The Point Pleasant register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, W. Va.) 1909-1939, 1910-11-23
ACCOUNT OF MURDER
OF OFFICER WILLIAM WEATHERS
Published by request

published by %request.)
Shot dead in his track while in the
discharge of his duty in the woods
near the Fernwood colliery, of the
Erie Co., in jenkins township, was
the terrible fate that befell William
Westhers, of Towanda, this morning
about 7.30 o'clock. Weathers was a
patfolman attached to the special
police force of the Lehigh Valley
Railroad and was working under a
commission issued by the governor Of
the state, which enabled him to
make arrests in any part of the
commonwealth. The murderer of
Weathers was a foreigner, name I'M
known at this writing who succeeded
in making his escape, though several
arrests have been made of men who
are suspected to be the guilty one.
officer Weathers was accompanied
by Officer M. J. Booth, also a Lehigh
Valley patrolman, when he met
death SO tragically. While Weathers
resided in Towanda, he was subject
to calls for duty in any part Of north
eastern Pennsylvania by Lehigh Off
Gals, and early this morning came
down from Towanda on train No. le.
Reaching division headquarters at
.Wilkesbarre, he was directed to pro-
coed with Officer Booth out along the
Mountain Cutoff line of the Lehigh
Valley, for the purpose of investigat-
ing reports that the electric signal
system on the Cutoff was being lamp
cred with by men roaming the woods.
They left the railroad tracks at Du-
pont, and were walking through the
woods in the direction of jenkins
Junction, when the tragedy occurred
that resulted in the death of Wealth
ers.
Thoughts oflurking danger were far
from the stout hearted men as they
strobe through the beautiful autumn
woods, inhaling the bracing atmos-
phere. They were nearing the Fern
wood colliery, at the Boston settle
ment, a mile back of Browntown and
Yatesville, when they espied n man
after a rabbit. The rabbit season
does not open until Tuesday, Nov. l.
As special police both officers had
power to arrest the fellow for illegal
hunting.
Instead of giving himself up when
the officers had shouted to him, aft
er he had caughta glimpse of them,
he turned and ran. He was some
distance away and, evidently believed
that he could make good his escape
from them, he being a small mar
and befriendnd by the trees and
brush Weathers and Booth started
in pursuit, but Weathers, being
much the faster runner, out-dis-
tanced Booth and was rapidly gain
ing on the hunter. The course tax
en- by the fugitive led down into a
hollow. The hunter and Weathers
were soon out of sight of Booth. He
gained a point where he could see
Just as a tragedy was enacted. The
hunter had turned around and stood
facing Weathers. Never pausing
the detective rushed or toward his
intended prisoner. No sooner had
the pursued faced about than he
raised his shot gun to his shoulder
and fired. Weathers fell dead. A
small stream of blood trickled from
the left forehead of the victim,
staining with red the bright colored
leaves. The murderer fed. Booth,
unable to get a shot at the fleeing
man because of the trees and not
able to overtake him, was obliged
to allow him to escape.
Tenderly he gathered up the
body of the man who until but few
brief seconds before had been his
comrade. Sadly he boreit to one of
the buildings at the Fernwood col