The citizen., 1910-04-01

Train In Baltimore, Kills Con.
ductor o. f. Wellman And Porter
Samuel Williams Soon After
Crossing The Susquehanna-De.
fies Police And Firemen OF vii.
mington. Del, In A Two Hours,
Battle For Possession OF Train
Wilmington, Del. Especially In
a battle on the Baltimore and Ohio
Railroads Royal Limited, north
bound, which began between New
ark, Del, and Wilmington at
O'Clock and ended at the Delawar,
Avenue Station here, three men, in.
Guiding the one who started ali the
trouble, were killed, two were seri-
ously injured and others were grazed
by bullets.
The tragedy was an outcome of a
quarrel between Bethea, a passenger
who boarded the train at Washing
ton, and Williams, the porter in the
buffet smoking car Mercury. Bethea.
who had been drinking, shot the
porter through the heart, killing
him instantly. Conductor Wellman
heard the shot, and, running back
demonstrated with the passenger
who still held the smoking weapon.
Although the negro was dead, Be-
thea fired a second shot, the bullet
entering the victims stomach. Then
without a word, he turned and shot
Wellman. who fell dead The bull
let had passed through his right
arm, which he had thrown up to pro-
tect himself, and into his heart.
Barricades Himself In.
The passengers, in a mad rush to
safety, ran back into the car in the
rear, while Bethea rushed into
compartment of the car, barricaded
himself in and threatened to kill
the first person who approached.
By this time the train reached
the station here at 5.17 o'clock and
a hurry call was sent to the police
station. Police Captain Kane and
Evans, Sergeant Kelleher and
squad of patrolmen, reinforced by
park guards and a posse of train
men and citizens, rushed to the
scene. Bethea was called upon to
surrender, but he only opened the
door of his fortress for enough to
poke an automatic revolver through
the chink and begin to fire. Chief
of Police Black, who had also
reached the scene of hostilities,
lodged Just as a bullet whizzed by
his head
The South Carolina man must
have had at least 100 cartridges, for
he held the posse of several hun
dred men at bay and also held up
the train from 5.17 o'clock until
6.35, and travel over the road was
stopped. Every now and then the
police opened fire at the car until
all of the windows were riddled.
After an hour the police saw they
would be unable to drive the man
from cover. and a call was sent to
the Water Witch Fire Company,
near by, for its engine. The ap-
paratus responded on the run A
high pressure hose was attached to
a water plug, and, with the firemen
behind barricade of boards and
trucks, stream was played upon
the window of the compartment in
which Bethea was.
Bethea fred fusilade at the fire.
men. the police all the while calling
upon him to surrender. In a few
minutes, drenched with water, he
staggered to the platform, and again
the police shouted to him to hold
up his hands. Without word and
with an air of bravado, he leveled
his automatic revolver at the police
and several shots rang out in quick
succession.
Murderer Himself Shot Down.
Just as he fired the last shot
Police Captain Evans, who had secur.
ed a shotgun. fired. A load of shot
struck the murderer in the face, bui
still he continued to blaze away.
Patrolman Boughman then fired With
a pistol, and the bullet struck Beth
ca in the right arm. He tried to
fire again, but Sergeant Kelleher
fired and at the same time sprang
upon the man. Several other police
men started to shoot, but the crowd
yelled Don't kill him." The shot
gun and the bullets from the police
mems revolvers had already done
their work, however, for just as
Bethea was taken hold of by the
police he fell dead into the arms OF
one of them.