Los Angeles herald., 1906-05-12
CAPTURES TRAMP
WHO USED PISTOL
DESPERAD0 WHO SHOT BRAKE
MAN IS RUN DOWN
Arizona Deputy Corners Suspect In
Railroad Yards and Los Angeles
officer Goes After Pris-
oner In Yuma

Charged with having attempted tc
kill Frank Erickson, brakeman FOL
the Southern Pacific, Jack Wilcox, q
negro tramp was arrested yesterday
afternoon by officers at Yuma, Ariz.
and upon receiving information of the
capture Sheriff VIII White left Inn
mediately for the territory and will re-
turn today with the accused man.
For the past week the county Officers
have labored day and night to effect
the capture of the desperado. but VIII
cox kept well under cover and nowhere
along the route were the searchers
able to get clew Of the much wanted
yellow man.
Late yesterday afternoon n deputy
sheriff at Yuma went to the railroad
yards to arrest q Mexican on n mis-
demeanor charge. He was just about
TO make his arrest and was standing
near box car when he noticed a negro
sneak out from under freight car and
walk toward the yard pump.
Suspect Faces Pistol
The man drank as though he was
famlshed and then started back to-
ward the car, but as he stopped to en-
ter his place of concealment he looked
down the business end of a heavy re-
vOlver and his hands went skyward.
The deputy had received notice to
watch out for the tramp negro, and at
the time of the arrest the officer car
ried full description of the accused
man. These descriptions were sent to
every town or village In the southwest
by Deputy Sheriff Len Cleveland.
The negro was marched to the county
jail at Yuma and questioned. He glow
cred at his captors and then turned
his back upon them and refused to
carry on any conversation. He was
dressed in overalls, slouch hat and a
dark overcoat, and every detail cor
responded with the description of the
man who shot Erickson last Friday.
The assault upon the brakeman oc-
CURED near Saugus in the early morn
ing Erickson had been called to one
of the last cars to roust out a gang Of
tramps. There were four negroes in the
gang and Erickson, after asking them
for their fare, told them to jump off
the train.
One negro jumped and landed safely
in the sand, while two others made
preparations to get off as soon as the
train slowed at the nearest curve.
Tramp Shoots Brakeman
But Wilcox, mulatto, refused 10
pay any attention to the brakeman
and said that he would not leave the
train until he was ready. The brake
man drew a club and told the surly
tramp to get off the car, whereupon the
negro drew a revolver from his over
coat pocket and fired, the bullet pierre
ing Erickson's liver.
The brakeman's comrades, attracted
by the shooting, hurried to his assist
ance while the tramps jumped from the
car and fled. All were overtaken by Of
ficers with the exception of Wilcox,
who managed to escape in the brush.
The three suspects were brought to
Los Angeles and taken to the Sisters
hospital where Erickson stated positive
ly that they were not the right ones.
Then the search for Wilcox began in
earnest and it is thought that the man
arrested by officers in Yuma is the
one looked for.
Erickson has improved rapidly dur
ing the past few days and it is now
thought that he will recover from his
injuries unless complications set in
AS soon as the negro arrives in Los
Angeles he will be taken before Erlcl-
son for identification.