Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1911-08-24

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THE GALLANT OFFICER FELL WITH A Bull
LET THROUGH HIS BRAIN.
the hand of the leader who had spoken
flashed. with the wicked smack of the
modern arm of precision. not audible
a dozen rods away. and the gallant Of
ficer fell with bullet through his
brain. 1t was all over in half min
ute. Captain Phelan was dead, and
his eight men. including the engineer
and steersman. were helpless prison
ers on their own deck. The element
of surprise had played even a greater
part in this brief tragedy than the
commissioner had expected. Alfonso
Payton had begun to turn the tables on
his foes with his usual elan. But as
yet he had by no means finished the
job.
Aboard he commanded sharply.
His men sprang upon the Chameleon,
and she was away in fash. Running
low again. she headed down the river
for a second piece of woods. where an
other of the hidden aeros fioated
among the treetops. Here a similar
scene was enacted. Even more utter
~ unprepared than their unfortunate
comrades. these policemen were taking
an early breakfast. Some of them
were knocked over with the cups in
their hands.
Captain Billings, their commander.
was seized from behind by Payton be-
fore he even knew that an enemy was
aboard. Not man had weapon
ready. and not shot was fred. The
captives were gagged and bound like
the others. and the Chameleon was off
again for her third victim. on the north
side of the river.
This time there was d fight but a
most unequal one because the surprise
was virtually as complete as in the
first two cases. The Chameleon had
indeed been seen quarter of minute
before the attack. but unluckily she
was mistaken by Captain Campbell for
beating his brains to understand what
she wanted there Payton and his men
leaped aboard almost unopposed.
Even then Campbell probably never
comprehended that it was the famous
Sky Pirate who had attacked him.
He had no time to think of anything
except the fact there was an attack,
and. having his pistol in his hand, he
shot the first man who put his foot
on his deck.
Immediately bullet passed through
his own heart. His men rallied gal
lantly. but only three of them sue
ceeded in getting hold of their weap-
ons.
Payton pushed the assault like a
demon His pistol leveled two Of
these men with shots so nearly stimuli
taneous that their reports blended
The third was Drained with his own
weapon by one of the Chameleon's
crew, who showed the strength and
agility of an acrobat. In the mean
time the other FIVE, being unable to
reach their weapons. were easily over
powered. gagged and bound.
Not sound of this struggle reached
the fourth aero, something less than a
third of a mile distant Indeed. the
shots could not have been heard as
far as the edge of the little woodland
in which the fight occurred. This, by
the way. is one CT the disadvantages
of our modern firearms-if they do
not betray ones location to the enc
my. they equally fail to convey infor
nation TO friends.
The fourth aero. under Captain
Burns. was situated westward from
the bluff Payton once more ran the
Chameleon near the ground until he
reached the edge of the woods. then
rose quickly above the trees. located
his prey in spite of its fancied securi-
ty and was upon it without the slight
est warning having been given. Here
again the men were at breakfast. and
the scene was almost duplicate of
that enacted at the second assault.
In every case Payton was careful to
leave the little flags. which were to in
dictate to the commissioner the pres
ence of his aeros at their prescribed
posts. sundisturbed.
No sooner were Burns and his men
secured than the Chameleon rose al
most vertically In the air to great ell
ovation and then, assuming her sky
blue dress, for the sun was rising in
cloudless heaven, scared off south
ward, When he had got well beyond
eye shot from Tribes Hill Payton or
dered the aero to hover over the farm
checkered township Of Florida and
sent his men to breakfast.
"A pretty good mornings perform
ance. he said, laughing in his hearty
manner and addressing the steersman,