Evening journal., 1899-09-25
.DECOYED TO HIS DEATH.
SIX MEN WERE IN THE PLOT TO
KILL GEORGE W. TRAVERS.

FARMER LINDSAY SAW THEM AS
HE WENT TO THE WOUNDED
MANS AID-ALL HOPE FOR THE
VICTIMS RECOVERY ABAN-
DONED.
Dover, Sept. 25.-The hidden hand
of woman, either genuine or cleverlyI
simulated, presents a possible explana-
tion Of the weird tragedy wherein six
men waylaid and mortally wounded
George w. Travers, of the Diamond
State Telephone Company, Of Dover,
on the night of Thursday last.
1t appears that Trayers, the dying
victim of the avengers, who had only
recently been released from jail at Me-
dia, Delaware county, Pa, had received
a letter purporting to come from Mrs.
George Rash, of Delaware county. He
had served a sentence of nine months
at Media, upon a charge of intimacy
with George Rashs wife; Rash and his
son having had Travers arrested at
Chester on December 2, 1898, and hay
ing given the testimony on which he
was sentenced.
The only words the wounded man
has uttered in his semi-conscieus mo-
ments that might throw light upon the
tragic event came from him In two
brief rational intervals yesterday, as
follows:
Il know the man who shot me.
"Oh, if it hadn't been for that let
terl'.
Pressed to explain further, Travers
would either lapse into delirium, or
else humble words to the effect that
he could not disclose anything further
at present; that he would attend to it
himself when he got about, as he fully
expected to in few days, though DR.. ].
N. Johns stated last night that he had
few If any, hopes Of Travers' recovery,
and that he would hardly survive three
days.
Superintendent Baker, Of the tele-
phone company, was seen at Dover in
relation to the letter that Travers got
from Eldorado. Mr. Baker went to
Georgetown to personally superintend
the work of the metallic circuit and
was associated closely with Travers
last week. On September IA Travers
received a letter from Eldorado which
passed through Mr.. Bakers hands, as
the electrician had gone down the
road that day, and he brought it tC
Dover. carrying it in his pocket fol
several days, until he next saw Travers
Mr.. Baker is confident that it was q
Iwomans handwriting or a clever dis
guise of a mans hand. He is certain
that the man was decoyed by this lettei
Ito his death. There are about on,
hundred inhabitants in the town of Ell
dorado, which is on a branch Of tn,
Nanticoke river known as Northwes
Fork The man whose wife Traver
knew and from whom the decoy lette
was doubtless received, was employed
as an engineer on a small boat run
ming in this river. Eldorado is mad
up Of working people, saw-mill ant
tannery people.
The fact that six men were in tn
plot to kill Travers and the six set ou
! from Eldorado to wait for their vic
tim at the time appointed on Thurs
day night became known, when Farme
y Lindsay, of near Eldorado, drove u
, where Travers is now dying and saiC
T when pressed for information, that h
n was driving along behind Trayers' cal
8 riage on Thursday night when
heard loud voices ahead and saw tn
G flash of a gun. He hurriedly drove u
and found Travers lying by the roat
> side with six other men walking abol
- his PROSTATE form. One called to hi
p asking how a load of buckshot felt il
side Of him. The man begged the fa
n mer to assist him into his carriag
! which had gone but few feet ava
10 and said that his assailants had not
? fed him that he must clear out in fly
!, minutes or take another load.
- When he started to assist the ma
n they threatened this good samarita
n but he managed to get Travers into h
p carriage, and started for seaford b
N fore being himself overcome with fei
IA from his desperate surroundings.