Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-08-14
Unknown Insane Man Creates
Panic at Floris.
ELECTED FROM ROCK ISLAND TRAIN
Proves Worthy Foeman for Entire
Train Crew, but is Finally Left at
Floris, After Hard Fieht-It is
Thought He Lives at Drakesville.
from Medneslan,s naily.l

tFrom Wednesdays Daiy.l
An insane man, whose identity is
unknown as yet, created no end of ex-
element at FIoris yesterday evening
when he was elected from Rock Is
land passenger train No. 16, east
bound, after having ridden from Cen
terville to Floris. 1t is supposed that
he escaped from the sheriff at Center
vile and boarded the train with the
intention of escaping his captors. The
trainmen discovered his presence be-
tween Centerville and Floris and at
the latter place they put him off the
train, but he persisted in getting on
again and the affair developed into
fight in which the insane man was
pitted against the conductor, tiagman,
brakeman, porter, engineer and fire
man of the train. He held his own
pretty well and was only kept off the
train finally after the entire crew had
been almost worn out and their an
tagonist had broken window in one
of the coaches and had inflicted a
slight wound upon the head OF the
f1agman AT last reports the man was
still at Floris, although since his bat
tie with the trainmen he had had no
more trouble when last heard from.
1t is thought he lives at Drakeville.
Witness of the Fight Talks.
William Wilson of Floris, who is
quite we'll known in Ottumwa and is
in the city today was on the train yes
terday at the time the trouble took
place and related the story to rep
resentative of the Courier this morn
ing as follows:
Il stood on the rear platform most
of the time during the trouble, and
was thus given an opportunity to view
it easily. | was impressed by the
strength of the man. He seemed to
be possessed of the power Of two or
three ordinary people, and when he
was attacked by the trainmen he
threw some of them ten or twelve feet.
| saw him first when he was put off at
Floris after having ridden from Cen
terville on the train. The conductor
and the flagman first attempted to
eject him, but they soon had to call
to their assistance the brakeman and
the porter They would down him
after fierce fight then run and catch
the train in an attempt to get away
| from him, but he would be there by
the time they were. Three or -four
times he was put off and as often he
returned. Finally the four got him
into the ditch by the side of the track
with the assistance of the engineer
and fireman. Then the two latter raj
to the engine and started the train.
1.-The flagman was the last to let g
of the man, and as soon as he did 81
he ran as fast as he could to the train
4 just succeeding in catching the real
car However, the crazy man was
close behind and seized the trainman's
! coat. tearing it from him. The tralr
had to be stopped again and when il
| started the unwelcome passenger hat
i a firm grasp on the rod running across
i the rear platform. He ran behind the
train until a gait which seemed to ap
proach pretty close to twenty miles al
hour was reached, when he finally hat
1 to let go. He returned to Floris, as
1 afterward learned by telcphoning. ant
spent sometime at the depot there.
During the fight the insane maj
! threw several cinders at the trainmen
The first shattered window in thu
rear coach and another struck thu
1agman in the head, just behind thu
: ear. but the wound was not a serious
one.
mo one seemed to know the man
, but it was thought that he had broker
away from the sheriff at Centerville
as he boarded the train there. HI
was of medium height, rather heav.
, build, had black mustache and wa
bald-headed."