Watertown leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1909-1911, 1910-02-25
NEGROES SHOOT
UP NEW JERSEY
TRAIN AND FLEE
BOARD SMOKER AT JERSEY CITY
TERMINAL AND USE REVOLVERS
LIKE WILD WESTERNERS.
TWO PASSENGERS WOUNDED.
Panic Follows First Shots and Victims
Are UHable to Give Description of
Trio of Assailants.
TWO PASSENGERS WOUNDED.
DETECTIVES SECURING COUNTRY

NEW YORK. Feb 23.-Three ne
groes WHO boarded the smoker Of 81
New Jersey Central train as it was leay-
ing the Jersey City terminal. early this
morning. pulled out three huge revolvers
"a few minutes later and proceeded to
shoot up the car in wild western fash
ion.
Two Passengers Hurt.
When the smoke cleared II was found
that TIVE passengers had been seriously
hurt. One had a bullet in his abdo-
men, and the other was shot through the
breast.
The negroes, apparently sobered by
the result Of their work, took to their
heels, jumping from the rear platform
as the tram whirled through the suburbs
OF Jersey City.
The train Wes quickly stopped and the
injured men hurried to the city hospital
a squad OF policemen. sent post haste to
The scene, were unable to find any trace
Of the assaiiants
Within an hour the entire detective
force OF the city police, reinforced by Il
large squad Of patrolmen from the re-
serves WAS put at work with orders to
search every nook and corner Of the
neighborhood
On account of the panic which ensued
among the passengers when the shooting
- X
very satisfactory account of the affair or
any definite description of the negroes
from the eyewitnesses. No effort was
made by any of the passengers to pre-
vent the escape of the assailants.
Harrison Higbee and Leslie Lord,
young men socially prominent i'll north
New Jersey. were the ones shot down
and probably fatally wounded.
Accompanying Higbee and Lord were
Gale Young of New York and the lat
ters cousin, Roger Young of Newark
Soon after the train left Jersey City,
The negro, who was accompanied by an
other man of his race and a mulatto
woman. accused the four college men of
making remarks about the woman. Lord
was about to reply, but Higbee told him
TO keep quiet.
Don't you tell me to keep quiet"
yelled the negro, as he leaped to his
feet and drew revolver I'll quiet
you" and he opened fire on the four
young men
The first bullet went through Lords
stomach, and he dropped to the floor.
The second ploughed into Higbee's chest,
and then Gale and Roger Young leaped
mt the negro. But the cOlored man con-
panic ia the car. All the passengers
stampeded for the doors or hid under
seats.
All Leap from Train.
Gale Young went down under a blow
on the head, but Roger held on to the
negro, who had 2mptied his pistol and
who was so powerful that he dragged
Roger Young with him to the platform.
Young held on, however, and when the
negro leaped from the train which was
making twenty miles an hour, Roger
Young went with him. In striking the
embaniment Young's grip on the negro
was broken. and the desperate disap
peared in tho darkness. The fugitive's
companions also ieaped from the coach
and got away.
When the train was stopped the
wounded men were taken to Il hospita,
in Jersey City, where it was said they
probably would die. Roger Young was
found back on the track n half mile
badly stunned, but not seriously hurt.