Palestine daily herald. [volume] (Palestine, Tex.) 1902-1949, 1909-04-30
TWO VERSIONS OF FACTS
About the Killing of Engineer Henry
Rodieck-No official Data Can
Be Secured as Yet.
(Houston Chronicle, April sO)

East Columbia, reported In yester
days Chronicle, have come to light
with fuller investigation.
Immediately following the renewal
of a bitter discussion regarding a
question of transporting certain
freight by member of the crew,
said to have originated three or four
days previously, Henry w. Rodieck, a
freight engineer on the Columbia diyi-
sion of the International and Great
Northern railroad, was shot twice
Wednesday at noon while seated in a
passenger coach at East Columbia. He
died from loss of blood while being
conveyed toward Houston in special
train.
NJ R. Wood, conductor of the
freight train of which Rodieck was
the engineer, is under arrest at Angle
ton, charged with the killing. Both
resided in Houston, Rodieck at the
Pullman boarding house opposite the
International and Great Northern pas
senger depot and Wood directly
across the street on Broadway.
While the freight and passenger
trains were waiting on a side track
near East Columbia, Rodieck and sew
eral members of his freight crew
seated themselves in the negro sec
ton of the passenger train, which was
waiting for orders before returning to
Houston. Testimony of witnesses as
to what follows conflict. One version
of the sequel is that while Rodieck
was talking, Woods, the conductor,
entered the car and the two engaged
in heated conversation concerning
question previously discussed by them
regarding the transportation of
package of freight by member of the
crew. w. H. Etheridge, a member of
the crew, made statement to Justice
Mcdonald that Wood, on entering the
car and upon seeing Rodieck, at once
engaged in bitter conversation with
him, during which Rodieck is alleged
to have said that he would put bull
let into any man that turned against
the train crew. According to Ether
idge, Wood is alleged then to have
drawn a gun, upon which Rodieck is
alleged to have thrown up his hands
and told him to shoot. Rodieck was
shot twice, one bullet entering his
neck, the other his shoulder. The
neck wound resnlted in his hlssAing
% death -
Another version of the shooting
scene is that Rodieck made no re-
mark about putting a bullet into any
one, but was smiling pleasantly when
engaged in his conversation with
Wood and that his hands were clasped
behind him.
Immediately following the shooting
Rodieck was placed in a caboose and
a quick run made with a light engine
for Houston, but he died before this
city was reached. His body was given
in charge to Sid Westheimer's and on
morning conveyed to Pales-
tine, his former home, where burial
will be held. Rodieck is sur |
vived by widow and two small chill |
dren, living at the Pullman boarding
house, conducted by him; his mother,
living in Palestine; two brothers liv-
ing in Tyler, one living in Longview;
a married sister living in Marshall,
and two unmarried sisters living in
Rodieck was a member OF the
of Locomotive Engineers.
the Fraternal Order of Eagles and
Woodmen of the World. He was 80
years old
That the dispute said to have occa-
stoned the bitterness between Wood
and Rodieck did not extend to their
families, is evidenced from the fact
that Mrs. Wood accompanied Mrs.
Rodieck to Palestine Thursday morn
ing, when Rodieck's body was convey
ed there for burial. In fact, the two
families were on the best of terms.
Inquiry about the officials of the
and Great Northern rail
road, both at the freight depot, the
depot and the yardmaster's
office, failed to reveal any additional
light on the disputed points regard
ing the shooting. AT the yardmaster's
office it was announced that an Off
cial opinion might be expected after
the Columbia Tap train arrived in
Houston at 2:30 p. M, on which train
members of the crew who Wednesday
witnessed the shooting were employ
ed.
East Columbia, where the shooting
occurred, is in Brazoria county. Rod
ieck died near Arcola, in Fort Bend
county, about 20 miles from Houston.
No confirmation could be had from
those cognizant of the situation re-
garding any alleged dispute between
Rodieck and Wood over the alleged
action on the part of the train crew.
at times previous to the last few days.