Morning journal and courier., 1882-03-10
ADesperate struggle with Train Wreck

ers.
bonneville (Ga) Correspondence Savanna h News-[
On Saturday night, February Is. Mr.. Ben
jamin Johnson, section master on the Savan-
nah, Florida and Western railway, left his
shanties, situated four miles from here to go
to DUPONT, some five miles distant. Mr..
Johnson's family was away, and having no
one to leave at home, he took all his hard
earnings -amounting to 1891, which by his
frugality he had managed to save out of his
wages-along with him. He started to walk
from his shanties to DUPONT to meet his
family, who were to return on the train that
night, and the night being warm he had just
thrown his coat over his shoulders, button
ing it by the top button. It was half-past
eight when he left the shanties, and the night
was very dark.
When he had travelled Just mile and had
reached Jones' creek, it being then about
nine o'clock, he came upon q negro on the
track, and found that an iron rail had been
placed across the track, and that another had
been unfastened and showed out of place
sufficiently to have thrown q train off. john
son Immediately seized the negro, and after
struggling with him awhile and giving aim a
few well-directed blows and kicks subdued
him, made him remove the rail from the
track, collared him with his left hand, and
holding him in front, started back to the
shanties with him, having his knife drawn
and held in his right hand. When he had
gone but short distance, and having his at
tention all directed to the darkey in his
clutches, two other parties approached him
from the rear, and before he was aware of
their presence one of them, whom he took to
be white man, seized him in the coat col
lar, jerked and struck hmm, and struggle en-
sued The other one of the parties coming
upon him from the rear he took to be a
negro. johnson was forced to turn loose the
negro in his front and turn upon those in his
rear. In the struggle he managed to throw
the white man to the ground, and he him
self was knocked and fell down across the
railroad iron, severely injuring his right
shoulder and ribs. He struggled to his feet,
with his knife gone, his right arm helpless
and the white man calling to the two negroes
to knock his brains out.
Taking in the situation and his own power
less condition to further continue the strug-
gle, johnson sprang from among the three
desperate would-be train wreckers and
murderers, and after getting a few PAGES
from them, drew a small pistol he had with
him, turned on them, firing several shots,
and drove them back from pursuing him.
He hurried as best he could, in his bruised
and painful condition, back to the shan
ties, and getting his gun and an old negro
man named Brown, the only male person
| there, returned Immediately to the point
WuSI0 NC udu IOuuu duu io1b lh6 tEdlu
ers. In the struggle they had jerked his
coat off, in which he was carrying his mon
ey, being simply buttoned around his should
ers, as described, which he had been forced
to leave behind. The wreckers were gone
when johnson got back, but he found where
| they had kindled a small fire, ard had rifed
| his pockets, taking his money, 1891, ana
| leaving his coat behind. Johnson was suf-
fering severely from his injuries, but with
| the help of old Brown he got the misplaced
rail back in position and securely fastened
| in time for the west bound passenger train
| to pass over safely, thus saving what would
| have been terrible wreck in Jones' creek,
| and doubtless great loss of life.
johnson is getting on very WELL but no
| trace of the wreckers has yet been discover
| ed, though every effort is being made to Sc
| cure their arrest. What their motive or
purpose was is only matter of conjecture.
There is no truer drawer man living
| than Ben Johnson, and his conduct on this
| occasion is certainly deserving of the highest
| praise, and all deeply sympathize with him in
his painful injuries and sad loss