Bisbee daily review., 1921-07-09
DIES.
FIREMAN SHOT,
IN MYSTERIOUS
TRAIN TRAGEDY
Boiler of Engine Explodes
Brakemen Find Pilot Dead
and Fireman Missing
WEIRD STORIES TOLD
Crime Believed to be Work
of One Familiar With Lo-
comotive Operation

Ell PASO, July S.-Willfam Bohl-
man. engineer, is dead with a bullet
wound in his. head and Charles Rob-
ertson. fireman, lies painfully injured
as the result of one of the most mys-
terious tragedies in the history of
the Southern Pacific
The men constituted the engine
crew of westbound freight train
which early today was toiling slowly
up the steep grade into Paisano, the
highest point on the Southern Pacific
between New Orleans and the Pacif-
ic coast. Suddenly the train slack
ened speed A brakeman started
forward to ascertain the cause. When
he had reached a point about four
car lengths from the engine. the loo
.omotive exploded, hurting the boiler
80 feet from the track and the cab
fully 20G yards away Only the
trucks Of the engine were left stand
ing on the track.
Search of the debris disclosed the
body of Engineer Bohlman. badly
burned and gashed, with a pistol bull
let wound through the head. The
fireman was nowhere to be found un-
til flagman. sent back toward AL
pine. 10 miles away, found Robert
son lying unconscious beside the
track four miles from the scene of
the explosion
Officers start Search
When he recovered consciousness
the fireman said the last he remem-
bered was when he finished sanding
the track on the heavy grade near
Toronto. flag station. He had roll
ed a cigarette and was about to
mount the seat when he lost con-
sciousness. Robertson has an ugly
cash in the back of his head and is
severely bruised as the result OF mis-
falling or being hurled from the NOV
ing train.
Earl Stirman, the brakeman who
witnessed the explosion, says he saw
It tall slender man in black" run
from the train and make off across
the mountain a moment before the
explosion occurred Texas Rangers,
/ a sheriff's posse and railroad officers
are scattered. over the country seek
ing trace of the mysterious stranger.
! The body of the dead engineer was
! taken tC Maria. Tex. where the in
! quest was held. the verdict being
| death from a gunshot wound inflicted
! by some person to the coroner un
| hHONu. OODeIlSOH lOlu lIt
coroner both he and the engineer had
noticed a man riding a few cars back
! from the engine. Thinking he wasIa
| tramp stealing a ride they paid litt1e
! attention to the mar. though the
noticed him several times after tlie
train left Alpine.
Friends of the dead engineer and
officials of the railroad said he and
the fireman were the best of friends
and so far as known neither had. an
enemy in the world.
Bohlman, in point of service, was
one of the Oldest engineers on the
| Southern Pacific lines Both he and
the fireman resided at Sanderson
Tex, where the engineer was the
owner of a picture theatre and a ho-
| tel.
Railroad men advance the theory
that the murder was committed by
one familiar with the operation of a
locomotive. pointing to the fact that
the injectOrs. which supply water to
the boiler. had been cut off which
was the immediate cause of the ex
plOsion. Officials confessed them
! selves ut loss to find "A motive for
| the crime