Evening journal., 1910-03-24
KILLS TWO, Then
SLAIN BY POLICE
after GUN FIGHT
J. H. Beihea. Of South Carolina, Shoots B. &
0. Train Conductor and Porter, and Barri-
cading Himself in Gar Holds Police at Bay
in Battle Of Bullets

man was insane nut DN tnlS time the pas /
sengers came 40 another conclusion. !
Bethea was known TO have been drinking
and the first argument with the porter
was thought to have been over the dues-
tion OF liquor.
Locked in the Car.
The doors OF the car were locked. MAX
ing Bethea a prisoner. and It was planned
70 keep him confined In the car until this
city was reached. and then turn him over
to the local authorities
As the train neared Wilmington the
man probably realized the seriousness OF
his position and resolved to fight 10 the
last ditch. BY the time the train pulled
into the Delaware avenue station he was
prepared for the fight which he know
was sure TO follow
When the train stopped the locomotive
! was standing on the bridge which crosses
Delaware avenue. The passengers tum-
hled off the ears in their hurry and even
the baggagemaster left his car. There
then remained only the engineer and fire.
man and Bethea as the sole occupants
Of the train. The engineer and fremen
/ had their heads out Of the engine cab
window taking in the sights but made
no move to leave the cab.
The police were notified and they
We're on hand shortly after the train
arrived. Bethea at this time was seen
walking up and down in the aisle OF
the car. apparently unconcerned. At
one of the windows was the body OF
the dead porter. He appeared to be
sleeping and paying no attention 10
! those about him. Later when the bull
lets were flying thick and fast between
the man In the car and those bent on
capturing him. the presence of the
the mans body at the window was
most uncanny.
Began to Fire at Police.
When the police arrived Bethea be-
gan TO open FIRE on them. which they
returned and in short time the car
windows We're shattered. Bullets from
Bethea's weapon travelled across Della
ware avenue and fiattoned themselves
up against the wall OF a small store
and foil 10 the pavement 20 be picked
hup by passorEbs .as souvenirs The
police repeatedly ured back All Bethea.
When the fight became too warm for
Bethea 70 rcmain In the body or the
car. where he presented good target
for those on the outside he retired
TO a narrow vestibule in the rear of
the car and intrenched himself There
are two small oval windows on either
side of the car vestibules which are
fitted with heavy colored glass. Be
thea broke a small hole in these win
dows and from these he did his shoot
ing, sending a bullet wherever a head
showed itself.
once in a while the man would step
into the body Of the car and in an
instant bullets and shot from all kinds
of weapons would whiz toward the
car sending him back to his hiding
place The sharp crack OF his auto
matte gun would then resound and
bullets would whirr about the heads
: Of those who We're near enough to
! come within range of the desperate
mans weapon.
Police Had Battle.
Chief of Police George Black, Cap
: tains Charles F. Evans. Thomas Kane
/ Police Sergeants Kelleher, Bayley, Nc
Dermott and a squad of patrolmen
were in the attacking force Park
, Guard Wiley was also among those
who took desperate chances to. cap
ture the man. Wiley and Sergeant
Bayley once entered the car and were
intent on going after she man but
!, were brought back by their fellow Of
fcers. 1t was due to Sergeant Bay
leys bullets and those Of several other
officers that the man was finally
t brought down. Sergeant Keneher and
q Patrolman Wardle aud Bowman were
also in the final dash which landed
$ the man.
t The help OF the firemen was needed
4 however before anything could be
q done The members of the Water
= Witch Company were summoned after
the battle had gone on a long while
and after erecting barricade Of dry
goods boxes, pushed the nozzle of the
hose which was connected with a FIRE
hydrant through a small opening and
= played stream of water through the
small holes in the windows into Be.
I theaS stronghold. In the meantime
! Sergeant Bayley. Sergeant Kelleher
and Officers Wardle and Bowman. hac
entered the car and when Bethea pui
I In his appearance they sent a hal
Z of bullets in his direction. The mar
o turned and several bullets took effecl
: ia his back. Returning to his barri.
q cade for short time, he was agair
a forced to leave because the stream o,
water which steadily poured through
the holes into the vestibule of tn,
car made it uncomfortable for him
This time he stepped out on the plat
form OF the station where he wa.
quickly subdued and with difficulty wal
placed In the patrol wagon and hur.
: ried 10 the Delaware Hospital. On tn,
way TO that institution he rose up an,
> said; Give me a gun and TIL kill yo,
n ---------" The man died shortl,
. after reaching the hospitalt
A In the meantime the bodies OF Con
ductor Wellman and Porter William
e were carried from the train and con
q veyed to the morgue. Wellman's bod,
il was shipped to Philadelphia today ant
n that Of Williams was sent to Wash
2 ington at 1 o'clock this afternoon.
' Battle For an Hour.
The hundreds of people who wit
, messed the strange warfare say the,
: : never saw anything like it before an,
: 1t viii remain vivid in their mind
= for long time to come. It is esti
: mated that Bethea fred at least IS
. shots from the car and the police an,
I others bent on capturing him, prob
I. ably fired 500 times. This fusilade wa
q kept up for about an hour before tn
man was finally captured. All th'
d time the body Of Williams, the por
Continued on second Paga