The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-09-03
Desperate Fight with Empty
 Whisky Bottles as Weapons VAN HORN IS NOW IN JAIL
Clarke Was Seen to Hit Ground Head First, Roll Over and Collapse. Body Not Found at
 Late Hour.

After a desperate fight, In Whlcn Wnls- key bottles were used as weapons, Bud Clarke, a union miner, was knocked from an incoming Frisco train yesterday after noon near Cordova, by Jeff Van Horn, and 1t is thought he was killed.
 Van Horn is well known in Birming- ham. having been one of the four men who escaped from the Jefferson county jail several months ago with Frank Duncan, the leader of the famous Miller Duncan gang, which blew the safe of the Standard oil company and murdered Po- licemen Kirkley and Adams.
 The trouble occurred between Horse Creek and Cordova and the tram was running forty miles an hour when Clarke was knocked off, it is said. by Il blow from Van Horns fist after the latter had almost killed him with blow frow bot tie. The train did not stop and none of the men on 1t were able to state whether or not Clarke was killed
 Struck Ground Headforemcst.
 When knocked off the train Clarke struck head foremost on the ground and was seen to double up into knot, shiver as if it was his dying move, and then col lapse. All this was in second as the train speeded by.
 According to the reports which were brought to Birmingham several miners, including Van Horn and Clarke, got on the train at Horse Creek, where the for mer worked in the Ivy Leaf mines and the latter for MT. Gilmour. The two men were sitting near each other.
 Sheriff Moore.
 Sheriff Jack Moore of Walker county walked through the car and as he reach ed the rear door Van Horn cursed him. He did not hear the insult, but Clarke took 1t up, telling Van Horn that he ought to have his face pushed in. The two then began to fight and Van Horn reached in his rear pocket for qlart whiskey bottle. A friend joined him and together they managed to get the test of Clarke. who, In the meantime had also secured bottle. Others joined On both sides and for several minutes thcre was quite a desperate battle. When the men reached for their bottles in their rear pockets passengers thought they were after pistols and all dropped be- hind the seats
 Van Horn. finally landed a solid blow on Clarke's head and Clarke became dazed. He started to run to seek the pro- lection of Sheriff Moore, but went to the front end of the car instead of the rear where Moore was.After he reached the platform there was no escape, as tha ;,, al was locked
 On the Platform.
 Clarke stood on the platform second and then Van Horn attacked him again. They fought for few seconds and Van Horn almost pushed Clarke off the car, but he caught the rail with his hands and held on. Van Horn then took the jagged edges of the bottle, which had been broken over Clarke's head, and cut him across the knuckles with 1t, fin- ally causing him to loose his hold As his last finger slipped from the rail- it Is said, Van Horn struck Clarke a heavy blow on the side of the head and knock ed him off the car.
 Van Horn in Jail.
 Sheriff Moore placed Van Horn under arrest and had him taken to the county jail at Jasper, but not without his prs- oner making an attempt to escape. When the train reached Cardova Sheriff Moore took Van Horn off and turned him over to deputy. The prisoner made an att tempt to escape, but several shots were fired after him and he was finally re- captured.
 Manacles were placed on Van Horn. Every effort was made last night to reach Cardova and Horse Creek by wire to find out If the body of Clarke had been found, but at o'clock this morn ing nothing had been heard from either of those places.