Morning journal and courier., 1882-05-25
Train Wrecking Attempt.
The Bold ViIlatny Near Madison-Th
 aH Ira annS.

The Bold ViIlatny Near Madison-Tho
 Arrested Tralnps.
 An unsuccessful attempt was made yester- day morning to wreck the Shore Line fowl" train that leaves this city at 12:45 8. m. for New London. The obstruction was placed 1 on the pile bridge between Madison and East River, and consisted of two large railroad ties which were put between the ties on the bridge and which projected up over the level of the track about three feet. The two ties were inclined toward the west, the direction from which the train was coming The pile
 bridge is about 200 feet long and spans & small sheet of salt meadow between Madison
 and East River. An embankment about thirty feet deep is upo1 either side of the track.
 | By fortunate chance Charles I. Way, sthe
 station agent at East River, discovered them while they were engaged in the work, and 1 through his bravery and promptness pre- vented what otherwise must almost inevit-
 ably have resulted in a shocking catastrophe. l One of the wreckers struck him in the face with stone and another shot him in the
 arm, but in spite of his injuries he managed to get to the East River station in time to sig
 nal the approaching train.
 Mir. Way, who is 19 years of age, was re- 1 turning home from call in Madison, two
 miles from East River, when he discovered ] the criminals. He first heard strange thump- l ing sounds, and the idea flashed upon him that three tramps whom he had seen 1 the day before were up to mischief He crawled along on his hands and knees to the l bridge, and there saw what was being done. Rising up to get better view he was seen by the tramps, and one picked up stone and ! threw it, hitting Way. Another of the men 1 grabbed Way, who reached for his hip pocket as if to draw his pistol. He didn't have his pistol but the tramps thought he l did, and one warned the others to '1ook out, l he is going to shoot" One of the tramps 1 then drew pistol and fired, hitting Way in the arm between the elbow and the wrist. Way then ran, not only for his life, but to { warn the express train due at the station in l about twenty minutes. The tramps did not
 pursue, and Way reached the station, got out
 his lantern and signalled the train-Conduc-
 tor Kenyon's. On learning the news the train proceeded very slowly till the obstruc- tions were reached. The train hands got l them out and the train went on after leaving one or two men to guard the bridge for the rest of the night.
 1 There seems to be no doubt that the work
 was done by tramps and for purposes of l plunder. MT. Way thinks he identify ! the man with whom he had the tussle. l Superintendent Stevenson and Detective l Brewer wsnt over to Madison on the 8:10 8.
 III. train. Three tramps have been arrested
 who were identified as being at Guilford
 Monday. They were taken to Guilford and
 bound over to the Superior Court by Justice Landon. Their names were given as Joseph Leonard, James Cunningham and James l Johnson. It is thought they are the guilty parties. Another tramp was arrested in Mid 1 dletown and brought to this city.
 LATER.
 The shoes were taken from the feet of the three tramps and Superintendent Stevenson, Sheriff Hart of Madison and Detective Brew CT took them to the scene of the attempted train wrecking and found that the shoes ! matched the tramps' tracks there. The sta tlon agent also picked out one of the tramps %t,a al