| Show A TRAGEDY ANDA AND A LESSON 0 o it was scarcely to be expected that the he important duty of manning all mall mail trains alt with armed guards could be continued long without some mis adventure and more serious mishaps the marines upon whom this duty devolved were sent out under orders to shoot to kill mall mail robbers have become so frequent and so daring that extreme measures were feces sary to put a check to them acting upon these orders the marine guards have already shot a bandit or two and doubtless have prevented more than one raid upon the malls but unfortunately at least one man who apparently had no intention or even thought of crime has also been shot down at a station in a little town in louisiana the other day a young farmer was noticed near the mall mail car of a train that had stopped momentarily he was ordered away by the marine guarding the car ap parent ly the farmer did noi not comply with the order tor for the marine Is sald said to have fired and the man tell fell dead witnesses declare that the farmer was twelve feet from the car when hen he was ordered to move the warine marine Is under arrest and will have to stand trial for his life or at least his liberty it Is a most unfortunate affair it seems incredible that the guard would have tired fired unless he thought an attempt to rob the mall mail was im eminent and yet there seems to have been little reason for him to shoot it if the man was no nearer than twelve feet to the car doubtless the facts in the case will be brought out when the marine has been given a hearing bearing meanwhile there Is a lesson in the incident it should impress the guards that they must be very care tul ful lest they take the lives of inno cent fellow citizens who have no more desire to molest the malls than the guards themselves and it should convince all citizens that there Is danger of loitering around a mall mail car under the present order of I 1 things the shooting might have happened at any station in utah where a train chanced to stop as much a as in louisiana that thought brings the tragedy nearer home at all times and particularly after nightfall it Is well to keep away from mall mail cars and to retrain refrain from any action however slight that might arouse suspicion in the mind of the armed marine who stands on guard deseret news |
