Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1869-09-02
fCorrespondence of the N. Y. Sun, |

correspondence of the N. Y. SUM-
PoRr JERv1s, Aug. 17-In the spring of
1868 several serious accidents occurred on
tho limo OF the Delaware division of the
Erie Railway, in one Of which--the Carr's
Rock disaster, on the morning OF the 10Th
OF April in that year--more than q score OF
passengers lost their lives, and fifty or
sixty others were wounded. In each of
these places the track had been maliciously
Displaced, but all the efforts Of the Compa-
ny to ferret ont the perpetrators proved
futile. and finally standing reward Of
81 600 was offered for any evidence which
would lead to their conviction.
A short time before the occurrence Of
these disasters, the Company discharged
from their employ and caused the arrest OF
an English man, John Bowen, C4 years of
age, for forging payroll. Bowen has
been in this country for twenty-five years,
and has resided IN the neighborhood of
Sparrowbush and Rosa's Switch for several
years past.
en- went to Mr. Douglass, then Division
knight of tampering with the rails few
hours before the disaster. The Company
ct once put the matter into the hands Of
detectives, but they failed to gather suffi-
cient evidence to warrant them in bringing
Knight to trial.
On the 18th Of April last a rail was found
torn up near Stairway Brook. and renewed
efforts were made to trace out the guilty
person. After patient investigation of all
the facts that they could gather, the com.
pany came to the conclusion that Bowen
himself was tho criminal, and they accord
ingly had him arrested and locked up in
Milford penny Jail, when he confessed
that he had tempered with the rails on the
28th of May.
On Monday, Bowen made second and
fnll confession, which we print below
acknowledging himself the perpetrator Of
each and every one Of the crimes which led
to such loss of life and limb. He made
it voluntarily, having been warned that he
need not expect to gain any leniency there
by ut the hands Of the company.
CONFESSION OF JOHN BOWEN.
reside in Orange county. I have read
the Bible and prayed lately, and hope to
get some Of my sins pardoned. I may not
1.-Two long, and don't like to die with so much
on my conscience. wish to tighten it a
little.
About between summer and fall, three
years ago. on the Eaie Railway, between
the Delaware bridge, ut Saw Mill Rift, and
Kennedy's Cut, I was going along Il was
not working for tho company one day, and
kicked a stone from the middle of the
road to the edge Of tho track against the
chair; there it lodged. I didn't think it
would do any damage, but it did; it started
two or three cars of tho track. Some time
in February. one year ago, there was
crooked rail Mt Rosa's switch, near the
chair.
I took piece of iron and pushed the sail
out of the chair, and raised it up and put a
spike under it at the Bonded place on Sec
chair, but it wouldn't go in without some
thing heavy to force it in; left it at that,
and along came a freight tram and broke it
off, and the train ran off down the bank.
About the 18th, year ago last March,
(April) Mt o'clock in the morning, came
down the track, Il left my place early) and
had been at Lack0waxen; I went to see about
q silver mine I had burning out there. I
dropped stone on my foot, which hurt me
so walked slowly down the track until
came to Carr's Rock a freigh train passed,
(there, going Wost) stepped aside till it
passed; saw ION the river side) rail
(crooked) which was working up and down
as the train passed.
l took piece of the cap of q rail and
tried to fix it as we'll as could. showed
the rail out Of the chair and put block
under it to raise it; I put spike under the
quarter tie, in order to make it come straight
to it's place again. I didn't think it was
going to do any damage at all. travelled
on from half mile to three-quarters down
tho track, then heard great noise. 1
thought it was the stones slipped down into
the water; instead of the stones it was a
train going East, and in two or three days
heard it was the train instead of stones.
That was Cars Rock Calamity! felt
very sorry from that time to this; since I
have been here don't sleep nights. I was
not then in tho employ OF the Erie Com
pany; before any of the occurrences / had
been employed by the Erie Company and
had been discharged by the Company and
sent to Jail by the Company under charge
of forgery. knew when put the spike
under that rail if heavy train came upon
that rail afterward it would break that rail,
but if train had come from the east, it
would have drove it down. I didn't know
from which way the next trim was coming.
JOHN BOWEN.