‘Indian’ Ambushes Train, Shoots Arrows at Officials

A man stopped an Amtrak train by piling railroad ties on the tracks, and then fired arrows at train inspectors who approached him afterward, authorities said today.

Sheriff’s Lt. Gerald Benjamin said the suspect indicated at the jail that he was unable to speak because of a throat injury. He also apparently cannot write. Benjamin said the man pointed to a black prisoner at the jail and then to his foot, maybe to indicate he was a Blackfoot Indian.

“He’s about 20 years old, 6 feet tall and slender, with black hair and has features kind of like an Indian,” Benjamin said.

Through signs, maps and nods of the head, officers concluded that the man was from El Paso, Tex.

According to Sheriff Charles Sanders, the man had piled several railroad ties on the tracks in an effort to derail the Amtrak train headed south from Chicago. The train was operated by an Illinois Central Gulf Railroad crew.

“The train was doing about 90 m.p.h.,” Sanders said, “but the engineer was able to spot (the ties) enough in advance so they put it in emergency stop. They got it braked down to about 30 (m.p.h.), so it didn’t do much damage to the train when it hit the ties.”

No one was injured and the tracks were cleared.

Two Illinois Central Gulf track supervisors sent to the site noticed more ties on the tracks, officials said, and when they tried to remove them, the suspect shot an arrow at them.

“He had a bow and arrow and had it pointed it at them,” Sanders said. “He fired it off, and one (arrow) landed at the feet at one of the guys.

“They took off back to the truck, and he fired another at the truck, but missed it. He only had three arrows. And when they saw he was out of arrows, they took after him.”

Sanders added that the man offered no reason for trying to stop the train, “but I’m thinking we’re going to have to treat him as a deranged person.”