The Oskaloosa herald., 1901-07-18
SLAIN BY A MANIAC.
Sleeping Passenger Shot Dead on
a Train.

under an insane spell, Ned Hartley
Copeland shot and killed A. p. Rogers
on Union Pacific train No. 6, east
bound, Friday night. The crime was
committed near Wamsutta, this state,
just before the train entered the sta
ton. Copeland is the defaulting teller
of the National Bank of Omaha, and
has been pursued by detectives since
September, 1899. Rogers was trans
portation agent for Swift & Co., and
lived at st. Joseph, Mo. He was on
his way home from San Francisco.
Rogers took the train at San Fran
cisco Wednesday, having just disposed
of car load of poultry for his firm,
and intending to reach st. Joseph as
soon as possible. Whether Copeland
boarded the train at the same time as
he did or not is not yet known, but
Copeland in rational period Saturday
said that he had known Rogers for
long time and had been hypnotized by
him several years ago.
Attacks Sleeping Man.
81 could not break the SPELL" he
said, until killed him. He could
make me do anything. Perhaps he
made me murder him. This is my first
days freedom from his awful influ-
ence since l became acquainted with
him. I'm glad he's dead. feel like
man to-day"
Rogers was half asleep when Cope
land attacked him. He was in a for
rl nh In To- - 1,
was doing in n seat, his head forward
on his breast. Copeland entered the
car, which WAS filed with sleeping
passengers, and tip-toed forward until
he was directly behind Rogers. Brake
man Schamp observed his actions and
walked toward him, but before he
could reach him Copeland had drawn
revolver and rested it on the back Of
a seat. He fred one shot at Rogers
and then shrieked:
I'm not hypnotized tonight. I'm
my own man now, and I'll end you for
all time"
The brakeman and two passengers
leaped on Copeland, but their com
bined efforts failed to overcome the
maniac. He threw them off as if they
were pigmies and resumed firing. He
shrieked again and again:
Take that, and that. You'll hyp-
notize nobody else"
BY this time, the car was filed with
shouting and struggling passengers.
They threw themselves upon Cope
land, but he shot at them and the
brakeman.
Hell never hypnotic me again."
he yelled over apd over again. But
Rogers d.d not hear him. The first
shot had killed him, and the others,
while entering his body, could not af-
feet him. He slid from his seat to
the floor while the fight to overpower
Copeland went on. 1t was all of ten
minutes before the latter was beaten
down to The floor and his weapon
taken from nm. He continued to sob
and moan:
Killed by First Shot.
He'll never hypnotic me again
never again" .
Copeland seemed to grow more
rational after he was subdued, but
chung to his first statement that he
had to do it and was now free man,
He was removed from the train at
Rawlins and placed in Jail. AS the
murder was committed in Sweetwater
county, he will be taken to Green River
for trial. Brakeman Schamp was near
ly killed by two of Copeland's bullets
and is in badly used up condition.
Copeland's career has been a re-
markable one. For ten years he was
one of the best trusted bank officials
of Omaha. He was known in the Ne
braska national bank as the "B. & NJ"
teller because he had charge of the de-
posits of the Burlington e. Missouri
railroad. He was fast in his habits,
but kept the friendship of the officers
above him. although regarded as a
little peculiar
Shortage Is Found.
In August, 1899, he left the bank, os-
tensibly for a summer vacation, but
was never seen again in Omaha. AL
though $4,000 shortage was discov-
cred in his bank accounts in Septem-
Der, 1899. neither the bank nor en-
ployed detectives could find a trace
of him until month ago. He was
then located on the Pacific coast
through a fraternal organZat to