Evening star., 1914-08-16
Pursuers Kill Eight Of Their
Own Number in Wild Shoot
ing in Darkness.
TWO DESPERADOES SLAIN;
THREE OF THEM AT LARGE
From Ambush, Fire Upon Law Of
fcers, Killing Two-Escaping
Bad Man Seizes Locomotive.

WILLIAMSON. w. Va. August 15.-
After surrounding five bandits who yes
terday killed three guards and stole thu
een-thousand-dollar pay roll of th'
Glen Alum mines, the posse of deput.
sheriffs and mine detectives fired into
each other in the darkness and killed
eight of their own number. A telegraphi'
report received here late tonight from
Judge James Damron of the tWety-sec
ond circuit court, who is with the posse
at War Eagle, conveys this infor1ma
ton.
Judge Damron reported that two o
the bandits were killed by the pursuing
party. Three probably have escaped.
Commanders Locomotive.
One of the bandits, Harve Prater
late tonight, entered the Alwick sta
tion of the Norfolk and Western rail
road, several miles from War Eagle
At the point of a revolver. he ordered
the telegraph operator to signal ligh
engine to stop.
Prater clambered into the cab. Gov
ering the locomotive driver with hi
revolver, he made him proceed west
Prater rode to within half mile o.
Glen Alum. where he made the engi
neer stop. and escaped.
A year ago Prater killed his fathe
and his brother. His defense was tha'
they were quarreling and he was try
ing to protect his parent.
Fifteen Is Death Record.
The mortalities thus far number abou
fifteen. Three men were slain by thu
bandits when the payroll was stolen
Two deputy sheriffs were killed toda,
when the bandits ambushed the posse
Two robbers were killed tonight wher
they were surrounded. Eight pursuer!
were killed when the posse became dis
organized in the darkness and firet
into its own ranks.
The posse will remain at War Eagle
until morning and then try to rur
down the two bandits there A posse
has been formed to search for Pratel
at Glen Alum.
Bandits at Bay.
The bandits yesterday killed Dr. W. y
Amick. Joseph Sheier and W. c. johnson
Tonight they held at bay a large party OF
deputy sheriffs and citizens. Early in the
afternoon they. had killed Detectives w. ]
Epling and Burwell and seriously wound.
ed Deputy Sherins Lindsay Hatfield ant
Ed Mounts when the posse came up witt
them.
The bandits are Mel Sansome. Harvt
Prates and Bud Elswick. natives ot
Glen Alum districts. They killed DR.
Amick and his companions yesterday and
robbed them of $4,000 they were taking
to the mines at Glen Alum. Making theil
way through some of the widest countr.
in West Virginia, the bandits made M
effort to hide their tracks.
Bandits Ambush Posse.
The scores of men who followed
through the night and early hours Of tn,
day knew they could not be far ava!
when War Eagle was reached. Wifhou
warning, however. a volley Of rifle shot,
was poured into the advancing posse.
Three men fell. Hatfield was believes
to have been killed, but he had only beel
wounded. Feigning death, he lay still
for a time, finally crawling through th'
underbrush to his companions.
The battle was continued through tn
greater part Of the afternoon 1t wa.
believed that at least one of the bandit
had been hit.
News Of the fighting spread through
the surrounding country. The posse wa
reinforced by many men from the noun
tain towns in that vicinity.
Governor Offers Militia.
CHARLESTON, w. Va, August 49,
Gov. Hatfield this afternoon wired t,
Sheriff G.. W. Hatfield offering him
company of the National Guard to assis
in the pursuit Of the bandits who yester
day killed three men near Glen Alum
and killed two deputy sheriffs near Gil
bert Creek today.
Sheriff Hatfield of Mingo county is il
charge OF the posses now in the noun
tains.