The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-08-18
CARR'S ROCK.

Confession Of the Man who Caused the Ter
rlbIe Railroad Disaster on the 18th Of ADrii'
1S6S.
The New York Tribune of to-day has the fol-
lowing:-
On the 18th of April, 1868, the public were
Mortified by the occurrence of q distressing acci-
dent on the Erie Railway, near Carrs Hope.
The details of the affair have not been forgotten,
and ever since detectives employed by the roat
have been searching for the parties by whom 1t was
supposed it had been caused. A Mr.. Knight was
arrested on suspicion, but released for want of
evidence.
On the 25th of May, 1869, John Bowen, the
man who had first aroused suspicion against
Knight, was committed to Jail on charge of
tampering with the track, and of having COM
mitted perjury in swearing that he saw Knight
engaged in the same wav on the night previous
to the accident. Soon after his committal Bowen
made n partial confession generating Knight
from the alleged crime, and acknowledging that
he himself unfastened the rail and then charged
it upon Knight for the purpose of securing the
reward of $1,000 which had been publicly offered
by the company for the detection of any person
engaged in such crime.
Yesterday Bowen sent message to Mr.. Re /
ington, superintendent of the Delaware Division
of the Erie Railway, stating that he desired an
interview with him, he had an important
communication to make. Mr.. Redington accord
ingly visited Bowen in his cell, where, in the
presence of the witnesses whose names are ap-
pended, Bowen made the following confession
II was made voluntarily on the part of Bowen
Mr. Redington having assured him that he need
not expect to receive any leniency from the
company II he had been guilty of the crimes
mentioned The following is the confession:-
81 reside in Orange county. have read the Bible
and prayed lately, and hope to get some of my sins
paT9oheu may not live long, and don't like to die
with so much on my conscience. wish to tighten
1t little About between summer and fall three
years ago, on the Erie Railway, between the Della
ware Bridge and Sawmill Rift and Kennedy's Cut /
was gong along q was not working for the company
one one gay; G & anu HcSed stone from the middle of the
ROAD TO he ege OF the track against the chair there
1t lodged. ] didn't think it would do anv damage
put II dld 1t started two or three cars Off the track
some time IN February, one year ago, there was a
crooked rail at Rosas switch near the chair took
piece of iron and pushed the rail ont of the chair
allu IdlsIu II up aht put n spike under 1t at the
p%enueG % pace on second quarter tie; showed it
back into the chair but il wouldn't 90 in without
s9nethg heavy to force it in; left it at that and
tram ran on down the bank About the 18TH a year
ago last March lApriD, at O'Clock in the morning
came down the track Il left my place early), and
mad been at LackawaXen; | went to see about a
mine had burning ont there. dropped a stone on
my foot which hurt so | walked slowly down the
track until came to Carr's Rock; a freight train
passed me there going west; stepped aside till it
passed; saw lon the river side) rail (crookedS
which was workingup and down as the train nassed.
TOOK piece OF the cap or rail and tried to FIX it
as as well as l could; | showed the rail ont of
i to raise it: I T put ''Spn spike under under
the quarter-te, In order 70 make it come straight
to its place again. didn't think it was ooing re do
any damage at ALL travelled on from half a mile
to three-quarters down the track, then heard
down INTO the water; instead of the stones it was a
train going east, and in two or three days heard il
was the train instead of stones That was the Carr's
ROCK calamity! felt very sorry from that time to
TINS; since have been here don't sleep nights /
was not then III the employ of the Erie Company:
before any OF the occurrences had been emploveed
by the Erie Company, and had been discharged bv
the company and sent to jail under a charge OF
forgery. l knew when | put the spike under that
rail, If heavy train came upon that rail aterward
1t would break that rail- but If train had come from,
the East It would have drove it down. didn't know
from which way tile next train was coming
"JoHN BOWEN
The confession was made by John Bowen, August
10, 1862 at the Milford Jail, Pike county, Pennsylva-
ma where he is confined to answer the double crime
OF tearing up the railroad track, and committing
perjury by charging one James Knight with the of
tense. The crimes for which he is confined were
committed in the spring OF this year.
anu, JOHN d. BIDDIs Attorney at Law.
Milford, August 16, 1862
Confession made in the presence of G. s Redinp-
ton, Oliver s. Dimmick, John Cornelius James 8
Smith, and John d. Bidds.