The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-12-13
DESPERATE
FIGHT WITH
A BAD MAN
WatChman at Oklahoma Had a
Warm Time
WITH A TOUGH CITIZEN
Who Is Now Supposed to be a
Noted Criminal.
WITH A TOUGH CITIZEN

J. c. Hopper, night watchman at the
Acme mills in this city. ~ desperate
hattie at about o'clock in the morning
with a man who is believed to be one of
the most desperate criminals in the west
and on whose head a heavy reward is
hanging, Mr.. Goodholm Of the Acme
Milling company. first notified the police
OF the affair at about o'clock in the
morning. and the officers investigated the
matter.
The first time 1 met the felIc~ was
about 10 o'clock Tuesday night. He was
standing near the north door of the en-
gine room with his face to the east and
1 came upon him from the rear. He was
standing up. with mis- hands in his pock-
cts. lie saw me at about the same time
/ saw him. He then turned and stopped
over and rubbed his hands together as
II suffering from the cold and asked me
i L knew where a man could get warm
and get out Of the weather. l told him to
80 up town. He said he couldn't and
wouldn't go up town. 1 said: / am not
you had better get out of here lie then
went east across the mill switch and
turned north toward the Santa Fe depot
Somewhere about y O'Clock, when 1
had come down from the elevator on
account OF having heard a door slam
down at the horse stalls. l saw a man
run from the stables, but when 1 got
down there 1 could not find anybody.
but the door of the shed where we kept
a utility horse. was open, and / knew it
should be closed. l started 10 go away
then turned back and opened the door OF
the closet and found a man in there We
had some words 1t was the same man
that had been there before, but he denied
the fact and he also denied opening the
shed door.
I ordered nim or the premises again
and he went in the same direction as he
had gone before. and toward the Santa
Fe depot.
AT about o'clock this merning
walked around the south side of the mill
to the east side and looking north be-
tween the box cars and the platform
against the light of the street lamps in
the distance I could see the head of
man moving. but found no one 1 then
started to ascend the steps of the plat
form, when a man in the car said Don't
come up here l opened my pocket knife
and started up, though ! could not see
him. l think he warned me not TO come
up three times finally saying if l came
Up he would kill me. When I got up
where the light from my lantern. which
carried in my right hand, penetrated
the car. he again said. If you come in
kere. III kill you ! moved around so
that l could see his face and was stand
ing about six feet distance from him
He was standing in the middle of the car
He then said: If you come in here viii
blow your heart out"
AT this, I dashed the lantern in his
face and jumped to clinch HIM He was
standing holding his revolver in front of
his breast and pointed at me- ] grabbed
him so as to fasten his pistol arm to his
side and drove my knife into his left
breast under his collar bone. He dropped
his revolver and threw me across the car,
then picking up the lantern which was
blazing on the floor, attempted to hit me
several times / lodged il and finally ran
under his arm 10 the outside, picking up
the revolver which was lying on the floor
OF the car When l raised up and put
forward the gun to shoot him, he
Strengthened up and then fell back say
ing. You have cut me.
By this time it was dark the light
having gone out. I ran TO him and grab
bed him. not knowing but what he had
another gun. But he was not breathing.
his heart was silent and the blood was
streaming from his wound I went and
got another lantern and when l came
back his eyes were moving and I soon
brought him 10. Strengthening him up and
assisting him around to the engine room.
He was bleeding terribly. BY his instruc-
ton secured some SCOT to stay the fow
OF blood and by a quarter past three had
him IN such condition that he could stag
ser away.
He said he wanted 10 get away from
town ~ o'clock and begged me TO turn
him loose and several times told me ne
did not want 20 go up town. I finally be-
came sorry for the fellow and thinking
that he was an ordinary hobo and had
gotten the worst Of IT, turned him loose
taking the cartridges ont OF his gun and
returning il 10 him. He said. We will
let this 90 and De friends but I don't
think we viii ever meet again. You dill
me a favor by not killing me and treated
me Ike q gentleman II we ever meet
again / VIII never harm you. We viii
call it square
The fellow vas nicely dressed wear
ing nice black overc0st worth abost 81
a blue suit. low turn-dowu collar witi
black bow cravat a black Stetson hat
sold by Sanger Bros Dallas. His front
teeth were filed with gold bis shoes
Il ere clean. He weighed about ls0 OF IL
pounds was about six feet high. straight
and wen built. black moustache Of about
six weeks growth. His raoustache and
hair were 50 black as 20 look little IN
natural His complexion was swo-thy.
bur he vas very pale from loss - bleod
would guess his age az - or % BE
Lad large hands looking as though rot
used 20 work he had "a big foot ara
wore la-re shoes. which had beer recent
ly polished. I would have guessed him u
De CT Spanish descent He exhibited a
rocketbook which appeared as though
well filed with paper ofIls. Re said. i
Intended 10 KIN you Z yoG came into the
osr. bus cid NOT expect the crazy attack
you made
The police claim the description given
above taHies wi.h thar of q desperSte
western criminal foI whose arrest and
conviction there = offered q large reward
tut preferred that the EaEne oe not given.
The man vas badly wounded and covered
with blood he would b easily ideut-
f@a