Bradford opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1874-1881, 1876-09-09
CONFESSION FROM A TRAMP.

CONFESSION FROM 4 TRAMP.
What Led HIS, 20 Tampsrius with the Rail-
read Tracks-.The Wgeck NJ Midaixht
near Nerih Eass..The Nssrsw Escsps Of
the ~. Lea,s Exprsss Between hoshcs.
ter aad Fairpsr'.
The Rochester Democrat and Chron-
icte has the following: After the st
tempt to throw the st. Louis express
from the track near Fairport was made
known, aud tho question raised ~ ~
the whereabouts OF tho brave drover,
Adams, tho intelligence was telegraphed
to the police headquarters OF oil the
surrounding cities and with II y descrip-
ton. The Impression was very strong
with the authorities that Adams was
more than he purported to be, and sub
sequent events have shown that their
suspicious were correct. A sharp look
out has been kept by all tho detectives,
and patient vigilance was rewarded by
the arrest of Adams.
On Aug. llth, passenger train No,
on the Lake shore and Michigan South.
ern railroad, which was running forty
miles an hour to make up for lost time,
ian of the track just beyond Lake View
station, thirteen miles distant from
Buffalo. The locomotive WAS wrecked,
aud the engineer and fireman were seri
ously scalded and bruised, narrowly
escaping with their lives. After the ac-
cident M examination revealed dia-
bolical attempt to wreck the train, the
perpetrator having disjointed the switch
and lpft tina liuhts nil rIUht
A more infamous outrage was perpe-
trated at North East, Pa, on the same
road, few mornings afterward. The
express reached point near North
East, and the locomotive, tender, bug
gage and postal cars and three coaches
jumped the rails and plunged down an
embankment forty feet high. The
wreck was complete, but only one per-
son hurt. He subsequently died. Had
the sleeping coaches followed in tho
wake of the other cars the inevitable re.
suit must have been terribly disastrouH.
The spikes had been drawn from the
ties and the bolts OF the fish joints had
been taken out and left in the middle of
the road bed, the loosened rail being
slightly removed from the bed.
Following quickly upon this second
catastrophe WAS the unsuccessful at
tempt to wreck tram on the New York
Central and Hudson River railroad at
Fairport, between Buffalo and Roches-
ter. George Adams, of Cayuga, osten-
sibly drover, had business in F'airport
on the nineteenth, aud just at night he
started for the depot, intending to take
tho train for Rochester. He was be-
hind time, and according to the account,
having urgent reasons for reaching the
city, he started out to walk the distance.
After walking four miles to Lincoln
creek he saw light on the bridge ahead
of HIM, and as he drew near was able to
distinguish the forms of five men hard
at work tearing up the rails. 1t was
eleven o'clock, and the st. Louis ex-
press was due from the east Adams
hurried to farmhouse near by, and with |
back to the track and stopped the ex
press train, and was made hero by tell
ing the passengers the thrilling nara
tive above related. The employees of
the road and some Of the passengers i'm
mediately started for the bridge, ac-
companied by Adams, who pointed out
the place where he had seen the men at
work. BY the light of the lantern, on
an embankment seventy-fve feet high,
over twenty feet of water, = rail was
found skillful)y displaced, so that, if not
stopped, the train must have been pre-
cipitated over the bank. In detailing
his adventures, Adams said that he over.
heard one of the gang say: "This will
be a bigger job than the one on the fl
teenth, from which he concluded that
East.
On reading the foregoing account OF
the attempt to wreck the train at Fair
rort, Detective Hugh Battel, of the
Central, made up his mind that it was
not correct. He examined the job at
Fairport aud tina. OF North East. He
found q remarkable sameness between
the two operations. His next move was
to learn who the perpetrator was. From
The fact that the "drover Adams
knew SO much about the last plot, aud,
TO the detectives mind, told such an i'm
probable and flimsy story, Battel's sus-
picions conferred on him. The detective
to Buffalo and learned that one
George E. Adams had worked as brake
man for the railroads, and that this
same Adams answered infinitely the de-
'cription of the "drover" Adams, who
lad stopped the train. He made the
discovery that Adams had been seen in
Rochester, and the arrest was effected as
stated above. The prisoner told his
tory as follows:
l think was born in the State of
ohio, in place called Ogdensburg;
am twenty three years of age; am
aborer by occupation; my parents are
lead. have sister and brother re-
iding in Buffalo; the last time worked
vas for the Lake Shore and Michigan
'outhel II railroad, in the capacity of a
L worked at farming in
Jayuga, this State, before I went rail
oading; worked at farming I think
bout two or three years; before that I
ailed on the lakes. and did various
,ther things; am single man; have
,een arrested twice; the first time. four
n Ave years ago, on suspicion of grand
charged; the next time I was arrested
or non payment of board bill; that
vas also settled and was discharged;
vas rearrested on the first charge of
,rand larceny; was convicted and sent :
o the Erie county penitentiary for +,
ninety days; my picture vas taken for ,
he rogues' gallery three or four years
go.
A short time ago Il think about one
month"; met tramp at Hamburger, in
his county, who asked me what 1 was
Icing l said not any thing that could |
lot find anything to do He said why ,
lon't run train off the track Tear
Up the track and then flag the train /; by ,
aving the train would get a position |
N tho road. L said did not want to
10 it. We sat and talked about ono {
hing and another for about an hour.
Then I came to Buffalo and staid, I {
hink, about five days then went up |