Oakes Republican. (Oakes, N.D.) 1898-1906, 1905-09-07
l|)Ok
Murdered {
! l. y - lsred in Cold Blood
lr HecIa.
a n ~! "! npt to Rob Eight Men in
Sasa'sss (sll eailed Shot Down One
ssy - Suspects Arrested at
Nh NJ T. = idsntlned as One Of


lEs man received telegram
,lSsiis had been shot this side of
n box car and to meet the
tern freight train which was
lIlgI nght. The word was given
nil and by the time the train ar
aEge number of citizens had
eated at the depot. When the
s1 ifn pnlletl ii it was found there lay al
- "a empty box car in pool of
bl0O having been shot. Medical aid
III quickly summoned, and DR.. Ryder
and had the unfortunate man
syed 10 the hospital, where he did
lls slae could for him. It was then
found that the man had been shot about
ssslisa inch below the right temple, the
hullet passing through the skull and
,Ssosning outjust to one side of the left
ssyes Some Of the nerves which held
mans eyes in their socket must
w been severed, for the dying mans
Syss were lying on the hollow of his
eheeks, presenting most ghastly sight.
as Many threats were made and had the
guilty man been within reach when the
train arrived here, he would have been
severely dealt with.
II appears from what can be learned,
two hold-up artists made daring raid
on Monday evening about $50 o'clock
Supon party of eight men, who were
riding in box car, just this side of
Hecla. The two bold artists, who had
no other thought but to rob. these men,
came to their box car, both coming in
on the same side Of the open car door,
and ordering the men to line up in the
middle Of the car. Two of the men not
obeying their orders quick enough were
struck over the head with the butt end
OF an ugly looking revolver by one Of
tine men, while the other held flash
light. This seemed to the men as their
last chance and five of the eight men
speedily jumped out of the car and dis
appeared in the darkness. Leon Zook
aof Harrisonville, Mo-, one of the eight
men, who happened to be in one end Of
the car by himself, and as he attempted
to escape, being one of the last men, a
shot was fired by one of the dastardly
hoId-up artists which hit the man as
stated.
At the time the murder occurred the
train was going so slow that three of
the men that escaped were able to jump
on the train again and crawl into a
stock car not far from the box car in
which the murder was committed.
Although the three men in the stock
ear claim that they told the conductor
Of the hold-up soon after it took place,
the ghastly discovery of the murder
y was not made until the train had reached
Ludden about 9:3O O'Clock. The story
goes that the discovery was made in
response to telegram received from
Hecla from the two men remaining there
asking the conductor to go to the car in
which the murder took place to get
their grips. The conductor, after the
arrival of the train at Ludden, would
not open the car until the town consta-
BILE, R. o. Smith, arrived. In compli-
ance with the telegram, search was
then made and the murdered man was
found lying in pool Of blood in front
Sof the box car door. Constable Smith
accompanied the man here where he
was placed in the hospital in a dying
condition. The unfortunate man how
cred between life and death until Tues
day noon when he died.
The deceased is from Harrisonville,
& No., his name is Leon Zook, is about
! twenty-three years old and said to be a
single man.
The eight men and the two hold-up
artists had rode on the freight train
51agethsr % the afternoon and the men
kad IN easy chance to identify the
murdsrers. One Is described rs a tall
slim man with reddish moustache.
wsaring . dasak brown suit of clothes,
and tie Other . short. thick set and of
: msdium eomplexion.
seon aftsr.the murder occurred tele-
.anaas werea1at out from hare to head
'1a9the apectl, and word WAS soon 70