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Conducter Ben Rooney, of the Fort Smith & Western, was shot and probably fatally wounded about one o'clock Wednesday afternoon by George Looney, one of the passengers.
Looney the assailant of conducter Rooney tried to make his escape at Massey, seven miles east of here, but a Mr. Donithan, an ex marshal who was on the train ran into a store at Massey and borrowed a winchester and took three shots at the fleeing assailant, bringing him to the ground the third shot. Mr. Donithan had no more loads in the gun and came on here for assistance marshal Tilley. Paden Tolbert with a posse went to the scene at once, where they found Looney, who opened fire on the marshal, but a shot for Paden Tolbert shattered Looney's gun when he was captured and brought to this place in a wagon.
After leaving Featherston, the brakeman on the train discovered that the closet door in one of the coaches was locked and notified the conducter who went to investigate.
He rapped upon the door which was unlocked by Looney, who was on the inside.
The conducter then opened it and as he did so Looney fired, Rooney fell back and Looney came out, with revolver in hand and walked out on the platform. When the train slowed up for Massey, Looney jumped off and tried to make his escape as above stated.
When the train arrived here Rooney was taken off the train and placed on a cot in the depot, where Dr. T. T. Norris made a hasty examination of Rooney's wound and saw that it was of very serious nature. He ordered Rooney placed on the east bound passenger train and taken to Fort Smith. Dr. T. T. Norris accompanied Rooney to Fort Smith.
Dr. J. A. Faltz, Rooney's wife, and her sister, trainmaster Groves and a priest from Fort Smith, met the train at Bokoshe. When the train arrived in Fort Smith, Rooney was taken to the Belle Point Hospital where an examination was made by Dr. T. T. Norris, of this city and Dr. J. A. Faltz, they found that the ball had passed through the right lung, and was retained by the skin in the back.
The last reports were that Rooney was resting very well.
Looney was shot in several places and died yesterday. He was turned over to his son who lives at Spokgee, and was taken to that place yesterday.
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