The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1903-11-26

Want your moustache or beard a
beautiful brown or rich black 2 Use
|buckingham's Dye|
DYING OPERATOR WIRES I'm SHOT
Telegrapher Slain at Lonely Signal Tower
Sent Message Before Murderer Finished
Crime by Beating HIM With a Bar.

| dul SllOt L blI yluS, HIS
tragic message was received ovei
the wire in. the New York Central
Railroad offices at Jersey Shore
Junction at g. 80 o'clock Thursday
evening 1t came from Brown's S
tower, about three miles west OF
Jersey Shore. where William Glen
denim, a telegraph operator, was
stationed.
A few minutes later locomotive,
with All operator and an armed crew
aboard was speeding up the track
toward the tower. Arrived there,
the truth Of the startling message
was revealed. Lying on the floor
of the tower, by the side Of the
telegraph instruments, was the dead
body of Clendeuin. Not only had
he been shot, but the murderer had
made sure of his crime by battering
his victim over the head with an
iron bar, crushing in his skull,
while Clendenin was sending his
last message.
Robbery is believed to have been
the motive. Clendenin received
his months pay that day and the
money is missing.
Twenty minutes before the mes
sage from Clendenin was received
at Jersey Shore Junction freight
train had passed Browns tower and
Conductor Witherall had entered
the tower and registered, He saw
stranger there when he went in,
but paid little attention to him, the
man turning his head when With
erall entered. Who he was or what
he was doing there is not known,
but it seems probable that he is the
man who committed the murder.
The bullet struck the operator in
the head, and the nerve and pres
ence of mind displayed by sending
the message while he was dying is
remarkable.
After the shot had been fired and
while the operators stiffening
fingers was ticking off the tragic
message, the murderer evidently
picked up the iron bar, which was
found near the body, and pounded
his victim over the head with it.
The country in this vicinity of
of the scene of the crime is being
secured by scores of searchers for
the murderer. 1t is believed he
will be captured.
Browns tower, where Clendenin
was stationed, is in Clinton County,
near the bridge where the Beech
Greek Division OF the New York
Central crosses the river, about
midway between Oak Grove and
Youngdale. 1t is a farming COM
munity and there are no houses
near the tower.
Clendenin was about IS years
old and unmarried. He lived with
his mother and sister at Youngdale,
about mile west of the scene of
the crime.
OTHER RAILRoADMEN ATTACKED.
John Dalton, night watchman at
the Philadelphia & Reading station
at GirarGville, was attacked at mid
night last Friday night by four
masked burglars and, at the pistol S
point, was locked in a room while
the desperadoes ransacked the place.
The general belief is that these men
are part of gang whose members
killed Operator Clendenin at Jersey
Shore and on the same night at
tackled Operator Hafer at Allen
wood. Operators and railroad men
are in constant fear of assault and
grave danger. Men whose work
calls them near the lines at night
have armed themselves for protec-
tion.
John Dalton was making his
rounds at Girardville and had
absolutely no warning when a re-
volver was showed into his face and
he found himself confronted by
four men. All four men were arm.
ed and masks covered their faces
His first attempts at resistance
were met with violence, and after
being handled in a way that show
ed the determination and despera
tion of his asSailants, he was forced
to give up the struggle and sur
render to the robbers.
The four men then led hin
forcibly to the rear of the station
and thrust him into room. Bind
ing him hand aud foot, they turned
the key in the lock and left him
prisoner while they entered tn
front of the building and began t.
loot the the cash drawer of tn
ticket office and the messenger
department of the United State
Express Company.
Dalton's nerve returned to hir
aS he heard the fOOtDode IL, IN