The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1905-09-13
SHOT BY 4 BRAKEMAN
WHILE STEALln6 4 ride



as Alvin Price, and his home as
Middletown, Ohio, was seriously shot
by q brakeman on west-bOund
freight Friday evening, near Byron
station, as the result, 1t is claimed, of
the attempt of the brakeman, whose
name is G. e. Johnston, to put Price
of the train. Price Is painfully
wounded, but the physicians say he
will live unless unforeseen complica-
lions arise. Johnston was arrested
when his train arrived at North Yaki-
ma Friday night, and held to await
the results of Prices wounds before
a charge was placed against him. He
admits the shooting, but alleges 1t
was unavoidable. Price was given
temporary aid at Toppenish, and is
now resting easily at St. Elizabeth's
hospital.
it entered. He disappeared then,
and I chung to the brakebeam, al
thouhg in terrible pain, till we ran
into Toppenish. called for help,
and two men on the grading gang
pulled me out from under the car.
Johnston is a new man on this d.
vision, being on his third trip when
the trouble occurred. He alleges
that he had put Price of the train
several times before stopping at
Prosser. After leaving there he
found him again, sitting between two
boilers on fiat car. He says he told
the boy he would have to get of, and
reminded him that he had warned
him before that he couldn't ride. Ac-
cording to his statement, Price said
he could ride and would. Then he
started toward Price, who picked up
piece of gaspipe and raised 1t to
strike him. Then he got his re-
volver and fired two shots, intending
only to hit the negro's hand. John
ston was evidently not in practice
with the pistol. for instead of hit
ting Prices hand the bullet struck
him in the left side, after passing
through a folded magazine, and
passed through his body, being found
in his clothing when the physicians
undressed him.
Price is a bright young fellow,
aged 10, and is quite we'll educated
He left the east in July, and was
working his way to Seattle. At the
hospital Saturday morning he made
the following statement to a Herald
representative:
"The shooting took place just after
we left Byron station. As soon as
we got out Of Prosser the brakeman
came and threatened to put me of.
We argued over it awhile, and l told
him would get of at the next stop.
Finally he told me to get up II
thought he meant for me to go
ahead. over the train. and started
to CLIMB the ladder on a box car
ahead Of the fiat car I was on. He
sprang up the ladder ahead of me
and kicked me in the forehead, try
ing to knock me down the ladder II
tried to argue with him again. and
managed to hold his legs so he could
not kick me of. Then I jumped
onto the fiat car, holding two boilers.
and grabbed up an iron bar, or pipe,
rather, IS inches long. Then he
came at me to talk, he said, but L
told him to leave me alone and stay
away from me. Then he told me 4
could ride to the first stop. told
him II he would slow the train down
a little I would get of. Then he
went over the train, back to the ca
boose: as I suspected he was after a
gun. crawled under and got on a
brakebeam. He Immediately came
back with revolver and, squatting
down. fired three shots at me. The
| first two shots missed. but the last
shot struck me in the left side and
passed through my body, Just below
the waist and came out on the right
side. just trihe lower than where
1t entered. He disappeared then,
and I chung to the brakebeam, al
though In terrible pain, till we ran
into Toppenish. called for help,
and two men on the grading gang
pulled me out from under the car.
AFTER I was shot I was awfully
frightened for fear would not be
able to hold on. and discovered was
getting weak from the loss Of blood.
! could not have held on much long,
er, but II I had let go I would have
been instantly ground to pieces"
a AYR