Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1906-1908, 1907-05-03
ARREST masked MEN
IN PISTOL BATTLE
Capture OF SUPPOSED BANDITS
BELIEVED TO HAVE AVERTED
TRAIN ROBBERY.
ONE FATALLY SHOT
IN REVOLVER DUEL
Attempt Made to Wreck Heavily
Loaded Chicago-Bound Train, But
Freight Becomes Victim-Dixie
FLYER Derailed.

Streator, H., May 3.-Following a
furious revolver duel between local
police and party Of five masked train
robbers early Thursday, one of the
bandits was taken to a hospital with
bullet through his spine and the
four others are in cells at the police
station.
The battle took place in sight of
scores of passengers and citizens, who
hastened to cover when the fusillade
Of bullets began.
During the night Assistant Chief OF
Police Fair received telephone mes
sage stating that the robbers were on
the Santa Fe Fast train west bound,
and asking him to meet the train with
a posse. A detail Of police surround
ed the train and ordered the men to
throw up their hands and surrender.
Robbers Refused to Surrender.
There was no apparent disposition
to comply with the command, three
Of the men making an effort to get
away. Officers opened fire, Charles
Lephard of Cincinnati being the only
one hit by bullet. The police closed
In on the bunch and all were taken.
The four prisoners gave their names
as William Horner and John Harrison,
both of Chicago; Frank Anderson of
Kansas City and Tony Trenhausen of
Cincinnati.
Whether the men really intended a
hold-up or whether they were merely
beating their way west Is not known.
All were masked when taken, but they
claim the handkerchiefs were over
their eyes merely to protect them
against dust and cinders.
Brakeman Gives Alarm.
The presence of the supposed rob.
bers was discovered by brakeman,
who saw them crouching on the
blind baggage" next to the mail car.
He notified the conductor, who sent
the message to the police, at the same
time stationing a guard to give the
alarm il any attempt was made to
break into the mail car.
If robbery was intended the oppor-
tunity apparently had not arrived, for
the mail car was intact when the po
lice closed in on the intruders.
The desperate resistance of the men
is taken as evidence that robbery OF
the mail aud express cars was their
object 1t is believed that the point
at which they intended to perpetrate
the crime is some distance west OF
this city, and that the plot was baked
by the timely discovery of the rob
bers.
Try to Derail Chicago-Bound Train
Racine, Wis, May 3.-An attempt
was made Wednesday night to wreck
the 9:30 south bound passenger train
on the Chicago C Northwestern rail
way, heavily loaded with passengers
bound from Milwaukee and Racine fol
Chicago, but fortunately an extra
fright train which passed through here
at 9:13, composed of engine and 81
cars loaded with miscellaneous freight
in charge of Conductor Fitzgerald
struck the obstruction placed on the
track, and cnly the locomotive left the
rails. The attempt was made in abou
the same place south of Racine juno
tion where a passenger train wa!
wrecked last fall by boys placing al
iron nut on the rail, only it occurred
on the east instead of the west track
In less than two hours the engine wa:
replaced and the train proceeded. In
vestigation as to the cause of the &C
cident reveals that it was a probable
attempt at train wrecking.
Dixie Flyer Is Wrecked.
Atlanta, Ca, May 3.-A specia
from Griffin, Ga, says the Dixie flyer
a fast train from st. Augustine, Fla.
to Chicago, was wrecked at Orchard
Hill, on the Central Georgia railroad
seven miles south of that point. NJ
passengers were injured, but a Negro
helper in the express car was killet
and two express messengers were in
jured, neither fatally. The wreck wa
caused by an open switch. The loco
motive and two cars passed tn
switch, but the rest of the train wa
derailed. Fire started in the wreck
but was quickly controlled.