The Hawaiian gazette., 1900-08-14
Sam'I Barney, The
Slayer Of J. W.
LOrbeer.
BOTH EMPLOYEES OF
OAHU RAILROAD
Yardmaster Victim of Brakeman
He Discharged For
Drunkenness.
(From Mondays Daily.)

John w. Lorbeer, yardmaster of the
Oahu Railway and Land Company's
depot in this city. was shot twice yes
terday morning at 8:45 o'clock by re-
volver in the hands of Samuel Barney.
a train hand He died at ten minutes
past ~ o'clock noon, at the Queens
Hospital.
Samuel Barney. who fired the fatal
shots, Is now detained at the police sta
tion where he will remain until the de-
cision of the coroner's jury. The pistol
with which the murder was committed
was taken from Barneys possession.
and with other effects is now held at
the Sheriff's office.
Conflicting statements as to the caus-
es leading up to the tragedy and the
manner in which Lorbeer met his
death have been made. although even
the prisoner admits that the bullets
were fired from the revolver which he
had in his hand.
DIR. Cooper. who attended the dying
man. says that when the hospital was
reached Lorbeer was conscious and
perfectly rational, and remained so I'M
til the anesthetic was administered.
When asked by DR.. Cooper what was
the cause of the trouble and how the
shooting came about, Lorbeer replied:
II had discharged Barney because he
had been dissipating. He had been
drinking, and that was why discharg-
ed him."
When asked by DIR. Cooper whether
Lorbeer answered, Yes; plenty of
them"
DO you know who shot you?" was
asked.
Yes; 1t was Barney"
According to number of eye-wit-
nesses Lorbeer was making ready to
send out the 9:15 train yesterday morn
ing. Many of the railway employees
were standing around the yard in front
of the roundhouse waiting for the train
to be made up which they intended
boarding for Makua to spend the DAY.
Barney was one of the number. Yard
master Lorbeer had asked Superinten-
dent Dennison for an extra car for the
men, and this car was being shunted
into position. 1t is said that Barney
and n Portuguese fireman named Ca
bral. who had just come in on the
Waialua train, had some trouble. and
that Barney applied a vile epithet to
Lorbeer. and Lorbeer at once hunted
up Barney and berated him for the
statements he had made to the fireman,
Barney replied. 1T was none of his
Norbeer's) business"
Later, as the car was being run down
the track. and near the turntab e. Lor-
beer. who was on the car. saw Barney
standing on the track directly in the
path of the car. He jumped off, ran
ahead, and pushed Barney out of the
way, and then ran back a few feet
AS he passed by Barney the bystand-
ers saw Lorbeer return toward Barney
again as If in response TO something
said by Barney. At this juncture the
stories as to the commencement of the
tragedy are conflicting. According to
those standing about-principally Her.
bert Hughes, engineer of the train
which had just come in from Kahuku,
and who had just stalled his locomotive
in the roundhouse, Lorbeer approached
Barney.
The latter, as Lorbeer came up to him,
drew a revolver and placing 1t directly
against Lorbeer's left side, fired. Lor-
beer Immediately struck Barney on the
left temple with his fist, staggering
Barney. AS Lorbeer fell toward the
ground, Barney fell with him, the yard
master gripping Barney's hand in
which the revolver was held. endeavor-
Ing to prevent him from pulling the
trigger the second time. AS they fell.
with Lorbeer on top of his assailant,
the second shot was fired. entering Lor-
beers left side about three inches above
the first wound. striking the ribs. He
said: Now you've got me. Run and
get doctor, I'm shot," Lorbeer fell
back limp and Barney struggled to
his feet only to fall into the hands of
several OF the train men. among them
L.. Petrie. who raised the bleeding body
OF Lorbeer from the ground Barney
was held by the train men and a tele-
phone message sent for medical aid
and the patrol wagon. Captain Holi
took the wagon to the depot and the
inert form OF the wounded and dying
man was lifted upon the stretcher and
placed In the wagon. DIR. Charles b,
cooper arrived on the scene Just as the
man was ready to be taken to the
hospital
DIR. C. b. Wood was waiting al the
hospital when the wounded man was
brought In. lie Immediately probed
through the wound by the first bullet
and knew that Internal hemOrrhages
were fast causing the man TO sink. He
made a counter opening In the back
ana inserted catheter 10 drain OF the
blood which Was filling the abdominal
cavity. by probing he felt that one OF
the kidneys had been perforated, An
examination OF the wounds showed
left side and the second ono had entered
Just above IL, Both were blaekened by
powder, showing that thu pistol had
been pressed against the clothing of
the wounded man, IN fact, the barrel
~ he revolver was ehoked by powder
stains,
Dr, Wood made an lneisl0n over the
mans stomach Just below che navel,
ANA examined the lnlesilnes lie found
lham perforated ln nearly d0Een
places These peTg0railana sere stitch
20 and lhoae partially perforated HeTs
fhe 9nsnlnE Wag lhen stitched llp Hnl
~ mHlieal AID vac ~ 40 avail, Ana