Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 41, Number 94, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 13 August 1909 — NEGRO IN JAIL HERE CHARGED WITH ATTEMPTED MURDER. [ARTICLE]

NEGRO IN JAIL HERE CHARGED WITH ATTEMPTED MURDER.

Arthur Morgan Arrested at Kankakee For Assault Committed Upon a C. & E. I. Conductor. The Newton county sheriff brought Arthur Morgan, a negro, here for safe keeping Monday., Morgan, alias “Sandy” Hogan, in ton, a conductor on the C. & E. L railway. The assault occurred while Morgan was enroute from Momence to some point in Indiana, on the Brazil division of the C. & E. I. The negro boarded the train at Momence after purchasing a ticket to Hopkins Park. Conductor Worthington took his ticket as he did the other passengers on the train. On pulling out of Hopkins Park the conductor noticed that Morgan > had failed to get off and asked him where he was going. The negro replied that" he was going on to Elmer, which is but a few stations across the state line into Indiana, whereupon the conductor requested the fare to that point, which was but ten or fifteen cents. The negro refused to pay the amount and after a few words between him and the conductor, other passengers in the car, fearing a fight, took up a collection and paid the negro’s fare. The train arrived at Elmer and the conductor stepped out upon the platform. As he was about to step down off the train the negro was upon him with an open razor and made several slashes at the conductor who received an ugly slash from the elbow of the right arm to the wrist, one slash across the right shoulder and an ugly gash across the face. The negro then jumped from the car platform and made his escape. The conductor was hurried to a physician where his wounds were treated. Although he recovered from the wounds he has been disfigured ever since. A thorough search was made for the negro at various times since that date but he was never captured. He made his home near Hopkins and had been seen several times in that vicinity and around Momence, always coming into the town by night and every time eluding the police and deputy sheriff. About 4 o’clock last Monday afternoon he was seen in MomencA and Deputy Sheriff Riley was notified and a search was made for the fugitive. No trace was seen of him until about 8 o’clock Monday night, when the deputy received word that the man was on the C. & E. I. platform awaiting a north bound train. Deputy Riley hurried to the depot but was seen by Morgan who took up through the railroad yards as hard as he could run but was soon captured. On being placed under arrest he professed ignorance of the crime and endeavored to show that he was the wrong party. Mr. Riley placed him in the local jail and he was later taken to Kankakee and placed in the county Jail. Morgan was turnell over to Sheriff Sawyer, of Newton county, after the latter secured requisition papers from the governor of Illinois, and will be kept in jail here until his trial. Sheriff Sawyer came over from Newton county this afternoon in an automobile and' took Morgan back with him for a preliminary hearing, Che first proceeding having been irregular. He was accompanied on the trip by the father of Morgan.