The Irish standard., 1910-03-26
THREE KILLED IN
- "EM
DRUNKEN MAN SHOOTS PORTER
AND CONDUCTOR AND Is
SLAIN BY POLICE.
DESPERATE FIGHT IN A PULLMAN
Holds Train at Standstill and Blocks
Traffic In Delaware-Wounds Tive
Before Being DisIodged by the
Fire Department..

Wilmington, Del, March 24.-Three
men were killed on north-bound Bal
timore and Ohio railroad train follow
ing fight between a colored porter
and drunken passenger. The battle
began at Newark, Del, and ended in
the Delaware avenue station here, fol-
lowing the arrival of the train where
several others were wounded.
Tho Dead.
o. r. Wellman, aged 40 years, Of
Philadelphia, conductor of the train.
Samuel Williams, aged SO years, COL
lored, Pullman porter, whose home is
said to have been in Jersey City.
j. II. Bethea, aged 40 years, of Dill
lon, 8. C.
The Injured.
John o. Wiley. aged 40 years, park
guard of Wilmington, Del, shot in the
hand and leg.
Matthew Haley, citizen of Will
mington, shot in the leg.
Others were graZed by flying bullets.
The triple tragedy was the result
Of an alteration between Bethea, who
was passenger, and Williams, the
porter in the Pullman car Mercy.
Bethea shot the porter through the
heart, killing him instantly. When
Conductor Wellman saw the porter
fall and ran to the scene to grapple
with the passenger, who still held the
smoking revolver in his hand, Bethea
fired a second shot into the negro's
body. Then, without a word, Bethea
shot Wellman through the heart. The
conductor fell dead in his tracks.
Behind Barricade.
Before the passengers could inter-
fere Bethea barriacaded himself in the
toiletroom of the Pullman and threat.
ened to kill the first person who APP
preached. Meanwhile, the train reach.
ed Wilmington. When it came into
the station hurry call for police was
sent. A squad of police, reinforced
by park guards and posse of citizens
and trainmen, ran to the scene.
The police called upon Bethea to
surrender. AS an answer he opened
the door of the toilet room a short
distance and opened fire at the police
and the crowd from an automatic re-
volver. Chief of Police Black, who
also rushed to the station, lodged be-
hind an express Office just in time to
escape several bullets.
Bethea is believed to have had at
least 100 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 all the windows Of the car were
riddled and travel over the road tied
up. When the battle had lasted about
an hour the police pressed into ,serv.
Ice fire company. Attaching a high
pressure hose to fire plug and with
the firemen barricaded behind trucks
and boards, stream of water was
played on the windows Of the toilet
room.
Driver Out BY Water.
The desperate kept up his fusillsde
but no one was hurt. At last, drenci-
ed with water, Bethea staggered to
the platform and the police once called
upon ullH W SURRENDER. Ills reply WhS
several shots in quick order.
Several of the policemen had armed
themselves with shotguns and just as
Bethea fired the last shot Police Cap
tain Evans fired load of shot into
his face. Notwithstanding his injury
he kept on blazing away until a pa
trolman with pistol, struck Bethea
In the right arm. The desperate man
tried to fire again, but a sergeant op.
ened fire and sprang upon him. When
the police took hold of him he fell
dead .-
Williams, the porter, when shot fell
into a seat in the car. All through
the battle the dead porter sat with
the appearance of one looking from
the window.
Bethea was we'll dressed. While it
was believed by some of the passen-
gers who fed when the train reached
Wilmington that he was insane, others
said that he appeared sane. but had
been drinking