The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1867-04-09
From the Pittsburgh Commercial of April sth.l
ATROCIOUS ATTEMPT AT
MURDER.

lrEo@a tne TlttsDurkh OoinihoAsAoAoA 0Phh oth-
ATROCIOUS ATTEMPT AT
MURDER.
0Assrsesisss Placed On the Pennsyl
vaaia Bailrssd TFaek-Fsur Rm
.plsyees Of the Read Ininred-O Ose Fs
ssliy-11iracsleas Rscspe sf the Pas
essers-Arrsst or . Suspected Party.
One Of the most cold blooded and pre-
meditated attempts at Wholesale Hur
der that il has ever been our province
to record, occurred yesterday on the
Pennsylvania Central Railroad, . short
distance east of Turtle Creek, in this
county. The particulars of the transac.
tion, 20 far as we have been enabled to
ascertain them, are as follows:
The Cincinnati express train, consist
ing of one baggage and one express car,
three passenger coaches and sleeping
car, left the Union Depot yesterday
morning at eleven o'clock. The train
was filled with passengers, forty OF
whom had arrived during the forenoon
from Cincinnati. When the train was
passing around curve, about amile
east of Turtle Greek, it ran against an
obstruction ,xhich had been placed on
the track, throwing the baggage and
express cars and two of the passen-
ger coaches down o bank, completely
demolishing them. As usual under
such circumstances, great excitement
prevailed amongt the passengers, but
fortunately none of them were. injured,
at least not sufficiently torequire surgi-
cal aid. The passengers, upon realizing
their proyidential escape from injury,
instituted o search for the wounded,
when Martin Brstton, one of the brakes
men, was discovered tightly wedged be-
tween the two passenger coaches. Brat
ton apparently had been stepping from
one car to another at the time the train
was thrown off the track, and the plat
forms being smashed, he was jammed
between the cars, and held 30 firmly
that it was found necessary to use o saw
to extlicate him. His injuries are of a
very serious nature, and it is not prOba-
BILE that he will recover. Peter McCul-
Tough, the engineer, was also seriously
injured internally, and one of his feet
was badly smashed, rendering amputa-
ton necessary. Robert Kerr, engineer
of freight train, who was on the en-
CINE, was gu ite severely injured on
the side aud head, while Mr.. Wilhelm,
the baggage master, was injured slight
" on the shoulder. The escape OF the
passengers in the coaches which were
thrown from the track, was miraculous.
CAUSE OF THE ACCIDENT.
Upon an investigation being made in
to the cause Of the mishap, it was dis
covered that q cross-tie and rail. had
been placed across the track, and Sc
curely fastened, being braced with q
crowbar and an iron wedge. A number
of iron spikes had also been placed on
the rails. From the manner in which
the obstruction had been arranged, it
is apparent that the miscreants intend
ed to throw off the track the first train
that approached from either east or
west. The place where the accident oc-
tcurred, being in a thickly settled neigh
,borhood, - il appears strange that per
sons passing along the road to church
did not observe the villains at work, as
10 undoubtedly required considerable
time for them to perfect their arrange
ments.
SsUspECrED PARTY ARRESTED.
While the passengers and employees
of the road were endeavoring to clear
the track, a man named Patrick Mon
Afghan was observed hiding behind a
fence, and upon being approached he
fled across field. This action on his
part created a suspicion that he was
one of the authors of the mishap, when
he was followed, secured and brought
back to the train. He appeared to be
greatly excited, and Ohen asked why
be had placed the obstruction on the
track replied, ~ don't know" This
answer aroused the Indignation OF the
passengers, who were about to take the
law into their own hands and hang him
on the spot, when several gentlemen re.
siding in the neighborhood interfered
in his behalf, and were permitted to
take charge of him upon promising to
deliver him over to the civil authori-
ties. He was then placed in a buggy,
securely tied, brought to this
city and lodged in the watch
house. Monaghan is well known
character, and has been committed to
the county Jail several times for va
grancy. During his last incarceration
he endeavored to impress upon his
iailors that he was deaf, dumb and in
sane, but having irritated one of the
officers of the institution by breaking
the water nipo iii ms cell he was severe
ly assaulted, which had the effect OF re-
storing bis speech, and forcing him to
cry aloud for mercy. Our reporter Wis.,
tied him in the watch house last even
ing, but could gain no information from
him, his only answer to the questions
propOunded being al don't know" He
is apparently about thirty years of age,
miserably clad, and from all outward
appearances, . stranger would sup
pose him to be demented, al
though parties who know him are
Of contrary opinion. He has been
lettering in the vicinity Of Turtle Creek
for q week past, subsisting upon the
charity of the residents Of tho neighbor-
hood. His case will be Investigated to-
day, and the condition of his mind de-
cided upon. 1t is supposed by the off,
GERS of the railroad company that others
W6r6 euSuKfu III TIC piot w tuio" shS
train off the track, and the fact that
another man was seen hurrying away
shortly after the disaster occurred,
would seem to warrant the belief. Full
! Ter information on this matter may be
elected to day, as the company will
take active measures to ferret ont the
guilty parties and bring them to justice.
. THE INJURED.
The Philadelphia Express due here
at 1:50, did not arrive until Ave o'clock
Mr.. Bratton, the brakeman on the
wrecked train, who was one Of the in
tjured, was brought to this city, and re-
moved on a stretcher to his boarding
house on Walnut street, in the Fifth
ward. He is unmarried, and formerly
resided in New Florence, Pa. He was
attended by DR.. Hamilton, who has DO
hopes of his recovery, although he was
still living last evening. Mr.. McCul-
Tough, the engineer, was taken to La
trobe, where he resides. Mr.. Wilhelm,
the baggage master, proceeded east in
| the train. After the accident occurred
q special train was sent from this city
to Turtle Creek, and the damage to the
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