Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1899-01-12
AN OPERATORS AWFUL FATE
Murdered In His Office by
Desperate Robbers.
DEAD BODY PLACED IN A CHAIR
Discovered by a Conductor
Sent to Rouse Him.
1t Was Supposed. When Calls on His Office
Received No Responses. That He Had
Fallen Asisep--Thes Murder Committed
After Desperate and Bloody Struggle.

After a Desperate and Blopdy Struggle. 1
Philadelphia, Pa, Jan. Z. = H.
Wurster, the night telegraph operator
for the Philadelphia 6 Reading rail-
road at Bingen, small town near
Bethlehem, was murdered at an early
hour this morning by robbers. The
murder is thought to have occurred
between ! and 3 o'clock.
The last report from the Bingen
office was received at 12 as O'Clock this
morning. The division dispatcher's
office at Bethlehem being unable to
raise the Bingen office after this hour,
for the purpose of reporting trains,
instructed the conductor of a local
freight train to stop at that place and
arouse tho operator, it being supposed
that he was asleep.
When the local freight reached Bin
gen the conductor looked in at the
window and saw Wurstsr, apparently
sitting asleep with his feet on his
desk. Repeated calls failing to arouse
him, the conductor went into the office
and was in tho act of grabbing the
operator by the arm to Eake him up
when the dim light in the little Office
revealed the CHASTITY features of the
dead man.
Leaning against the wall, sitting
upright in his accustomed place, with
| his feet on the desk, was tho body OF
Wurster. His head had abeen crushed
and there were apparently two bullet
! holes in the side of the head. The
body was yet warm, indicating that he
| had been murdered but "a short time
after having reported his last train at
II. 45 o. m.
The day operator was sent for, and
when he reported that Wurster had
been murdered detectives were at once
sent to the scene.
The office presented q horrible spec
tacle. The floor was literally covered
with blood, indicating that there had
been terrible struggle before the
unfortunate man had been killed. All
thu drawers had been riled, but care
fully returned to the desk after the
robbery, and the lifeless form had been
placed in the chair after the murder
There is no clue to the murderer
or murderers. Suspicion points to some
of the rough characters about Rock
Hill, a small village near Bingen, in
habited chiefly by foreigners who are
employed in the Belgian block quarries.
Wurster was formerly the agent for
the same company at Chalfont, but was
transferred to Bingen short time ago.
He was about q years, of age and
married. He lived with his family
only short distance from the station
in which he met his death.
, Easton, Pa, JAN 9.-The story oi
the murder of Harvey Wurster, earl.
J Saturday morning, in the telegraph
Office of the Philadelphia & Reading
railway station at Bingen, was tolc
: yesterday in all its gruesome details by
the murderer, who is in a cell at thu
: county prison, awaiting u preliminar.
hearing. Wurster's dead body was
found by tho conductor of freight
o train, who had gone into the Office tx
arouse him.
, Detective Doran of South Bethleher
, arrived at Bingen early Saturday morn
. ing, and noticed the footprints Of ;
: man in the snow, leading from Wur
1 ster's office The detective followed
} tho marks for about IL milo. They Ice
4 direct to the home of Llewellyn Stou
, ut Spring Valley, l4ehigh county. Tht
? detective entered the house and ar
t rested Stout. Shortly after being
It lodged in the Easton Jail, Stout mad,
o complete confession to Dctectiv
:, johnson. Stout is nearly IS years o
Q age. He looks to be at least thre
$ or four years older. When taken l.
S Jail, he wore tan colored kid glove
Q and high, linen collar and fanc.
o necktie. He wears his hair in a BAN
n over his low forehead. While tellin,
his story to the officers and newspapc
:. representatives, he seemed to be Gle
o lighted with the idea of gaining S
much notoriety. There was no evi
IS dence of regret, and not word or sig
% betrayed emotion. He expects to
/ hanged, and when told that he Nigh
: escape with long term Of imprisor
|. ment, coolly replied that a man Nigh
G us well be dead as 1.-Two in Jail. +
Stout, in his confession. said h
IT wont to the Bingen station Frida
is night about IL o'clock. !" | went owe
IS to play game of cards with the opera
tor, !" he said. "We used to play ther
nights, and Wurster and were goo
friends. We never had a quarrel befor
,e that night. Before / left Spring Va
ley drank a pint of whisky ha
,r bought the day before Christmas an
re stables. Half the liquor drank bt
" fore supper and the remainder / dranl
It about S o'clock. l was pretty drum
ia and was around the hotel until
m started for the railroad station.
10 didn't tell anybody where L was goin
W when left for Bingen.
n "When | got to the station Wurstt
ii asked me if / had brought him ar
90 whisky. He said | had promised
IA bring him some liquor. 1 told him /
le lied, and in the quarrel he struck ;
ly me and hit me on the left shoulde
III Then went out to look for club. v
l- used to keep baseball bat under Il
g. station platform. and | was huntir
for it. 1t wasn't there, and then
Ie picked up coupling pin and, carryir
Ie it at my side, where the operator cou
or not see it, went back into the static
s. room. Wurster was sitting in his chai
to took seat on the opposite side
a the room. After while, don't kno
J. how long time, we got to quarrellir
1. again. [ went across the room, and,
d. Wurster was rising from his chair,
r. struck him on the forehead with II
coupling pin. He fell back into Il
chair, but made an attempt to get l
again, when hit him the second tim
as Then he sank back with q groan, al
en- his hands fell into his lap. l struS
p. him the third blow. After that I pI
on Wurster's feet upon the table the W;
a he used to sit in the Office and tn,
Id went out and threw the coupling p
nd back under the station platform. -
I'M Asked when he robbed the mont
IT. drawer and why he took the none
.e- Stout replied:
"AfterI had thrown the couplii