The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1882-01-03
. AFTER MANY DAYS.
slNs wlLL ElNO AIM our.
III. Story Of DllSolls.l Ctla.-Four vlll.lsl
Arrested for WnsElug Passenger Trails
Near Alliance, IA Most Remarkable
Piece Of Detective Work.

Ledder from youngstown, u, says Detec
tive ability Of high order, coupled viii
nerve possessed by but few men, has beel
successful in unearthing one Of the mos
dastardly crimes ever committed in thi
county, two innocent men being hurled
into eternity through the murderous act
Of four as great scoundrels as ever wen
unwhipped Of justice.
The particulars of the dastardly deed and
the clever work Of the detective, as pub
lished in an extra Of the Ne,rs this even
ing, are in substance as follows
: On the night Of September %, 1881, the
fast line on the Pittsburgh, Fort Wayne &
Chicago Railroad left Pittsburgh u little
late. The engine was in charge Of Billy
Tehan, as brave aman rs ever held throt.
tie, and, by reason OF his superior ability
and cooness in the hour OF danger, he had
been placed in charge OF the run, which
was one Of the fastest in the United States,
The fireman, William Robinson, was a
sober, industrious employe, u man who
would go down to death sooner than desert
his train.
The night was most miserable one, the
darkness being almost thick enough to be
felt, and added to this was drizling rain.
The train was rushing along at the rate oi
FULLY iorty miles an hour, when Just east oi
Alliance ut 1880 p NJ, the flash from the
headlightshowed several freight cars stnnd-
ing on the main track, that had evidently
been pushed out from the siding with the
intention Of causing a terrible wreck. There
was no time to avert the terrible disaster,
and the brave engineer with firm hold on
the throttle, and the fireman in the act Of
putting more fuel into the iron monster,
both went down to horrible death. As
the locomotive struck the cars with terrible
force 1t careened over On one side, and the
two men were held in vice and literally
scalded alive by the escaping steam. The
cur couplings and adjustable platforms
saved the passenger coaches containing
nearly three hundred persons from death,
and beyond few bruises the passengers
escaped unhurt.
The railroad authorities set to work to
ferret out the scoundrels who had commit.
ted the double murder. 1t was evident
upon examination that the brakes had
been loosened on the freight cars and the
freight cars allowed to run down upon the
track, and the problem then to solve was,
who was concerned in the murderous
scheme and the motives that prompted it.
The case was laid before Detective Allan
Pinkerton, OF Chicago, the Pennsylvania
Company giving him instructions to leave
nothing undOne to ferret out the perpetra-
tors OF the murder and bring them TO JUS
tice. 1t was soon learned that four men
who had been residing in the vicinity Of
the accident, suddenly disappeared the
night the accident took place, and no one
could give any plausible reason for their
sudden flight. Swift ndspeedy justice was
on their track, and the detectives soon
gained a clue, not only to where they
had gone, but the motive that inspired
them. Gathering up thread at time OF
the next which would inclOse in its mesheS
the murderers, the detectives found their
men working ut small coal bank near
Beaver Falls, Pa, Satisfied that they were
on the right truck, and determined to not
rest until full and explicit evidence was Sc
cured against them, the detectives went to
work with will. The plans laid were
successful in every respect, and to-day De.
tective johnson, he having latterly had
entire charge Of the case, the other officer
being called elsewhere, has the pleasure OF
knowing that he has succeeded in Il way
thatlt Is doubtful II any one else could in
arresting the villains.
Upon learning conclusively that the par
ties were at work in this coal bank, Detec-
tive Johnson, in the guise OF miner at
once secured employment there also. His
native shrewdness ut once enabled him to
learn the. business easily, and as
he gave his fellow workmen ia
understand that he had been loafing
ior. some time, they thought but
little OF his hands becoming sore while
handling the pick, or his back lame by
reason OF being compelled to work in u
stopping posture. 1t was not long befort
an occasional word was dropped by the
quartet in regard TO "that Alliance affair,
as they termed it, but they were evidently
on their guard, us but little concealed con
versation could be obtained by the quie
miner, who worked away as il life was a
stake, with his faculties all on the alert t
hear something that would pay him for hi
ceaseless toll and vigilance.
Finally, by ruse that will hereafter be
q link in the chain Of evidence, he sue
ceeded in inducing one OF the party, JohT
J Lewis, to accompany him to Pittsburgh
, for the purpose Of having n spree. Money
, was freely furnished by tho officer, wht
J seemed determined that his guest shoulC
} lack for nothing that would add to hi
pleasure; and it was not long until Levi
was placed in mellow condition, anC
: then glIve to his friend the full particular
ot how the scheme was conducted and car
r ried out. The next morning, on being in
: formed that he had made the confession
! spoken Of, he grew intensely pale, and at
tempted u feeble denial; but when hi
friend, as he believed him to be, statet
e minutely the circumstances, giving tn
I name OF the others engaged in the affair
, and all the horrible details OF that storm
night in September, he owned up and ad
\ mitted everything. Lewis was urged t
keep his own counsel in the matter, an
= MOTTO inform the Others in the plot OF whu
4 lie had said, the officer at the same tim
G concluding in his own mind that it wa
v doubtful ii he would see them again unit
Q they were all placed under arrest.
As stated in the confession made by JOh
1 Lewis, the only motive they had in tn
l matter was one Of revenge against the raj
i road company for some iancied wrong, an
desire to destroy their property. TIL
: names Of the other three implicated in III
II affair, rs made in the confession given b
'e Lewis, besides himself are his father, job
4 Lewis, Jack Shaugnessey, son.in-law
2 the latter, and Emanuel Evans, all OF thel
z being coal miners by trade. Detectiy
= johnson, by the use OF talents known onl
: to those skilled in the exciting yet DANCE
q Gus life OF detective, was successful /
: luring John Lewis from the others and &c
10 ting him into this State.
8 Mr., Rush B. Taggart, Of Salem, attornC
.s Of the Pennsylvania Company, has been
70 communication with Detective johnson O
4 the time. Yesterday he received a telegra
Il from the officer at Salem stating that he W
ii there with his man Lewis, and Mr.. Tagga
,,s wired an answer to bring him here at one
Il Ashort time ago an affidavit was fled beio
is Justice Knight against the four parti
:, named, charging them with murder. II
same parties are also charged with malicio