Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 19, Number 48, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 18 February 1898 — A Sheriff Badly Hurt. [ARTICLE]

A Sheriff Badly Hurt.

Sheriff Westfall, of Benton county, was very badly and perhaps fatally hurt, Sunday night, by falling off a train. He had been to Indianapolis and was taking back a prisoner wanted for a robbery at Oxford, last fall. When near Colfax Westfall looked out of the window and his prisoner made a dash for the door. The sheriff caught him on the platform and in the struggle both men fell off, while the train was running at high speed. It wa§ stopped, and the sheriff was found badly hurt by the fall, but the prisoner had escaped. At first it was thought that Westfall’s back was broken, but such was not the case; but his injuries aro very serious and fears are entertained that they may prove fatal.