The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1904-08-16
THE SPECTACULAR END OF
ISAAC GRANVILLE.
Notorious Railroad Dyna.
miter and Desperate
DIED BY HIS OWN HAND
After Fatally Wounding His JaiIer
and Maintaining a Desperate Run
ming Fight Against Overwhelming
Odds While Trying to Make Good
His Escape--Hls Gang Feared.


Helena, Mont, Aug. lin setting
and situation that would grace the most
highly colored melodrama, Isaac Gra-
velle notorious railroad dynamiter and
desperate met death here this after
noon by his own hand, after shooting
In cold blood and probably fatally
wounding Deputy Jailer Antonio ST.
monek and maintaining a desperate
running fight against overwhelming
odds in an effort to make good his es-
cape.
During the battle following his dash
for liberty, hundreds Of citizens, court
officials, assistant jaiiers and deputy
sheriffs pursued the bad man as he ran
through the main street of Helena
Every man with weapon was firing al
the fleeing Gravelle who answered with
his own weapon but twice. Wounded
in the leg and aware that his effort
was doomed to failure the trapped
dynamiter dashed into the basement OF
Governor Toole's residence two block
from the Jail. A second later, as thu
vanguard of the pursuit reached tht
governors home, Gravelle blew out hii
brains with the remaining charge in
his six shooter.
Gravelle was under trial during the
day at the circuit court on technical
charge of having robbed the powder
house of the Northern Pacific railroad
last fall. In reality the states attor-
neys intended to have him punished
as one of the gang who terrorized the
state of Montana for months last year
in an effort to blackmail the Northern
Pacific. Charges of dynamite were dis
covered on the tracks and under cul-
verts at frequent intervals, track pa
edies and train men and passengers
lived in fear Of violent death at tho
hands of the dynamiters. Gravelle
was arrested and the authorities were
morally certain of his guilt but all
they believed they could prove was the
robbery of the powder house. The court
proceedings attracted wide attention.
and when the defendant was led from
the court house to the Jail this after
noon, crowd followed in the wake
of the two officers guarding the pris-
oner and disappeared only when the
barred doors closed behind the little
party.
Inside the Jail Deputy Simonek and
his assistant uahandcuffed Gravelle
preparatory to locking him In his cell.
An instant later. the officers were COW
H.x hn dur, mt a hoA
drawn from an inside coat pocket. One
Of his many confederates. known to be
In town. is believed to have succeeded
in passing the weapon to the prisoner.
Hands up" shouted Gravelle.
The officers obeyed and Simonek was
then compelled to unlock the street
door.
AS he pulled 1t open, Gravelle fired
three shots. all of which penetrated
Simonek's back. and the jailor col
lapsed to the floor. Waving the re-
volver, the fugitive jumped into the
street
The dispensing crowd opened path
for the desperate while from the court
house ran dozen deputy sheriffs. who
with drawn revolvers closed after him
in pursuit Hundreds Of shots were
fired, and one took effect. The chase
ended in Gravelle's suicide.
Little hope is entertained for 81
monek's recovery. He remains uncon-
scious, and while the physicians hope
he may pull through, they believe his
wounds will prove fatal.
Gravelle's possession of revolver
when on trial leads railroad detectives
and police officers to fear the dreaded
dynamite gang still has an effective or
ganization which may yet cause much
trouble.