Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1874-07-02
DIabolIcal Attempt to Wreck a Train
In Michluan.

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A dispatch to the Chicago Times, from
Battle Greek, Mich, dated June 10th,
gives the following:
A most infamous and diabolicl at
tempt 10 wreck the night express on the
Michigan Central Railroad was made ut
Johnson's curve. between this city and
Augusta. six miles from this place and
three miles from the latter, on Thurs
day night last. the particulars Of which
have boon kept from the public by the
railroad men and officials. On Friday
morning, as the section men from Au-
gusta were passing over the track, the
boss Of the gang noticed that the wheel
Of tho hand-car was considerably Jared
as it struck against the end OF the rail.
Noticing that the rail was slightly slowed
out from the other, he stopped the
hand-car, when, on examination, what
was his horror to discover that the
splice bars had been removed from each
end Of the rail. and that every spike had
been drawn out, except in the mid
die, which just chung to the tie, and that
was all. Everything had been most de-
libeately planned by some devilish
wretches to wreck the train and cause q
great slaughter Of human life.
About n mile east Of the curve Is q
signal station, called Bedford" At
this stopping place there is nothing ex.
cept a small station-house. which will
accommodate q few persons, and in
which are kept such tools as are neces-
sarily used by the track repairers. The
country in and around the station is
quite well populated by well-to-do farm
ers, for whose accommodation this point
was made a stopping place by the com.
pany. In the immediate vicinity OF the
station-house, however. there are no
houses, and in fact for some distance
froh II. The would-be train-wreckers
first came to this station-house, pried
open the door. without fear Of being
discovered. and took just such tools as
they were in need Of to put into execu-
ton their hellish designs. Having pro-
cured the tools, they evidently proceeded
to the curve and quietly displaced the
rail at their pleasure.
The express passed safely ovor the
death trap. The little iron spike, just
barely clinging TO the wooden tie, vas
all that averted the catastrophe. 1t was
the slender cord on which hung q hun
dred precious lives or more. The pass
engers on the night express on Thurs
day little know the doom which they had
escaped, and the danger which they had
passed through. II hfd rained that
evening and the night vas dark, and
Just such q one as would have been cho-
sen for deeds Of violence and robbery.
Johnson's curve is a sharp one, right on
the bank Of the Kalamazoo River, down
which the whole train would have been
precipitated to the depth Of twenty feet
into the water. which at this particular
point is deep enough to take the whole
train under water. Any person acquaint.
ell with this locality cannot think Of the
consequences Of the disaster without a
thrill Of horror. II would have been
terrible, and another would have been
addedt to the list Of railroad disasters. II
il not plain what the real design Of the
miscreats was-to slaughter human life
by the wholesale or to rob the express
car. II is difficult to tell. II robbery was
their object, how they could succeed in it,
as the entire train would have been EN-
quilted beneath the water, without any
chance Of getting at the wreck to secure
their booty.
As soon as the accident was made
known. all Of the employees OF the road
who knew OF the affair were silenced,
for the purpose Of, IL possible. getting
some clue TO the perpetrators. so very
quiet Vas the secret kept that but four
or FIVE persons knew about it in-this
city. and this announcement will take
our people completely by surprise. On
Friday night, and for two or three
nights following. the track along that
section was patrolled by armed men, who
were on the lookout for the return Of
the wreckcrs, but nothing has transpired
indicating any probability OF their return.
Another question is are these fellows in
any way connected with those who
robbed the express car at New Buffalo.
or are they working by themselves
Perhaps there il a regularly organized
gang Of these robbers operating in this
State.