Railroaders' Nostalgia > Murderer on a Train

The discussion of the two New York prison escapees http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?2,3774104 resurrected memories of a couple of criminal / train incidents.

First, to be tied in at the end:

King Street Station in Seattle [WA], where the train dispatchers office had been since Great Northern times, was next to the Kingdome. The primary occupants of the Kingdome were the Mariners (baseball - sort of) and the Seahawks (more successful at football than the Mariners at baseball...all from someone who is not a sports fan), but it was used for many other types of events. The Rolling Stones played there once. The Kingdome was a concrete structure, the exterior of which was maybe 300 feet from the exterior of King Street Station. We could hear them in the dispatchers office...inside of King Street Station.

Anyway, at the end of large events at the Kingdome, the Seattle police would barricade the entire area and only let traffic out. It was so much easier to manage the traffic that way. Nobody could get in at the end of a Kingdome event. Taxis, passengers going to catch a train, or people picking up passengers from a train (of which, there were not many back then) had insufficient reason to be in the area and were turned away by the police. Train dispatchers also had insufficient reason to be in the area. Police regularly told us we could not pass to go to work. Federal law didn't deter them from their sworn duty to only allow sports-related traffic. A few us got in arguments with cops over that detail. Typically, we would stop at the roadblock, argue with the cop, and drive on through to the threats of arrest or shooting. This went on for years.

Now - criminals and trains.

One night in the early 80s, I was second trick chief. There was still a King Street yardmaster in a brick building on the east side of the main tracks at the crossovers and station switches, and we were still in King Street Station. I was called by the Seattle police. Yes, the folks who wouldn't come on railroad property to help the gunshoes (<http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?2,3755592,3756093#msg-3756093 Date: 05/29/15 13:52 Re: Crack Down on "Cinder Dicks"?>). There had been an armed robbery in the north end of downtown. The cops were pursuit of the perp, but he ran into the King Street tunnel. They didn't want to pursue into the tunnel in case a train came along (smart move). The guy on the phone asked if I could hold traffic while they went after the perp. I told him I had an even better deal for him. Did he have a couple of units near King Street Station? Yes, there are several on the way in case he comes out that end of the tunnel, why?

It's a little dangerous for your guys to go in there with flashlights after an armed perp. They would be great targets. Hang on for a second, let me set something up.

I called the King Street yardmaster. At this time of night, the yard engine was typically on spot at the station waiting for 14 to show.

Your engine there?

Yup, why?

Send them up to the north end of Tunnel 3. I want to put some cops on to catch a Bad Guy in the tunnel. I'll have one ride the cab to tell your guys what they need, the rest will be outside.

Sure, here they come.

I told the cop on the phone to have his units go to the tunnel between the parking lot and the tracks at the north end of the station. I'll have an engine there for them. Put the ranking guy in the cab to tell the engineer what you need and the rest on the steps and platform. Tell the guys at Battery Street to just stay put outside of the tunnel and we'll take you in to get the bad guy.

I told spatch what was up. The cops got on the engine and took off into the tunnel. Minutes later, the engine came back to King Street Station with the full compliment of cops and a real nasty bad buy who had a rap sheet so big it needed wheels.

Some time later, I came to work as second trick chief. Apparently within a minute or two of me walking in the front door (the north side, upper level - Jackson Street) there had been an armed robbery/murder right at the parking lot entrance (boy, was my timing ever good!). Witnesses said that the perp jumped over the fence along the sidewalk on Jackson Street, down the bank, through the tunnel that used to be the post office track, to the main tracks, and jumped on a train. As it goes with eye witness accounts, the perp got on a northbound southbound train. My phone rang. It was a Seattle cop. He explained the whole situation to me. He wanted to know where the train was going at 3pm-ish. Mmmmmm great clue there. I went in to the Seattle Terminal district room to look at the trainsheet. Well, there were several candidate trains. The Bad Guy could have gotten a train to Tacoma. He could have gotten a train to Interbay. He could have gotten a train to Spokane. It got better. Looking more at the trainsheet, he could have gotten off of the train to Interbay and right on to a train leaving for Spokane. He could also have gotten on a train for Portland that left on the arrival of the north man he could have been on.

I told the cop on the phone of the quandary. He said that this was a really bad guy who had a habit of killing people for no particular reason except that he encountered them. If robbery was involved, it appeared to be secondary in most cases. If I could think of anything they could do, it would be a big help.

One never knows who might be encountered on a train or along the track. Chances are, it might not be a particularly nice person (personal encounters while mudhopping in West Oakland, recollection of an IHB engineer and fireman killed while sitting in the engine cab at Gibson, and other knowledge). A guy known for just killing people he encounters is not necessarily what a train service guy should encounter while walking the train. I told the cop to give me his direct number, I would call him back after I figured out a way we might be able to help.

I worked out the possible connections the guy could have made. It wouldn't be foolproof. They guy might have bailed off anywhere, but if he was going to get far away from a close encounter with the cops, there were a few options.

The first thing was to arrange for an escort or other protection for police to search Balmer (Interbay) yard. The trainmaster fixed that up for me. I made the same arrangement at Tacoma. Next was figuring out the trains that the guy may be riding to get out of town. I told the trick dispatchers what was going on and had them tell the candidate trains that they were to not leave the cab or caboose for any reason until we told them otherwise, and don't let anybody in. I told the dispatchers to not stop these trains for anything, regardless of priority.

