Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1903-10-03
.PAYMASTER KILLED
BY DYNAMITE
Samuel T. Ferguson and His
Secretary Met Terrible Fate
on Public Road.
OCCURRED IN DAYLIGHT
The Paymaster Instantly Killed and
His Secretary Seriously Injured by
the Explosive, Intentionally
Placed There.

| Washington, Pa, Sept. 2S.-Samuel L.
Ferguson of the Ferguson Construction
company of Pittsburg, was instantly
killed, and his secretary, Charles J..
Martin Of Cincinnati, was fatally in
jured on the Middleton road, fifteen
miles from here.
They were driving along the road in
a buggy, carrying $500 cash with
which to pay OFF some of their men em-
| ployed on construction work along the
line of the Wabash railroad, when sud
denly an explosion Of dynamite in the
roadway literally tore the rig TO pieces.
killed Ferguson outright n threw
Martin 200 feet, tearing his left arm al
most from the socket.
1t has been learned that two men,
! supposed TO be Poles, placed the dyna-
mite in the road for the purpose of kill
ing Paymaster Ferguson, n had ar
ranged to explode il by means of an
electrical battery. The satChel contain
ing the money is missing.
Two suspects are under arrest In the
camp OF the construction company near
the village, but the farmers Of the sec
ton who are securing the country for
traces of the murderers believe they
have one of them at bay in an aban-
doned coal mine, about a mile and a
half north of West Middleton.
Bold Daylight Crime.
The crime occurred in broad daylight
In the public road, the dynamite being
exploded by means of an electric bat
terry. Mrs. Ferguson, wife of the muir
dered contractor, is in q serious condl-
ton as a result of the awful tragedy,
and there is some doubt as to her re-
Covery.
About a quarter of q mile north of
Middletown is 3 long hill, known as
Seminary hill, leading into a miniature
valley. At the lowest point In this val
ley Is n culvert crossing a small stream.
1t was here that the crime was commit
ted. No one was in sight when the
crash came, and none viii ever know
exactly how the deed was perpetrated.
Evidently as the 'ehicle containing
Ferguson and Martin reached the small
culvert the highwaymen in the bushes
pushed the button and the dynamite
was set off.
The money was taken and the robbers
escaped. Lewis Liggctt, whose farm
bounds the road at The scene Of the
crime, quickly ran to the edge of the
bluff, noticing as he did so "A man run
ming past him TO the north over the
hill, carrying a satchel. Liggett was
afaraid to give chase, as the man had
a drawn revolver in his hand and
showed that he would not be taken
easily. Liggett then ran down over the
hill to the road, where a greWsome
sight presented itself. In the middle
of the road was torn a hole twelve feet
long, seven feet wide and four feet
deep. showing where the dynamite had
exploded.
Met Instant Death.
About thirty feet north of this point
Ferguson lay in the road, dead. Above
his left eve was q deep, long cash, the
.-1,, $500, -, HE In1, rHn,,i,r thot
his death must have been caused by
this wound. A little to his right lay
Martin. still conscious, and moaning
~piteously, horribly lacerated from head
to foot. The force of the explosion was
terrific. Both horses We're thrown a
distance Of sixty feet and both were
blown to fragments. One horses hin
quarters were blown off and his ems
trails were thrown into a field nearly
a hundred yards away. The other
horses head was almost torn off, while
the buggy was torn to pieces. The
work of the men was evidently well
planned, and carried out in a manner
that would do credit to expert e%leCtri-
clans.
A score of sticks of dynamite must
have been imbcdded beneath the Cul-
vert judging from the hole In the
ground.
Passing from the dynamite directly
In the center of the highway was per-
haps six feet of fine copper wire care
fully insulated. This wire connected
with a battery located in the trees be-
side which the robbers had taken their
position. A button was attached to the
battery and at an instatt's notice the
dynamite could be exploded. Just prior
to, the approach Of Ferguson and Mar
tin several vehicles had passed over the
dynamite, but the occupants were not
nolested.
Shotgun Also Found.
Beside the battery in the clump of
bushes was found a double barre!ed
shotgun, loaded, and 1t is supposed hat
had the dynamite failed to explode, or
should It do so prematurcly, the shot
gun would have been used from m
bush.
Whenthe news Of the tragedy reached
Washington every means possible was
taken to apprehend the desperadoes
and word was sent to all the surround
ing towns to cooperate. Last night
two men, who had been employed at
the camp at various tines and dis
charged repeatedly, came into camp and
were Immediately arrested by Camp
Toss Isaac Smith. Smith believes he
has the guilty men, but win not divulgc
their names until they are turned over
to the proper authorities. Fer fear of
lynching, Smith will keep the prisoners
heavily guarded until the sheriff takes
cnarge of them.
The farmers of the country surround
ing West Middleton do not think that
the men under arrest at the Wabash
camp are guilty of the double crime and
ere securing he countryside for two
other men.