Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1873-08-26
Shocking Railroad Murder in Illinois.

CHICAGO, August IA terrible and
heart rendering catastrophe occurred on tho
Chicago, Alton and st. Lonis railroad at 10
O'Clock last hight, 8 miles from Chicago and
two miles this side of Lement. Twelve per-
sons met with terrible death and so or 40
were badly injured, perhaps. fatally. The vic
TINS were passengers on the night express
which left here at o'clock last evening and
a few employees on the incoming freight train.
The passenger train consisted of the engine.
baggage and three passenger cars including a
Pullman coach. About 200 passengers we're
on the train, the passenger train running at
tho rate of 25 miles per hour, and when two
miles this side of Lemont collided with a
freight train running at the rate of 90 miles
per hour. The collision was n terrible one
The engine OF the passenger train ran clear
over the top of the freight locomotive and an
awful wreck ensued. Six persons wcre killed.
outright. The c1 plosion is said to have shaken
the country for miles around, and the escap-
ing steam rushed upon the people in binding
clouds. The scene is depicted as awful
Persons were thrown the distance of one hun
dred feet; others jammed into the wreck and
mangled shockingly. According to the re.
ports. which have reached US, the responsible
ty for the accident rests entirely on the con.
duc'or of the freight train, who deliberately
started his train from Lemont some fifteen
minutes in advance of time.
The passenger train was running at the rate
of twenty-five miles an hour, and, executing
the Pullman car at the rear, was completely
smashed The shock of the collision was
such as to heap up the wrecks of the cars
with passengers close to the points of collision
OF the TIVE engines. One of the engines was
thrown from the track while the boiler of the
other exploded. Just how many we're injured
by the steam is not known. Some of the
sights at the disaster were frightful One
man, brakesman, was transixed to his car
and held suspended in the air above the
wreck writhing in the most excruciatipg
agony, from which he was finally relieved by
the by-standers. One engineer is reported to
have disappeared in company with his con-
ductor. Intense feeling is expressed upon the
ground of the accident.
re a number of letters have been re-
ceived in Washington from Quakers and other
friends of the Indian peace policy throughout
the country, asking executive c!emency in
behalf of the Modoc Indians lately on trial
for the murder of General Candy. Many of
these letters raise the question that the trial
was illegal under the decision of the SUPREME
Court in the Milligan case; that the civil
Courts being open, the military tribunal had
no jurisdiction. And the question raised is
that General Candy was killed while acting as
a peace Commissioner. and not as an officer of
the army, in war. These questions will come
directly before the President It is quite
probable the President will approve of the
Court Martial. and that the Tpd;o,s will 10
hung according to.sentence.
& The campaign in Virginia was opened
at Wytheville, on the 18th instant, by Col.
Withers, the Conservative nominee for Lieu
tenant Governor, who made brilliant speech
in which be gave scathing review of the