
six men hurrying past in the direction
of Carbondale. Mr. clifford. however,
when put on the stand, proved very
much Of a disappointment He an
swered in the negative when asked
questions tending to bring out this
story.
Constable Neary was recalled and
told of his chase after the gang. He
boarded Conductor Noran's train be-
tween Carbondale and Mayfeld, and
took a place on the "pusher" engine.
At Carbondale Chief of Police James
4. McAndrew and Patrolman William
McAndrew were picked up. Word was
received here that six men were seen
In the Carbondale yard heading north
ward.
Constable Neary continued on the
train, while the two McAndrews
dropped off at West Carhondale. When
the Ontario and Western train arrived
at Simpson, six men were sighted on
the Erie tracks across the river, four
hundred feet distant They were
standing where the trolley road crosses
the Erie tracks. Constable Neary had
the train stopped and the pusher cut
loose to return with him to secure
Chief McAndrew and other help.
THE MEN DISAPPEARED
When the six men saw the pusher
starting back they left the railroad,
took to the plank road and disappeared
around the Franklin breaker.
The Ontario ard Western trainmen
told of the same six men re-appearing
q few minutes later about four hun
dred feet up the track, hurrying north
ward
Here the chase was transferred to
the Erie tracks. George II. Dimmick,
engineer on "Sig." Robbins train on
which the defendants reached Ararat,
testified that about $50 in the morn
ing his train stopped at Braccbrook, n
short distance above Forest City, to
do some switching and that when
Cniondale was reached, he saw one of
the brakemen in the act Cf mailing the
door of a freight car on one side,
while flagman was attempting a lili =
thing on the other side. The hrakemen
succeeded, but before the fagman
could get the door closed he was puS
aside and six men, one after the other,
jumped out OF the car and walked up
the track to the milk house on the 9TH
er side of the station
The six men boarded the train again
when it got a little beyond the milk
house and once more congregated In
the freight car which they had first
occupied.
The conductor had te1egraphed
ahead to Ararat and when the train
stopped there, Bill Leach and Jesse
Vail were waiting it. The six men
scurried out of the car and started
to retreat down the track. When
Leach and his rifle appeared from
around the engine the gang began TO
edge over towards the swamp skirt
ing the railroad. Leach called upon
them to halt.
FORMED A SEMI-CIRCLE.
They halted but only to form in
a seml-circle and fire a Volley from
their pistols at Leach, who was only
fifteen or twenty feet away. One
Of the gang, Barry raised his revol-
Yer, took deliberate aim at Leach and
fred The witness Shouted to Leach
'to look out" Leach evidently had
seen the leveled revolver for the warn
ing to look out" the report of the
pistol and the crack Of Leach's rifle
were simultaneous. Barry dropped
with his smoking pistol in his hand
and a 3S-calibre rifle ball in his train.
Gaughan and Cummings had some
difficulty in getting across the barbed
wire fence enclosing the swamp and
were brought to hay. Cummings stood
upright, rested his long revolver in the
hollow Of his bent, left arm and aimed
point blank at Leach. He fred but
it was the last time he ever used the
hand that pulled the trigger. A hall
from Lcachs rife shattered his arm
just below the elbow and today he
wears half-empty coat sleeve,
Gaughan, the youngest of the crowd
was brought down with bullet
through the shoulder. He staggered
along for few steps and then sank
behind a clump Of bushes. Leach
called upon him to throw up his hands.
He raised his hat as 4 token of sub
mission. Cummings helped Kelly to
his feet and linked him back 10 the
railroad track Come on now you
- - defiantly shouted Cum
mings as he brandished his revolver.
''If you want fight - you can get
it." Leach raised his rifle again but
when the witness called to him not to