The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-12-31
MISSISSIPPI CRIME
,xorFEND1NG MAN MURDERED ON
TRAIN.
DEADLY WORK OF BULLlEs'
,nEp. INsULTED AND THEN
KILLED j. NJ. RHEA.

Entered Car, walked Over
.,,r MINIS Legs, Ordered Him
out and Then Shot HIM D""
u Left-Drove other Passengers
~. of smoker and Later COM
,,.d Engineer to Carry Them 10
r,.oIoud, where They Were
Promptly Arrested
,ro,,nbis Tenn, Dec. 30.-four men
today killed ]. NJ. Rhea' raiiroau
.nolneer of Vicksburg, who was a pas
Ter on the northbound Yazoo ana
,Tssissinpi Valley train just out Oh
Da,and. Miss. They then, took pos
+o.sion Of the train, compelled the
aneineer to uncouple the engine ana
60 carry them on up the road' Where
thew tried to escape.
Thev were all captured. Ineir NAMES
are Ashley Cooke, A. M. Phlpps, ION
Lauderdale, and man ndineu Dl"OA
man. ri.n+er and
orcbant of Cleveland, Miss; Phlpps
~ rosfmaster at Shelby. Miss; Lau-
- dale is a relative of Phipps. Cooke
- rAvolver. Blackman and Lau-
Iardale each carried Winchester rlfles.
pbinns was unarmed. Indignation -
,atanea and il is feared there may pc
an attempt at lynching.
The men boarded the northbound
.rsin tn return to Shelby this morning
Rhea, an engineer, was on MS
wav to Tutwiler. under orders 20 TAKE
out q locomotive there. He was sleep
ing on a seat in the sleeper Wheh the
nassenrer train pulled out from Le-
ranfnf Cooke ana his
friends boarded the car.
Walking up the aisle the party came
in contact with Rhea's legs, when
were extended out into the aisle as ne
silent Rhea was awakened and IN
ouired what was the matter. The party
stood there and discussed the SIT
nation angrily, and then the quartette
went to the end of the car and out on
the platform. Very soon they returned,
and going up to Rhea, told MN tnat
they could not all stay in the same
car that he would have to get out
Rhea remarked that in order to pre-
vent trouble he would do as they or
dered. Thereupon he started out OF the
car He had just reached the door
when if is claimed, the men opened
fire upon him. He fell where he stood.
The train returned to Leland to leave
the corpse AS soon as the station was
reached Conductor Mclaughlin went
in search of the sheriff and peace
officers
In the meantime the quaftette had
driven all out of the smoker and the
adjacent car during the run back 10
Leland and when they arrived at that
place they went to the engine. aboard
of which was Engineer Delaney. They
covered him with guns and compelled
him to uncouple his engine and When
the men mounted into the cab he was
ordered to open the throttle ana send
the engine down the track toward
Shelby. In the excitement of the mo-
ment Phipps became separated from
his two companions and did not get
away from Leland. When the sheriff
arrived at the railroad he arrested
Phipps The others were carried on
to Shelby. Arrived there they made
10 effort to conceal themselves, but
still carrying their weapons they wait
ed for the next train on which they
travelled to Cleveland. where they were
arrested without trouble. They We're
taken to Shelby and placed in jail.
Cooke. who seemed to be their leader.
has, it is said, killed number of men.
He is charged with the killing of a
negro last Friday night in Shelby.
Late this afternoon the men were
taken to Greenville and lodged in jail
the Illinois Central Railroad officials
furnishing a special engine and car
for that purpose.