The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-08-22
KILLED In ROBBERY
Ransom Woodruff, of Wash
ington Co. Ind. the Victim
BY THREE TRAMPS
Was Returning Home with 2
Friends from Wheat Belts.

Ransom Woodruff. whose home is in
Washington county, Ind, was shot by
a tramp a mile east of Augusta at
Il O'Clock Thursday night and died from
the wound at 9 o'clock yesterday morn
ing. The man who fired the fatal shot
made his escape and had not been located
last evening.
Ransom Woodruff, with two friends,
who gave their names as Alpha Bowman
and AIva Sims, was returning from OK
1ahoma, where they had been work ng
has harvest hands in the wheat fields,
to their homes in Washington county
Ind. They We're sleeping at the Frisco
water tank east OF Augusta when three
tramps attempted to rob them. Wood
ruff attempted to escape and while n
was running from the group one OF the
group of robbers shot him. infiicting the
wound which proved fatal Without in
iuring W0odruf's two companions the
three tramps made their escape. Sims
and Bowman the two young men VINO
were with Woodruff were in Augusta
yesterday and their report Of the killing
was the only one that could be obtained
,ss they were the only ones who witnessed
the killing and none of the parties were
known at Augusta. They say that they
were returning from the oklahoma wheat
+, harvest and were joined at South Win
field Thursday night by two other par
ties. They arrived at Augusta at about
ten o'clock and all went to the Frisco
water tank, which is about a mile east
: of the city limits and laid down on the
I platform to spend the night. The three
harvest hands soon fell asleep as they
were worn out from their days journey
Some time after II o'clock the two
: friends of the dead man say they were
awakened by some one going through
their clothes. They discovered that II
was the three strangers who had joined
them at Winfield When the three har-
vest hands awoke they were promptly
covered with revolvers. Woodruff, they
say. tried to make his escape and as he
was running from the three robbers they
fired at him. one of the balls striking
him in the side and he fell mortaly
wounded. Several shots were fired and
then the three tramps made their es-
cape in the darkness.
Woodruff was taken TO Augusta where
his wound was dressed. The physicians
saw that the bullet wound was fatal, and
that the only chance Of recovery would
be an operation and removing the bullet
a communication was sent to this city
TO DIR. Purdue stating that the wound
ed man would be brought to the St.
Francis hospital in this city in the morn
ing. At the time the train for this city
passed through Augusta Woodruff was
dying and it was useless TO bring him
here He died in the presence of HIS
friends shortly after nine yesterday
morning.
The bullet that caused the death was
fired from a A calibre revolver. Bowman
and Sims say that all three of the
tramps We're armed with forty-fours and
that they appeared to be very bad men,
Woodruff and his two companions were
young men and We're dressed in working
mems clothes They had a good ap-
pearance and Bowman and Sims told a
straight forward clear story of the shoot
ing which is generally believed by the
people of Augusta.
It is believed that the three tramps
who did the shooting are desperate char
Rcters and every effort Is being made
30 catch them. The description Of the
three men as given by Woodruff's COM
panions were sent to chief Burt in this
city They are as follows:
No. Is to 30 years old. dressed in
black suit. Of light complexion, feet
inches tail. weight about $50 pounds,
aame in one leg.
No. 2-Short. heavy set, 5 feet six inches
tail. dark complexioned. gray duck coat,
black silk handkerchief around his neck.
weight about if5 pounds, tatooed figure
on right hand. believed TO he a very
desperate character. Chief Burt said yes
terday that he believed he was an es-
capped convict who was wanted at Ben
Arnold. Tex. where he escaped from
Tom Peoples convict farm. as he tailed
with the description Of the man in al
most every detail.
No. 3-Large man. 80 to * years old.
feet 10 inches in height. weight about
175 to 1so pounds, sandy complexion. grav
duck coat
At nine o'clock yesterday morning Il
was reported that two men answering
10 two Of the above descriptions passed
through Rose HILL A deputy sheriff and
posse from Augusta started in pursuit
The men were arrested but at last report
were not absolutely identified as the
men who did the shooting.