Evening journal., 1910-03-24
SHOT MANY BEFORE
he WAS LAID LOW

More like the fiction Of the old-time
dime novels when hairbreath escapes
dare devil deeds held the close atten-
tion Of the boy. was the double muir
der of Conductor o. r. Wellman, of
the Royal Blue Express train. north
bound from Washington to New York
and due in this city at sic o'clock,
and Samuel williams, Of Baltimore,
colored porter on the train, yesterday
afternoon.
The murderer. believed to be John
Henry Bethea. a contractor of Dillon,
S. c., is also dead, the victim Of bull
lets fired by the police who fought
for an hour before bringing down the
man who already had slain Wellman
and williams as the train approached
Wilmington.
Aside from the men Killed in battle
two others were injured. They were
John L. Wiley. Of No. zoos Rockford
Road. a park guard and Matthew J.
Haley. a barber, Of No. 1929 scott
street
The former was shot in the groin
and is now at the Delaware Hospital.
Haley received a bullet in the leg
which was removed by DR.. John Pal
mer, Jr. last evening. An unknown
negro. it Is said. was shot in the shoul-
der by Bethea. but he disappeared.
Used Automatic Pistol
Never in the history of Wilmington
was there anything like it. Bethea
was armed with an automatic pistol
and with almost an unlimited supply
tof cartridges after killing the conduc-
tor and porter on the train. barricaded
himself In a Pullman car and sue
hold Of n ~ r,p1fra.-
men. a number Of fremen and a hum
dred or more armed citizens who
sought in every way possible to reach
him with a bullet and end his life
There is nothing to surpass the dare
devil bravery displayed by Bethea- Tie
realized after killing the conductor and
porter what he had done and deciding
not to be taken alive If taken at all,
he barricaded himself in the car and
prepared to make a desperate stand.
To the hundreds Of people who wit
messed the contest between the lone
man and the police the scene had a
wild west aspect. Whenever the man
showed himself bullets whistled
through the windows of the car and
undaunted he returned the fire, send
ing leaden messengers Of death I'm the
direction Of hiding places of those who
were seeking to pick him Off with
bullets.
Police. fremen and citizens barricsded
behind piles Of trunks. dry goods boxes,
trucks loaded with milk cans. boxes, and
living behind the embankment along du-
Pont street at the depot, sent broadsides
Of lead toward the man every time he
showed the least part Of his body and in
an instant shots would issue from the
car in quick succession and the attacking
force made themselves more secure from
the mans bullets.
Came From Baltimore.
Bethea boarded the train at Baltimore.
lie had a ticket in his pocket for New
York but why he was going north and
what his plans were lis not known. Ac-
cording TO a dispatch from Dillon, s. c..
Bethea left there on last Monday to 90
10 Baltimore to undergo an operation at
the Johns Hopkins Hospital. He ap-
ipeared perfectly rational when he left
there and 1t was thought by those who
know him in Dillon, that brooding over
his physical trouble caused him TO be-
come mentally unbalanced.
There is another story. however. that
the man had been drinking. When he
nNdI0tu ALt llhllA Ao WdAkIA W AhI eNN-
on car from the locomotive which was
Pullman parlor car. and took seat
well back, and for time was engaged in
reading. There was nothing about the
man 10 attract attention. and his fellow
passengers paid no attention to him,
There were twelve other people. includ-
ing three women, in the car.
After the train. which was due at the
Delaware avenue station at 616 O'Clock
left Newark. Del. Bethea and Porter
Williams, were seen at the lower end OF
the car in an argument. What caused
the trouble between the two win prob
ably never be known.
Bethea suddenly reached into his pocket
and drawing a big automatic revolver shot
Williams twice. williams was trying "a
get away at the tine One bullet evident.
" passed through his heart. for he
wheeled around and fell heavily into q
cushioned seat with his head resting
against tho window. He never moved
from that position and appeared to b
sleeping.
Shooting Caused stampede.
The shooting caused a stampede OF thoss
IN the car for the door. Bethea evi.
IDENTIFY thought they were coming for hin
and he stood IN the aisle pointing hiI
weapon at the passengers and held then
in check. In an instant the car wal
empty the passengers having made a
hasty exit to another car.
Conductor Wellman, who was In th'
smoking car heard the reports of th'
shots and came back. Bethea was still
standing IN the aisle with his revolver ir
hand. Wellnan was seen to say something
to him. and he replied after which they
seemed to engage in an argument.
Wellman turned to leave Bethea wher
the latter deliberately shot him. The shvtl
struck the unfortunate conductor. one o.
which broke his arm and the other en-
tered the right shoulder passing through
the body and heart and was found agains
broken rib on the left side Of the body
The conductor dropped TO the floor. 4
corpse.
The shooting OF both men occurred
While the train was speeding toward tht