Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1906-09-14
Jim BLANCHARD
| BLOOD THIRSTY
TERRoRIZES ENTIRE TRAIN BY
FIRING PISTOLS.
Ne GRO PORTER KILLED
One Bullet Took Effect in Porter
Officers Were Afraid to Arrest the
Infuriated Man, Who Dreve every
One from the Car.


Blanchard, seed buyer for the Bel
zoni oil mill, shot UP the sleeper on
the Southern train gonig east hesides
terrorizing every one OH board
the train and killing the negro porter.
He defed arrest, drove everyone from
the car and was only taken when the
train reached here, his friend, Mayor
Stevenson Of this place, pleading with
him to surrender his weapons ana
promising him protection. On this
condition he gave the mayor two pls-
tolls and placed himself in custody.
The immediate cause Of Blanchard's
insane act was fight he had with
Dave Wallace, a fellow townsman
from Belzoni, with wnom he was talk
ing in seat in the sleeper. Both left
Greenville together, and it was no.
ticed that both had been drinking.
Wallace, in the course of the conver-
sation, stated that he had just secured
a whisky license and intended to open
a rum shop ia Belzoni, where there IS
great opposition to the traffic. Blanch-
ard, who is a temperance man at
home, took great umbrage at the
stafemert, and called Wallace vile,
unprintabIe name, wnereupon Wal
lace struck him eight terrific blows IN
the fac, closing both eyes, one of
which as already nearly out. Hav-
pui him out Of business, Wallace
the car and went into the smoker,
which was crowded with gentlemen.
Although he was very groggy from
the effects Of his beating, Blanchard
opened his grip and took out two
guns, one an automatic magazine
weapon and the other a regulation
Mississippi Colts shooting iron.
With one in either hand he groped his
way to the smoker, running square up
against the large pier glass at the
end Of the car. He thought it was
an opening into the smoker and be-
ban to fire at his Gwn hisshappen
countance mirrored before his gaze,
creating CONSERVATION in the smoker,
Cor several of them whizzed past the
comfortable travellers who were tax
ing their siestas and chatting shop.
The negro porter, who had come 10
he doorway in answer to a call, was
he only one hit, he receiving bulle.
IN the right breast, which later caused
ais death.
In a moment the smoker was as va
can't of people as a haunted house,
and the sleeping ca was in the sole
possession Of the infuriated man. Two
oung ladies from Greenville, on their
way to Georgetown to enter school,
witnessed the fight and Blanchard S
Wild West epilogue, and fled IN
screams to the FROM car, where they
sank exhausted and paralized by fear
Blanchard walked back to his seat
and reloaded both weapons. He then
sat down facing the door, and waiting
For the attack for he supposed that the
would be attacked by those he had been
shooting att
The fight began just as the drain
pulled out of Indianola, and as it
neared Baird s the fracas was over.
Conductor johnson and others tried
10 enter the car there and take Blanch
ard out, but their nerve left them
when they looked into two big guns
handled by the desperate man. No
officer at Baird's where the train was
stopped, could be prevailed on to at
tempt the arrest, and word was sent
on to this place to prepare to take him
at any cost.
On the train S arrival here the town
marshal went aboard, and, seeing the
lay Of the land, started back to the
calaboose for his double-barrel shot
gun, loaded with buckshot. He said
that he was not going to take any
chances, and it looked like there was
going to be another killing. At this
iuncture Mayor Stevenson entered the
sleeping car and Gained the blood
thirsty Blanchard into submission.
They left the train together, the may
or having both weapons. Blanchard
was placed under arrest, and will
probably be taken to Indianola to jail
The hero of this melodrama is a
member Of one of the first families in
this section of the state, 80 years #
age and unmarried. He is Shriner
and thiry-second degree Mason, and
one Of the most popular members Of
the order in Mississippi Wallace
came from Memphis, and bears a good
reputation.