The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1910-03-26
BATTLE ON PULLMAN.
j. III. RETHEA SLAYS TWO MEN O%
TRAIN NEAR WILMINGTON.
DEL.
south Carolina Contractor First Syays
Negro Porter, Then Conductor on
Baltimore & Ohio Train.

bound Baltimore & Ohio raiIroad a
train this afternoon. The fight began
at Newark Del, and ended in this
city. Several persons were wounded
In the deadly affray which occurred
at the Delaware avenue station here
Following the arrival of the train at
5:17 o'clock.
The dead: o. E. Wellman. aged 40,
of Philadelphia, conductor of the
train; Samuel Williams, aged SO ne
gro, Pullman porter, whose home is
said to have been in Jersey City; J..
II. Bethea, aged 40, Dillon, s. G..
The injured: John o. Wiley, aged
A. park guard of Wilmington, Del,
shot in the hand and leg; Matthew
Haley, citizen of Wilmington, shot
in the leg. Others were grazed by fly-
ing bullets.
The triple tragedy was the result of
an alteration between Bethea. who
was Q passenger, and Williams, the
porter in the Pullman parlor car Mer-
curry.
The car was bound from Washing
ton to Jersey City.
Bethea, who had been drinking
heavily, shot the porter through the
heart, killing him instantly. When
Conductor Wellman saw the porter
fall he ran to the scene to remon-
strate with the passenger, who still
held the smoking revolver in his
hand. Bethea fired second shot in
10 the negro's body. Then without a
word he shot Wellamn through the
heart. The conductor fell dead in his
tracks. When Bethea fired the con-
ductor threw up his arm to protect
himself. The bullet struck the arm
and continuing, ploughed through his
body and lodged in his heart.
Before the passengers could inter-
fere the double murderer barricaded
himself in the lavatory Of the Pull
man car and threatened to kill the
first person who approached.
Meanwhile the train reached Will
mington. When it came into the STA
tion a hurry call was sent to the DO
lice station. A squad Of patrolmen
headed by Police Captains Kane and
Evans and reinforced by park guards
and posse Of citizens and trainmen.
ran to the scene.
Ihe police called upon Bethea to
surrender, AS an answer he opened
the door Of the lavatory a short dis
tance and opened fire at the police
and the crowd with an automatic re-
volver. Chief of Police Black, who
also rushed to the railroad station,
lodged behind an express office on
the train floor just in time to es-
cape several bullets.
Bethea Is believed to have had at
least i"H rounds of ammunition. for
he succeeded in holding the posse at
bay and also held up the train from
5:17 until 6:35. During this time
many shots were fired on both sides
until finally all the windows of the
car were riddled. Travel over the
Baltimore & Ohio railroad was also
tied up. When the battle had lasted
about an hour the police realized that
they would be unable to drive the
man from cover. A COLL was sent SO a
local fire company nearby. The fire
men responded With their engine. At
taching a high pressure hose to a fire
behind trucks and boards, a stream
Of waSer was played upon the win
d"Ns of the lavatory.
Bethea fired a Edmber Of shots at
the firemen, but they were not injur-
cd. Subsequently Bethea, drenched
with water, staggered to the platform
and the police once more called upon
him to surrender. ills reply was sew
cral shots in quick order from his
rcvolN r.
Several of the policemen had arm
cd themselves with shotguns and just
as Bcthea fired the last shot Police
Captain Evans fired n load OF shot
into his face. Notwithstanding this
injury he kept on blazing away. Pa
rolman Boughman opened fire with a
pistol and struck Bethea in the right
arm. The desperate man tried to
fire again but Sergeant Kelleher open
ed fire and also managed to spring
upon Bethea. When the police took
hold Of him he fell dead in the arms
of patrolman.
Wiley, the park guard, and Haley
are not seriously injured. They were
both struck by stray bullets fired by