TRAMPS GATHERED FOR INVESTIGATION

Jan 3, 2017
5 min read

Continued from: A MURDERER AMONG THEM

SIOUX CITY JOURNAL - July 20, 1902 W.H.E. Pfeffer of Pipestone, Minn., a carpenter, who was at the Arion depot, talked with the short negro immediately after the stabbing had taken place. The two negroes had walked back to the station at Arion after the train had gone on, and the short negro said he had just had a fight with a brakeman. He said the brakeman put his toot upon his hand as he was attempting to climb up the ladder of the car. The negro added something about sticking the brakeman with a knife.

As soon as daylight came posses started out to hunt the negroes. Sheriff Bell, of Denison, was at the head of one posse and the constable of Arion headed another. Late in the afteroon the tall negro was captured by Sheriff Bell's posse north of Arion and taken to Denison. He said the short negro did the cutting and that he was not mixed up in the fight.

1900's Possee (Photo illustrative only)

POLICE GATHER IN THE TRAMPS

The Sioux City police were notified of the murder at 3:45 o'clock in the morning and a squad of police was at the Milwaukee yards to meet the train which arrived shortly after 6 o'clock. Five tramps were found on the train. One of these was a tall negro and it was thought for a time that he was the murderer. Considerable excitement prevailed among the trainmen in the yards, and for a time Chief of Police Davenport was concerned after the safety of his prisoner. The negro gave the name of William MacLane. He said his home was in Shreveport, La. His innocence was established as soon as Mr. Pfeffer, who had talked with the two negroes at Arion, arrived in Sioux City. MacLane had seen the other negroes, however, and he was held. The other tramps on the train were James Ranson, of Detroit; William Baurer and John Newcom of New York city, and John Mack, of Springfield Ill. All had seen the pair of negroes, and they were held for possible witnesses.

During the day the police gathered in over fifty tramps, but all except the fore-going were released.

Gathering of Tramps (Photo illustrative only)

The train upon which the murder was committed was running extra with two engines. Fred Miller was the conductor, the engineer of the head engine, No. 73, was George Beardsley. His fireman was George Shoemaker. The engineer of the second engine was Geo. E. Monk. His fireman was James Whaler. Thomas L. Donahue was the rear end brakeman. The train consisted of thirty-six cars. The encounter took place on the twelfth car from the front.

Powell's wound was a deep gash about an inch and a half in length just above the heart. The cut evidently was made by a large knife. Before running on the Manilla line Powell was a brakeman on the line between Sioux City and Mitchell, So. Dak. At this time he lived at the Sioux City house, Fifth and Pearl streets. Before coming to Sioux City he served the Milwaukee for eight years as a fireman his headquarters being at Sanborn. He was 32 years of age and unmarried.

Engineer George E. Monk, of engine No. 75, the second engine pulling the freight, of which Fred D. Powell was brakeman, was the last person to see the murdered railroad man before the stabbing.

There is a difference of opinion between Engineer Monk and Conductor Fred Miller as to where the encounter took place. Engineer Monk believes Powell was stabbed on top of the moving cars, while Conductor Miller believes the fight took place on the ground.

“We were having a pretty hard pull out of Arion,” Engineer Monk explained. “It's up grade there, and he had a heavy train. I was busy sanding the track and endeavoring to pull out of the hole, so I didn't follow the direction Powell took as I might. Just after we got past the crossing, about a mile out of Arion, I saw two fellows evidently about to make the train. One was a tall man and the other shorter, and I thought he was colored. The tall man was buttoning up his coat and pulling his hat down over his eyes., evidently with the intention of making a rush. I saw Powell passing over the front cars with his lantern going towards the rear. The tramps evidently saw him, too, for they didn't attempt to catch the first three or four cars, and I lost sight of them. Powell went on over a few cars and put down his lantern, going on in the dark. That is the last I saw of him until I saw his dead body. I think he must have found the tramps on the cars, and when he tried to put them off they stabbed him. He must have walked along the top of the cars towards the caboose, and had just reached it when his strength failed.”

FIGHT WAS ON THE GROUND

It is at this point that Conductor Fred Miller's theory of where the murder took place differs from Engineer Monk.

“I believe the fight must have taken place on the ground,” he said. “The distance from Arion to Bell, the next station, is only three miles. We had not gone much more than half the distance when Powell was taken into the caboose. Weakened as he was he would not have had time to pass over thirty-six cars in that time. The train was moving slowly, and I think he must have been on the ground, catching the rear end of the train as it passed him, and climbing to the top.”

Plat of Belltown, Iowa from Dow City-Arion 125th Book

Photo of Belltown from IAGenWeb

The tramp problem is an increasingly serious one to railroad men. Each year adds to their number, and the increase in numbers is coincident with an increasing audacity. Just now hordes of tramps are pouring into the South Dakota harvest fields not because they want work, but because it is easy to pick a living there.

“We find them becoming worse and worse every year,” said Engineer Monk, after telling the story of the murder of Powell. “Every train is loaded with them. When a freight stops they come out from all sorts of concealments like rats from an old barn. I have noticed that they become bolder each year. The problem has become a very serious one, and something will have to be done to protect railroad men.”

CORONER'S INQUEST HELD

Charter Oak, Ia. July 20. The coroner's inquest was held tonight. All the evidence points to an unknown negro. Another witness is to be examined in the morning, who states that a negro who had tried to board the freight told him that he had a fight with a brakeman, and that if he had had a chance he would have finished him. Reports have been received that two negroes answering the description given are under arrest at Arion. The jury adjourned until 8 o'clock tomorrow morning.