Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-10-09
THIEVES KILLED
ON TRAIN THEY
\ PLANNED TO ROB
Two Men on $500, 900 Silk
Freight Dashed to Death
by Bridge.
WERE FLEEING DETECTIVES
IN CHASE OVER cARToPS
thought TO Be Men Who, Two
Hours Before, Shot Detective
in Secaucus.
WERE FLEEING DETECTIVES
IN CHASE OVER cARToPS


PATTERSON, Oct 9.--In fight be-
ween railroad detectives and a party
IL five unidentified men atop a fast
reight train travelling forty miles an
lour, two of the latter were swept
o death against an overhead bridge
t Acquackanonk, near here, last
light. The others escaped.
The Delaware, Lackawanna and
Western fast freight from Hoboken
d Pennsylvania cities, carrying a
half million dollar collection of silks,
has been robbed repeatedly of late
and detectives were recently placed
aboard it each night. While search
ng the train last night the detec-
lives found the five men hidden in
cars. The fight ensued.
The freight, due in this city at $3.50
akt night, started on its run from
Ipboken to Pennsylvania When a
short distance from the bridge near
Athena, where the Lackawanna
crosses the Newark branch of the
Erie, the detectives saw the men.
Believing them to be silk thieves the
detectives gave chase over the top of
the train.
Tried to Escape.
The supposed silk thieves, seeing
that they were likely to be caught,
made break to get away. One of
them climbed down the side of the
train in the darkness. While stand
ing on the ladder of car, as the
train was passing the bridge, he was
struck by the overhead structural
work. The detectives heard the crash
and the fall and the train was
brought to standstill. The others
escaped.
The victim was struck with such
force by the bridge that his body was
scattered along the track, different
members being picked I'D In different
places. The body was placed aboard
the train and brought to the Barclay
street station in this city.
Sergeant Perry, at police headquar-
tiers in this city, was notified of the
accident. By direction of Acting Cap
tain Mosley, Detectives Close and
Moore were detailed to investigate
In the mans pocket they found a
notebook in which was the name viii
Unruh, who is supposed TO come from
the vicinity of Ninth avenue and
Twenty third street, New York city.
Undertaken McBrier and Chief of Po-
lice Coughlan, of Acquackanonck
township, communicated with the
New York police last night, and
through them It Is believed the mans
identity can be established.
Planned to Break Train.
There is no question in the minds
of. the police and the local authorities
that plans were on foot to rob the
silk train. and that, had 1t not been
for the fatality, the train would have
been broken apart short distance up
the line and thousands of dollars
worth of silk taken.
The victim was well dressed under
his suit of overalls, appeared to be a
man of about thirty years and
weighed nearly 200 pounds. He was
so clothed that he could slip off his
overall suit and pass In any crowd
without exciting suspicion.
After the body of the first man had
been taken to the morgue the railroad
detectives, working under the direc-
ton OF Detective Ralston, started
down the track, looking for other pos
sible victims. Some distance from
the place where the first man was
killed they found the body of the sec
ond man, who had met death by the
same bridge. That victim had been
struck so hafd by the DrldBe tnat the
body was hurled by the train over the
embankment thirty feet below.
JERSEY CITY, Oct. 9.-(SpeciaD.
With bullet wound in his left ear
and another In his hand, Joseph Pat
rick, twenty EIGHT years old, of 211
Warren street, this city, is a patient
at st. Francis Hospital. He was shot
last night by a supposed silk thief
who he had placed under arrest.
With Detective Harry Guenther,
Patrick was walking along the tracks
of the Susquehanna railroad in Sc
caucus shortly after seven o'clock
The sleuths saw six men sinking
along freight cars on n siding. The
detectives followed the men, who be-
coming aware of the fact, broke into
q run. Patrick nabbed one of the
fellows and was walking with him
along the tracks when the fellow
suddenly whipped out revolver and
dred two shots. Both took effect.
Patrick, despite his injuries, drew his
own revolver and fired three shots.
Jersey City police records fail to show
that Guenther figured In the shooting,
Patrick was taken to the hospital.
1t is believed the six men made their
way to the Lackawanna tracks and
boarded the train which brought
death to the two men In Paterson.