Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1862-05-19
From, sullivan Democr'
shocking Railroad Accident.


ile-feld at Oornith where fight was expected.
They came down on special train, leaving Ter
re Haute about midnight. just above the depot
at this place the train ran into a box freight car
which had been standing on the switch, but was
found with its forward wheels Just of the end of
the switch rails on the ground. The train was
running at the rate of "a miles an hour, the OBJ
struction was not seen by the engineer until too
late to even check the speed of the engine which
struck the car with fearful force, breaking and
almost demolishing it and the locomotive. The
car was driven backward on the switch and the
train rushed on.
Prof Miles j. Fletcher, State Superintendent
of Public Instruction, was aboard, and on hear
ing the alarm attempted TO look out the window.
The edge of the COX car as il was pushed OF on
the switch, struck the unfortunate gentleman on
the left side of his head lifting up the top of his
skull. He died instantly Of course.
|. The tram was running at such speed that the
impetus carried it several hundred yards before il
stopped. Another train was procured from Ter
re Haute and the party proceeded on their way,
leaving the body of Professor Fletcher at the
house of DR.. MeTrick, in charge of DR.. Bobbs. Of
Indianapolis. An extra train from below took
the body up during the afternoon.
The scene of the disaster was visited BY large
numbers of people during Sunday. We are told
that the opinion was freely expressed by some
that the freight car was purposely run to its po-
sition by some secession sympathzer or some p0-
liticaI enemy Of Gov. Morton. We learn that
his Excellency freely expressed the opinion that
il was purposely done to destroy his life. We
cannot believe that we have citizen of this
county who would be guilty of so heinous a
crime. If such there be no one would be more
clamorons for his summary punishment than we;
and no punishment known to the law would, in
our opinion be commensurate with the crime.
Still, we cannot believe we have any such demon
among US. We believe that the bows who are IN
the habit of playing on and about the freight
cars have loosened the brakers and the car has
run down the grade and off the switch. An ex-
actly similar instance occurred once before at the
same place. Or they may have done il from that
strange freak for committing senseless mischief
or "deviltry" which is so often developed in boys
suffered to be out at night. Had such san acct
dent happened at any other period, no one would
have thought of an incendIary motive-nor do
we believe il would have been preached had it
occurred in any other county; but the systematic
lying which has been resorted TO by unprincipled
men against this county has doubtless induced
many to believe that Sullivan county is full of
secessionists, against whom nothing is too vile TO
be said.
A coroner's jury was empanneled before NJ.
MalOtt, Esq, to investigate the causes of the
cident. At present writing they have not conclu-
ded their labors.
How the cars came there is still wrapped in
impenetrable mystery. Should they fail in un-
raveling it, there is still no evidence of a Grim
inal purpose ON the part of any one; and we sug-
gest to those who either express entertain that
belief that it is not only their privilege but also
their duty to go before that inqustion and reveal
all the facts they know the grounds for their
belief-or else hold their peace
LArER-The facts in the case have at length
been ascertained. The affidavit of James R.
Dooley, which is corrOborated by the testimony
of Mrs. VOORHEES, and Miss johnson. is sufficient
ly explicit. We give DOoley's testimony:
James Dooey being duly sworn, says: That
Milton Belser came to him at John Casters
about o'clock. and asked him to go with him to
Mrs. Voorhees, and see the girls, on last Satur-
day night, the 10Th inst; we went there, and the
girls we went to see were not there; Saml Sin
clair came directly after we were there. / start
ed home; Milton came and told me to stay few
minutes, and he would 60 with me; / waited
about half an hour; wethen started and came TO
the car where it standing on the switch: Mit.
said, "let us take ride on the id old carr
we pushed at the car to run it towards the depot;
could not move it; then left it and walked on
about twenty steps; stopped and told BIN to
come on: NO" said he, 81 am going to have a
ride" He was then standing on the track and
pushing the car at the southeast corner; think
the brake loose as he moved the car; when
it started he got up on the car and tried 10 stop
it; the car then run on the main track, or on the
ties, where il stood when il struck. did
not know that a train expected that night,
neither do think he did. The car doors we're
closed; do not know of any woman being in il;
itwas,as / can recollect, about 10 o'clock.
/ spoke to him about getting the car back; he
said tomorrow was Sunday. and that no train
would come down, and Kelley could get it back
on Sunday; saw no pencil writing on the car;
there was no one pushing at the car but Belser;
the car, think, was standing nearly opposite the
north end of the woodshed
[Signedl JAMES R. DooLEY.
Young Belser remained until Monday noon,
when he took the first train back for the army
during that time allowing his political friends to
throw the blame on Democrats, without reveal
ing the factsl
The following is the verdict of the coroner's
} jury:
State of Indiana, County of Sullivan:
We, the undersigned jurors, empanneled and
sworn on the llth day Of Nav, 1862, at the town
of Sullivan, in the county and State aforesaid.
. by Michael Malott acting Justice of the
Peace. and acting as Coroner in and for said
county to inquire and true presentment make, IN
what manner and by whom Miles j. Fletcher,
then and there found dead came TO his death.
; After having heard the evidence, and examined
; the body, we do find that the deceased came TO
his death by collision of special train of cars
on the f. and G. r. r. with box ear standing
on the cross ties the main track of said road,
which occurred about / o'clock A NJ, on the
) llth of May, 1862 that when the collision &C
2 CURED the deceased put his head out Of tie car
he was in, and was struck by the box car stand
ing on the track as aforesaid, which caused the
: immediate death of said Miles j. Fletcher, who
E was found dead as aforesaid.
5 And we the jurors do further find that one
Milton Belser, soldier in Captain Wallis com
panv, 3lst regiment of Indiana volunteers, did
unlawfully remove the said box car that caused
the collision and death of the said Miles J Fletch-
1 err from the switch side track. where said Cal
was standing, on 70 the main track and left IL ID
e that position, where the same struck BY the
train aforesaid, which was the cause of the col.
i lsion and death of the said Miles j. Fletcher.
A And we, the jurors, do further End that Hugh
!, Thompson, engineer, was running said train ai
the time of the collision at the rate of tW enty
three miles per hour, according to his own state
!, ment under oath before US, AID did not intend
p stopping at the Sullivan depot. but was passing
: il at that rate, which we think was gross reck
lessness on his part; and from the fact that the
J, moon shining almost "a bright as day, w
think that had he manifested that caution that h'
S should have done, he could have seen the car OF
= the track, and thus avoided the collision.
Witness our hands. Nav IA, 1862.
H. X. WmsoS,
. W. NJ. KNOTS,
MATHEW McCAMNoN,
LAFAYErrE STEWART,