The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1902-01-02
CAPTURED A TRAIN
-
Four Men Play the Hold.Up Act
Without the Trimmings.
BRUTALLY SLAY A PASSENGER
Engineer Is Covered With Guns sne
Forced to Do Bidding of Would
Be 5andits-All Are
Arrested.

Four white mon killed j. M. Ruea'
an inoffensive passenger on train NO. 3
OF the Yazoo and Mississippi Valley
branch of the Illinois Central railroad,
at an early hour Monday morning, near
Leland, Miss, cut the locomotive from
the train and forced the engineer to
run to Cleveland All four men were
arrested, ore beins in jail at Leland
and three are locked up at Shelby. The
four men are: -
Ashley Cooke, a prominent business
man of Cleveland; A. M. Phipps, post
master at Shelby; Thomas Lauderdale'
said to be relative of Phipps, and
man named Blackman, residence un-
known.
The men went from Shelby to Le-
land early Sunday night. At Leland
it is said they spent several hours
drinking and carousing. At a. ID.
the men boarded the porthbound train
to return to Shelby. ]. NJ. Rhea, an
engineer, was on his way to Tutwiler,
under orders to take out locomotive
near there. He was sleeping on a
seat in the sleeper when the passen-
ger train pulled out from Leland. At
that point Cooke and his friends board
ed the car Cooke had revolver anu
Lauderdale and Blacknan had win
chester rifles. Phipps was not armed.
Walking UP the aisle Phipps was in
advance of the party, when he came
in contact with Rhea's legs, which
were extended out into the aisle as he
slept. Rhea was awakened and IN
quired what was the matter. The
members of the party stood there and
discussed the situation algrily for
awhile and then the quartet went to
the end Of the car anG out On the
platform. Very soon they returned
and going up to Rhea told him that
they could not all stay in the same
car, and that he would have to get
out.
Rhea remarked that in&order to pre-
vent trouble he would have to do as
they told him. Thereupon he started
out of the car. He had just reached
the door when it is claimed the men
opened fire upon him. He fell where
he stood.
Conductor George Mclaughlin order
ed the train back to Leland, there to
leave the corpse. AS soon as Leland
was reached the conductor went in
search Of the sheriff and peace off,
GERS.
In the meantime the quartet had not
been idle. They had driven everybody
out of the smoker and the adjacent
car during the run back to 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 told him
If he did not obey their commands
they would kill him.
He was compelled to uncouple his
engine and when the men mounted
into the cab he was ordered to open
the throttle and send the engine down
the track toward Shelby. In the ex-
citement Of the moment Phipps be-
came separated from his companions
and did not get away from Leland.
When the sheriff arrived at the rail-
road he arrested Phipps. The others
were carried on to Shelby. Arrived
there, they made no effort to coaceai
themselves, but Still carrying their
weapons, they waited for the next
train, on which they travelled to
Cleveland, where they were arrested
without trouble. They were taken to
Shelby and placed in Jail,
Cooke, the man who seemed to be
the leader of the quartet, has, it Is
said, killed a number Of men. He j:
charged with the killing Of negro
last Friday night In Shelby. There is
much excitement and indignation
among the people Of the Leland and
Shelby neighborhoods over Mondays
tragedy, but no violence is anticipated.