The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1916-06-01


courage is concerned, and l think l
demonstrated this theory of mine in
the following instance, which hap
pened while | was chief of the secret
service of the Missouri Pacific railway,
one of whose leased properties was
the Missouri, Kansas & Texas.
In the year 1882 the memory of the
James brothers was still green in the
regions of their exploits. Though
Frank James was then living the ljfs
of a good citizen in Tennessee, and
Jesse, his brother, was also in that
state, the rumor of their presence in
any of the parts where they had op-
Grated was enough to raise a scare.
Especially was this the case in the
eastern portion of the state of Oklaho-
tory, which had been the scene of
many holdups and brutal murders.
In the year aforementioned l re-
ceived a telegraphic dispatch from Col
onel Eddy, the general manager, in
structing me to proceed to Vinita at
once, to investigate a murder which
had occurred there, and to prosecute
all persons connected with the crime.
On the night of September 13, as a
northbound passenger train was being
shunted upon the main line from sid
ing about mile north of Vinita, two
men climbed upon the front platform
of the smoker. Chick" Warner, the
conductor, saw them and opened the
door. Without word one of the men
drew a revolver of small caliber and
fired at Warmers head, the bullet pass
ing through his cheek and inflicting a
painful wound. The man who had
fired was Immediately shot and killed
by his companion, his dead body fall
ing across the platform of the car. The
name of the murderer was John Barnes
Sweeney, and he had formerly been a
resident of Clay county Missouri.
When | arrived at Vinita l learned
from the express agent there that
Sweeney, after shooting his compan-
ion, had returned to the station and in
formed him that the train had been
held up by the James brothers and an
outlaw named Ed Miller. Sweeney
stated that the gang had been camp
ing in the brush on Little Cabin creek,
about four miles northeast of the spot
where the train murder occurred, that
he had known all the members of the
gang before coming to the Indian Ter
ritory, having been born in Clay coun.
ty, near the former home of the James
boys, and that he was connected with
them by blood. When the gang en-
camped on Little Cabin creek, Sweeney
continued, he himself was staying with
his sister on a neighboring farm. The
James brothers had told Sweeney that
they intended to hold up and rob q
number of trains on that line, and haG
invited him to join them. Sweeney
said that he was an expert rifle-shot
and that for this reason he woulC
have been valuable to the gang. He
had accepted the invitation for the
purpose of causing their arrest, anC
the man whom he had shot dead waG
Ed Miller.
Inquiry showed that the man whit
had been killed by Sweeney had put il
an appearance at Vinita only few
days before the shooting He wal
looking for job, and in the course o
Of his search, had gone to the farm o
Sweeney's brother-in-law, who owne,
the farm near Little Cabin creek
where the outlaws were alleged t
have had their camping place. TIL
brother-in-law needed help in his corr
field, and employed the stranger, VIII
appeared to be a Scandinavian an
spoke English very poorly. Sweene
had made the mans acquaintanc
there and, it was believed, had induce
him to assist in a holdup, and had SUI
piled him with the revolver of smal
caliber, almost a toy, with which b
had shot the conductor, and which ha
been picked up near the scene of tn
tragedy.
Sweeney was man of sinister repI
tation. He was of middle height, abou
thirty years of age, with black, luxur
GUS hair, and the dropping mustach
which the bad man" affects. Lik
most bad men" he was coward an
braggart. He was 1.-THE and agile
and never failed to talk of his wondel
full craftsmanship with revolver an
rife. In Clay county, Missouri, he ha
passed for horse thief, treacherou
coward, and a notorious liar. He ha
been arrested and tried for the mu
der Of a reputable farmer, who wa
shot dead one evening while sitting o
the porch Of his house with his infaI