The Sedalia Weekly Bazoo

RIDDLED WITH BULLETS.

Seven Shots Took Effect in Express Messenger Richardson's Body.

Houston, Tex., Dec. 19.-When the news of the murder of John C. Richardson, of the Wells-Fargo Express company, reached here early this morning, Sheriff Ellis secured an engine and caboose and, with Deputy Sheriffs Pruitt, Anderson and Credo, at 2 o'clock started for Liberty running very slowly. Stops were made at camp fires, and in all over thirty tramps were put through a rigid examination, but none of them could throw any light on the horrible affair. At Dayton the Houston posse was joined by Sheriff Dublanc and Deputy Sheriff Duncan, of Liberty county, and Agent Walker, but nothing could be arrived at. The whole affair is as deeply shrouded in mystery as it was an hour after it was committed.

Train No. 19, east-bound, left Houston at 10 o'clock. In the express car was a large amount of baggage, as well as express matter. Evidence shows that there must have been at least two robbers, as the bullets found in Richardson's body were 38 and 44 caliber. The east-bound train passes the west-bound at Greer's Bayou, ten miles from Houston. A mile east of this station the engineer says the air was applied, and the speed of the train reduced so that a man could jump off easily. He supposed Conductor Anderson had slowed up to let some one off, and paid no further attention to the occurrence. On reaching Dayton the agent noticed that the car door on the opposite side of the combination was open. He called the messenger, but receiving no answer ordered the train porter to go into the car and awake him. On entering the car the porter saw the body of Richardson lying on his side. The alarm was given, and Dr. Nash, of Liberty, who was aboard, examined the body, which was then almost rigid. The investigation showed that nine shots had been fired, seven of which had taken effect, one in the head, three in the breast, two in the shoulder and one in the right arm.

The theory is that the robbers secreted themselves in the car before the train left Houston, and that as soon as the train left Green's Bayou they shot Richardson, who was at work at his desk, in the back of the head. As he turned he was evidently shot through the arm, the ball passing through and striking his hip. He must then have fallen, and was shot five more times, as five bullets had passed through his body into the floor of the car. Alarmed at the noise of the shooting, the murderers then applied the air, jumped off and reached Houston before the sheriff's posse started out, which was nearly four hours after the tragedy in the car had been enacted.

Several packages of silver were left untouched, and the amount of booty secured in currency was evidently small. The through safe was unmolested. Richardson's body was brought here and an autopsy held. The remains will be shipped to New Orleans to-morrow for interment.