The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1915-11-04
BULLETS BRING
TWO MEN DOWN
IN FREIGHT CAR
Northern Pacific Brakeman and
Ex-RAilroader Killed by
Unknown Assailant
SEVEN SUSPECTS ARRESTED
Unseen Gunman Fires with Deadly
Aim at Victims from Dark Cor
ner of Gondola Car

r. w. McCann, an unemployed rail-
roader, was shot through the heart
and instantly killed, and O. O. Burns,
N. P. brakeman, of Pasco, was NOR
tally wounded, in an empty gondola
freight car on a westbound N. p.
freight train between this city and
Vista about $3.50 o'clock Tuesday eve
ming. The shots were fired from a
32-calibre automatic revolver in the
hands Of an unknown assailant.
In many respects the crime is the
most mystifying Of any ever commit
ted in the county. S. C. Overstreet,
N. P. special agent for the Pasco di-
vision, who was in Kennewick at the
time hurried to the scene of the crime
within few minutes after it hap
pened, and although he and Sheriff C.
E. Duffy, Chief Of Police C. E. Cope
land and their deputies have been
working continuously on the case they
have so far been unable to lay their
hands upon the slayer Of the two men.
Five men who were beating their
way on the train at the time are held
in the local city Jail as suspects and
two others are held in Prosser. Two
Of the five men here admit they were
In the car at the time of the shooting
but neither is able to give coherent
account Of what really happened. The
men have been repeatedly questioned
by the officers and last night at 10
o'clock their sworn testimony was ta-
ken at the inquest held by Justice j.
G. Boyle, Of Prosser, over the body Of
McCann. This morning they were
taken to Pasco where similar inquest
was held over the body Of Burns.
Murray Tells Story
The story told by Declan Murray,
one of the suspects is substantially
as follows: He boarded the train at
Pasco alone and secreteds himself in
gondola car. There were no other
men in the car at the time. Later,
he thinks after the train had crossed
the bridge, he heard voices in the car
but did not see the other men nor
speak to them or does not know how
many there were. Just after leaving
Kennewick a brakeman carrying q
lantern came into the car from the
rear of the train. He asked Murray
what he was "riding on" and being
informed that he was broke, contin-
ued on toward the front end Of the
train. Soon afterward the two men
who met their death came into the
car from the rear. Burns carried
lantern and McCann had none. Com
ing to where Murray was lying, Nc
Cam in gruff voice commanded,
"Get up here-let,s see what you got
on YOU"
II saw by the light Of the lantern
that the man who had spoken wore
what ! thought was black mask, but
which later proved to be goggles"
said Murray. 81 Immediately got to
my feet and threw up my hands. No
sooner had I done this than someone
stepped up close behind me, thrust a
revolver under my right arm and fired
twice, first at McCann and then at
Burns"
Mind is Blank
Murray says that he then became
SO frightened that his mind went
blank. He doesn't remember Of hav-
ing seen either Of the men fall and
maintains that he never saw the gun
man either before or after the shoot
ing. AS soon as he could sufficiently
collect his wits he went to the wound
60 brakeman and asked if there was
anything he could do. The wounded
man said, "For Gods sake, flag the
ualn down." Murray found the
ofakeman's unlighted lantern on the
1ioor of the car, lighted it and after
waving it several times with no re-
sponse from the engineer he jumped
to the ground.
ne climbed into another gondola
sr In which were two men. He told
.usm what had happened and one Of
ene TWO advised him to cheat" it back
Continued on page ten)