Tldr: Met an old guy who told me how his dad, a 1930's Penn. State railroad cop had a 4 on 1 gun fight and shot 35 rounds with his .38 reloading five times in between moving trains, killing one, wounding one, arresting one, and one got away. Gave me a book, pics attached.
So my mother asked me to pick her up and take her to a book sale. Give us both something to do on an off day.
While in there, I heard an old man with a very thick Northern accent start to tell the story about his pop, a railroad cop, and the day he killed a crook, wounded a crook, arrested a crook, and another group got away.
He starts the story, " so my pop and his partner were walking down the railroad tracks, when all of a sudden a shot rang out. Pop hit the deck, turned to his partner and then realized, his partner had ran away. Pop was in trouble, turned around and looked up and saw a crook on top of a box car pointing a gun at him. The crook was part of a crew of four guys, who brought a box truck to knock over one of their box cars to steal cigarettes. Pop turned around and fired one round right into his chest, knocked him off the Box Car. That was the first one to go down and he was wounded. Pop started that day with 36 rounds, and ended it with 1..."
Then the lady in the book store interrupts him, " sir do you want to pay for these and do you want a bag?"
I about vaulted over three bookshelves.
I said, " ma'am I'll pay for the books but sir, please finish that story. I can't leave on a cliffhanger!
It's an old man, wearing a wool overcoat and nice but old clothes. Small circle glasses. His eyes lit up and he said, "Why I'd love to! I loved my father and am still proud of him to this day."
He said his pop and the rest of the gang of crooks were in a rolling gun battle. Pop had an advantage because he knew when the trains were coming and going so as they were running across train tracks, he knew when to stop and when he could take cover to reload behind a moving train. Pop reloaded 5 times with his 38 revolver and when when the shooting took a break a crook jumped out from behind a box car within feet of his pop trying to flank him. Pop punched out and fired one round which went through the crooks heart, dropping him immediately on the spot. That was the dead crook. after pop killed him, one crook took off running and then another crook came out with his hands up giving up. Pop arrested the one who gave up. He finished his shift, and nobody in his family was any wiser until he came home after his shift and then decided to fill in the family while he was taking off his uniform.
He worked for the Pennsylvania Railroad police, he was officer Theodore Hoffmeister.
Just think about that, a 4 on one gun battle with a 38 special reloading it 5 times while running and cross train tracks with moving trains comma after your partner left you. His son credits his abilities to his love and practice with guns, and his cool head under pressure.
Chance encounter, that I'll cherish hearing the story. Pics are from the sons book, with a pic of Pop and a blurb about the story. Hearing it from him was like nothing else.
So my mother asked me to pick her up and take her to a book sale. Give us both something to do on an off day.
While in there, I heard an old man with a very thick Northern accent start to tell the story about his pop, a railroad cop, and the day he killed a crook, wounded a crook, arrested a crook, and another group got away.
He starts the story, " so my pop and his partner were walking down the railroad tracks, when all of a sudden a shot rang out. Pop hit the deck, turned to his partner and then realized, his partner had ran away. Pop was in trouble, turned around and looked up and saw a crook on top of a box car pointing a gun at him. The crook was part of a crew of four guys, who brought a box truck to knock over one of their box cars to steal cigarettes. Pop turned around and fired one round right into his chest, knocked him off the Box Car. That was the first one to go down and he was wounded. Pop started that day with 36 rounds, and ended it with 1..."
Then the lady in the book store interrupts him, " sir do you want to pay for these and do you want a bag?"
I about vaulted over three bookshelves.
I said, " ma'am I'll pay for the books but sir, please finish that story. I can't leave on a cliffhanger!
It's an old man, wearing a wool overcoat and nice but old clothes. Small circle glasses. His eyes lit up and he said, "Why I'd love to! I loved my father and am still proud of him to this day."
He said his pop and the rest of the gang of crooks were in a rolling gun battle. Pop had an advantage because he knew when the trains were coming and going so as they were running across train tracks, he knew when to stop and when he could take cover to reload behind a moving train. Pop reloaded 5 times with his 38 revolver and when when the shooting took a break a crook jumped out from behind a box car within feet of his pop trying to flank him. Pop punched out and fired one round which went through the crooks heart, dropping him immediately on the spot. That was the dead crook. after pop killed him, one crook took off running and then another crook came out with his hands up giving up. Pop arrested the one who gave up. He finished his shift, and nobody in his family was any wiser until he came home after his shift and then decided to fill in the family while he was taking off his uniform.
He worked for the Pennsylvania Railroad police, he was officer Theodore Hoffmeister.
Just think about that, a 4 on one gun battle with a 38 special reloading it 5 times while running and cross train tracks with moving trains comma after your partner left you. His son credits his abilities to his love and practice with guns, and his cool head under pressure.
Chance encounter, that I'll cherish hearing the story. Pics are from the sons book, with a pic of Pop and a blurb about the story. Hearing it from him was like nothing else.
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