I called the cop back, told him to send the troops to Interbay and talk to the trainmaster. I asked him if he could get cooperation from other police departments around the state. He said he could arrange it. I told him send guys to Tacoma and talk to the trainmaster. The transfer that the guy might have gotten on was already there. I had done some figuring and basically developed a schedule for each of the candidate trains. For each, I picked out a road crossing at which the train could be stopped, and some terrain immediately before (bridge, cut, or other good viewing spot) where other units could recon the train for riders. I gave the guy on the phone the locations and times. I told him that would be the first stop that any of these trains would make since he called me. He made his calls, I gave the plan to the trick dispatchers, and the plan was set in motion.

Hours later, I got a call from the same Seattle cop. We didn't catch the suspect. However...we caught six other wanted murderers, several guys wanted for rape, armed robbery, and assault with a deadly weapon, a drug smuggler, and a few other assorted Bad Guys.

The guy on the phone was really appreciative. He was a captain in Homicide. He asked if there was anything he could do for us. I told him about trying to get to work when the Kingdome was disgorging. He said that after a Kingdome event, it was amateur hour at SPD. There were not enough traffic officers to cover, so they just assigned whatever was available..homicide, vice, desk jockeys - anybody on duty and wearing a uniform. I told him that the folks who just arranged the big bust are Train Dispatchers. Is there anything that can be done to allow us to get to work after a Kingdome event?

He told that his brother was a captain in the Traffic division. He would fix it for us. No matter who was working Kingdome traffic, they would know that Train Dispatcher was the magic word and we woulds never be hassled again.

His word was good. From that night until we moved out of King Street Station, all that was needed was "train dispatcher going to work" at a roadblock and we were ushered right through.

Passengers - well, that took some additional effort by Amtrak, but SPD eventually developed a two way traffic plan that allowed passage to taxis and passengers or people meeting trains.

TAW

Fabulous!  Another TAW story!  Thanks!

Lee Hower - Sacramento

Good stories, Thomas.

I often wonder when I watch a freight roll by how many passengers are on the train and why. Hopefully none but the crew, but I wonder if it would be worthwhile to place cameras over and near the tracks to watch trains for stowaways ... perhaps even involve some thermal imaging. Or if it would just lead to more delays and people learning the camera locations and avoiding them.

TAW you have led a most interesting life.   Keep the stories coming.

On one of our many visits to Portola where they had crew changes, we watched lots of people suddenly emerge from the bushes and hop on departing trains, mostly the TOFC cars. Saw a couple of college age kids hop a baretable train out  by Newhall yard. 
C

Carol Voss
Bakersfield, CA

I thought I was reading a murder mystery.  Great story telling.  Keep the stories coming.

The situation in New York is important to keep in mind for rail workers and others in the area.  I'm often concerned about those guys out there at 2:30 A.M switching cars at the rear of some industry in a bad neighborhood.  I know that after you've been working in the area for awhile you sort of get used to it and let your guard down.  That's when it gets dangerous.  When you least expect it, some guys get drugged up a bit and decide they want to go out a wup up on someone so they can get another fix and they find those rails are quite vunerable.  

John

Sounds kind of similar to Angel Maturino Resendiz  AKA the" Railway Killer". This cold hearted character killed and bludgeon people adjacent to railway tracks back in 1999. I never heard of him bothering crews,but the UP was concerned enough that it issued a track  bulletin warning crews to be on the lookout.  Of course it stopped short of telling anyone what to do if they encountered him,which meant we pretty much on our own, and considering how ruthless this person was; it would have probably ended badly for any hapless conductor who happen to be walking a train at night and encountered him. He turned up in Kansas City and the UP Cops patrolled the yards  looking for him,but he slipped through the net.  He was later apprehended in Ciudad Juarez. I still have the track bulletin and I'll try and post it sometime

I remember in training class, our instructor told a story of delivering newspapers in some rough parts of town in his younger days. He told of always carrying a fusee with him. IIRC, he said he only had to use it once to protect himself. Something to the effect of lighting it, and flipping the sparks / magnesium on the perp. IIRC, he said, you could not wipe it off quick enough and if you tried, it just got worse by spreading it.

I believe he is now retired, don't know for sure though.

William Hunt
Trenton, OH

mopacrr Wrote:
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> Sounds kind of similar to Angel Maturino Resendiz
>  AKA the" Railway Killer".

I was just telling some guys about that yesterday. I used to watch America's Most Wanted back then and I was surprised that he was identified and captured.
So I told the guys, that's why you need to stay away from the tracks...

formeremployee01 Wrote:
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> I remember in training class, our instructor told
> a story of delivering newspapers in some rough
> parts of town in his younger days. He told of
> always carrying a fusee with him. IIRC, he said he
> only had to use it once to protect himself.
> Something to the effect of lighting it, and
> flipping the sparks / magnesium on the perp. IIRC,
> he said, you could not wipe it off quick enough
> and if you tried, it just got worse by spreading
> it.

Chicago in the 60s standard procedure, plus have a partner but not close enough that you can both be surrounded, and cherry bombs or M80s in case your partner is surrounded and needs an air strike.

TAW

As usual, TAW, great story.  And a happy ending that you got your getting to work problem solved!

Nick Tharalson,
Marion, IA

Tom, I have always wondered if there have been any fatalities in the tunnel.
I'm thinking that the Interbay end would be more likely to see someoe struck
since most moves northbound would be moving faster. I know that sensible people
don't try this, but the Darwin candidate is sure he can make it!

Larry Dodgion
Wilsonville, OR

truxtrax Wrote:
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> Tom, I have always wondered if there have been any
> fatalities in the tunnel.

None that I recall and none in the Everett tunnel that I recall. Cascade Tunnel is another story. There has been at least one that I remember. The first tunnel south of South Bellingham a few including a couple of kids on horses.


> I'm thinking that the Interbay end would be more
> likely to see someoe struck
> since most moves northbound would be moving
> faster.

Actually not. Remember, the speed limit applies to the entire length of the train.

TAW