The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1924-02-12
CALDWELL MAN
RUNS AMUCK ON
SOUTHERN TRIP
w. H. Barnett Suddenly
Kills Conductor and
Wounds Two Others
in Shooting Affair

Running suddenly amuck. w. II.
Barnett, for II consecutive years fore
man of The Tribune composing room.
Saturday shot up Union Pacific train
at Barstow. California, killed w. F.
Morton. the conductor and wounded
two other men before he was taken
into custody. The wounded men, who
were rushed to Los Angeles hospital.
include c. c. Carlson of Shelby. Iowa.
suffering with a scalp wound. and
Harry Rarringer. a brakeman. who
was shot in the ribs. one of which may
be broken. His home is in Los
Angeles.
Word of the shooting aifray was
received in Caldwell with surprise
Mental arrangement is believed to
have been the cause OF the outbreak.
Mr.. Barnett's mother died last sum-
mer at her home here and this fact
is said to have preyed heavily upon
his mind in recent months.
Barnett left Caldwell last Wednes-
day, going to Boise and obtaining
there a travellers card for the Boise
Typographical Union of which orga-
nization he was 4 member OF many
years standing. He had planned the
trip to California to seek employment
there at the repeated and urgent re-
quests OF Yves Clark. former pressman
at The Tribune who at present is
working in southern California. Let
ters and kilograms finally induced Mr..
Barnett to leave despite the fact that
he frequently expressed reluctance to
leave his family, Mrs. Barnett, three
sons and a daughter, in Caldwell.
The shooting took place about 4;l0
Saturday morning. Mr.. Barnett, who
was travelling alone, suddenly and
without warning, began firing in the
dmly lighted coach in which he had |
been riding Morton was killed in an
attempt to reach Barnett and disarm
him and both the wounded men were
injured in attempting the same thing.
During his long employment on
The Tribune, Mr.. Barnett gave no in
dication of lack OF mental balance.
Current reports to the effect that
moonshine probably prompted the
shooting are secuted by those who
know Barnett most intimately as
groundless. During his employment
with The Tribune, Mr.. Barnett was
steay industrious and always on the
job. He left The Tribune January |,
1923, upon the expiration OF union
contract with the Boise typographical
union and since that time has been in
termittantly employed at Nampa with
the Leader Herald and the Free Press.
That Mr.. Barnett is insane is the
opinion expressed Sunday by DR.. H.
Wheeler, a member of the general
hospital staff at San Bernadino, who
examined him. He may be taken to
an asylum for further observation
Earlier reports said that Barnett has
shown no evidence of insanity imme-
diately following his arrest
According to stories of the affair,
the Caldwell man had suffered with
the delusion that robbers had follow
ed him all the way from Salt Lake.
He said that they pursued him from
car to car until finally he is reported
to have taken his money from his
person, placed it on the seat beside
him and to have asked the robbers OF
his imagination to take the cash but
10 leave him alone.
John, aged 10, the youngest of three
sons, was critically i'll for several
months last summer with typhoid
fever. This is said, too, to have af-