Los Angeles herald., 1907-06-23
CRAzED ITALIAN
SHOOTS UP CAR;
KILLED, z HURT
Stays Man, Wounds
Two Women
Believing Some One had Robbed Him,
John BeIlo Draws Pistol and
Fires PromiscuousIy In
Crowded Train
By Associated Press.

DENVER, Colo, June 22-While
crazed from the effects of vermouth,
John Bello, an italian barber, shot and
killed G. V. Toppe, a tailor, en- route
from st. Paul, Mimi, to San Francisco,
as he slept, and wounded Mrs. Morris
Olsen and Mrs. Harry Blakesley, sis
ters, travelling from Marshall, Minn..
to Colorado. The shooting occurred on
passenger train No. 5, westbound on the
Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific railroad
near Seldom, Kas., last night.
Bello and Patsy Longobardi, an
italian, who was travelling with Bello,
were arrested and taken from the train
at Goodland, Kas.
The wives and nine children Of the
two men came to Denver and decided
to return to Chicago instead of con-
tinuing their journey to San Francisco,
for which place the two families had
started from Boston.
Before the shooting began most of
the passengers were doing in their
chairs and no warning Of their danger
was given them. They were awakened
from their slumber by frantic yells and
pistol shots. Five shots were fired in
rapid succession by Bello as he walked
through the aisle from the front of the
rear of the car, taking accurate aim at
one passenger after another.
The first shot struck Mrs. Olsen on
the left side of her face, the bullet
passing through the jaws and coming
out on the left side. Mrs. Olsen's sis
ter, sitting opposite her, was hit in the
right shoulder with the second bullet.
Their wounds are not fatal. After be-
ing shot, both women rushed to the
smoking car ahead and a majority OF
the male passengers followed as quickly
as possible, tumbling over one anothei
in their haste to escape.
Bello's third bullet passed through
Mr.. Toppe's heart. He was found deaG
calm and from his position 1t seemed
that he was sleeping when shot.
By this time no other men remained
in the car except Charles A. Gilliat of
Denver, an employe of the Griffen
Wheel company, and D. Slawson of
Pueblo, Colo. Gilliat closed in on Bello
and wrenched his revolver from his
hand, but not before two more shots
had been fired, neither of which hit
anybody.
BeIIo Draws Razor
Before being overpowered Bello drew
a razor and with this he fought des-
perately. A negro porter from the
tourist car, armed with a billy, finally
succeeded in knocking the razor out of
the Italians hand and Bello was then
secured and bound.
At Goodland, Kas., Bello and a trav-
a1fo Dot Io f1f
also an Italian. were removed from the
train and locked up in Jail. Bello was
accompanied by his wife and four chill
dren, and Longabardi by his wife and
five children.
Mrs. Longabardi said the two men
had been drinking all day yesterday and
about o'clock they fell asleep, Bello
awakening at 1890, saying that some
one was trying to rob him. Then he
rushed up the aisle and began shoot
ing.
The body was left at Goodland and
the two women were taken to hos
pital there. Mrs. Olsen is young
bride. Her husband was not on the
train, having gone ahead to Arriba,
Colo.
Conductor Tells of Shooting
COLORADO, SPRINGS, Colo, June
22.-Edgar I'll. YounB, conductor OIL tne
Rock Island train on which the shoot
ing occurred, is resident of Colorado
Springs, and when seen by press cor
respondent this morning, gave the fol-
lowing account of the affair.
Everything was perfectly quiet in
the train when this terrible thing hap
pened. 1 was in one of the Pullman
cars when the porter, James Duncan,
rushed in and told me somebody was
being killed in the chair car. l i'm
mediately went to the car and found
things in a frightful condition. Men,
women and children were making a
wild rush to get away from the scene
of the shooting and the panic lasted
fully five minutes. The Italian who
did the shooting was cooler than any
body else. He had a vague idea that
somebody was trying to rob him and
he did not know what he had done un-
til his weapons were taken away from
him. 17hen taken into custody he Of
fered no resistance, but was still shout
ing for the arrest of supposed thief.
s'The two women who were shot sus-
tanned only slight skin wounds and
will he able to continue their journey in