Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1904-09-13
BLOODY BATTLE ON TRAIN.

One Of the coaches OF the Georgia
Southern and Florida passenger train
coming from Jacksonville to Valdosta,
Ga, Sunday night, was the scene of one
of the bloodiest chapters that has been
written in the history of the Okefnokee
region. In a general melee, white
man named Jackson Duncan was stabbed
to death. two negroes were killed, and
Marshall Duncan was stabbed In several
places. and either thrown from the NOV
ING train or fell off. The men who did
the killing, according to reports, are
Charles and Hillary Altman, who reside
near Baxter, Fla. the killing was the
result of drunken row, preceded by a
long period of bad feeling between the
Duncans, who are prominent naval stores
men. and the Altmans and other citizens
of that place, who appear to have been
resentfui of the development which the
still and the mill had brought to that
section of the country. The Duncans
have stated a number of times that they
we're always having trouble with their
neighbors, who persisted in trespassing
upon their lands. On Sunday a lalge
crowd of Meniac and Baxter people
went to Jacksonville to spend the day.
Most of the crowd were in an intoxica-
ted condition Sunday night when they
boarded the train. w. NJ. Duncan,
father of the younger Duncan, was
in the crowd, but he and his sons
are said to have been sober. The six
or eight men who made up the other
faction were very boisterous, after the
train pulled out from Jacksonville, and
picked a quarrel with a negro named
Jim Riley, who worked for the Duncans.
Like flash, Charley Altman, who ac-
cused the negro of being in debt to him,
drew his dirk and stabbed the negro to
the heart. The negro fell between
the seats and died instantly. Then
Jackson Duncan demonstrated with
Altman, and Hillary Altman drew his
dirk and stabbed Duncan, who died In
q minute or so. Marshall Duncan was
also stabbed, and was eitherpushed from
the train or fell off. lie was badly IN
iured BIZ the bruises he sustained by the
fall and also by half dozen knife
wounds he received. Another negro
was killed in the melee. The two Alt
mans slipped from the car to the plat
form and jumped from the train as 1t
slowed down, but got upon the rear end.
w. NJ. Duncan in the meantime had
drawn his revolver, and was hunting for
the Altmans in all of the coaches. A
Macon baseball player was hidden In
one of the closets, and Duncan supposed
him to be the murderer of his son.
After firing several shots at the door
he smashed it in with an axe, but
the Macon man had escaped through the
window to the platform Of the car
and into the ladies' coach. Yester-
day morning, according to reports, the
row was renewed between the Duncans
and the parties ofthe other side. Friends
of the Altmans, it is said, met at their
house, and went to Baxter, where a
fusiIade occurred between them and W.
NJ. Duncan and another younger son.
w. NJ. Duncan was shot through the
Aeshy part of his stomach twice and his
son was shot through the hand.
Dispatches received in Macon, Ga,
says that Deputy Sheriff Thrift was fired
upon by crowd at Baxter, Fla, when
he attempted to arrest the two Altmans'
Citizens prevailed upon the deputy tc
make no further attempt at arrest until
the sheriff arrives. More trouble is ex-
pected when it is attempted to take the
Altmans to prison.
A party OF about fifty friends are
standing guard with loaded Winchesters
around the house in Baxter, Fla, in
which are Charles Altman and Hillary
Altman. These friends of the Altmans
say that the sheriff or military will take
the men over their dead bodies. 1t IL
reported that a military company from
Jacksonville has been ordered to th'
scene.