Arizona weekly citizen., 1883-02-04
THE TEHACHEPI WRECK.
What ES-Congressman ID. F. Wisgintor

[ 1 Says.
 The following extracts are taken iron ! the report of Ex-Congressman r. U ! Miggington, attorney for the Southern Pacific Railroad, who has just returned
 from Tehschepi, ss to the cause of thu ! late terrible train disaster:
 "J. ". Wheeler, saloon keeper a | Tehachepi, turned three tramps out O
 bis saloon at half past nine o'clock th' night before the accident. One of then
 was found in a dying condition near th' wrecked train the next morning 1 Wheeler was up when the train stopped
 was at the door of his saloon and heard
 the brake let of the train, and saw the
 train start A dIsreputable character
 named Ransom, alias Mallet, alias
 Smith. who has just been released from
 prison, was at Iehachepl the morning
 of the accident. and sought tO procure
 from Governor Downey an order for
 Mrs. DUwney's jewslry. He had a
 grievance against the railroad company,
 as be had been ,s.o.sec1ted for stealing
 from the s2me einployCs who had
 charge of th. train the night of the ac-
 cIdent
 "de said to Porter Ashe: I know all
 about how the tram started. l could tell
 all about 1t if 1t were to my interest. I
 know all about how 1t was done Ran som was probably tue second of the three men whom Wheeler turned out of his saloon at 9:30 that night. When Reed and his men got down from Te- hachepi with their engine to the wreck, Wells, Fargo 6 Co.'S car was not on fire, and they immediately made search for the express messenger. They found a man III thIs car grooming, and carried him out. Got him little way from the wreck, laid him down, threw light on him from she lantern, and one of the men said, By --, 1t IS not Plsrson! They then went back to the car, and, after removing number Of packages, they found the body of PiersOn in there. That other body was probably the third tramp turned out by Wheeler. What was that tramp doing in the express carp
 Now am informed by those who saw the dead body of Pivrson that there was very severe blow and very deep gash on the eide of his head across the temple. If this train was boarded by these tramps and robbers with a view of robbing the express cG.. am clearly Of the opinion that this tramp killed Pier son before the wreck, Hud that the blow on the side of the head YVES not from the the fail or injury he may have received when the tram wHs wrecked, but 1t was blow gwen to him by this man before that occurred, and with 8 view of putting him out of the way.
 "ln the published accounts which Bp- pearsd Sunday morning in one of the papers, there Is an interview purporting To be with the tramps who were on the Ears that dId not run of the track, and | he report stated that there were seven l other tramps on the tram. l did not l hear anything of that down there. lam | satisfied that these men never realized | hat they could Tot hold that tram on | he mountain. think they were not | experts and dId not know. \ portion l vas stationed down the mountain two | ,r three miles. The other portion was It Iehachepi. They were undoubtedly | amilIar with the practice there; knew where the train stopped, how, and II the | brakes were let of, It was possible for hose at Iehachepl to let the train loose.
 "If my theory IS correct, one got in the IpFess car at Tehachepi tO dispose of he messenger, aud killed hIm before the | ccident happened, when they let the rain down to their coniederates. l do lot think they ever intended to ditch he tram, because two lost their lives. They did not anticipate that they could Iot hold the train in their own way. When t did go, it went al such tre- lendOus speed that they became, like be remainder, parAlyzed, and went with thers to destruction.
 If t were scheme conceived by ali e dozen men of the character of lose who made the attack gt MOntello be other night, a better plan could not ave been conceived oi than to have a Ortion down the mountain three or Dur miles, then to let the train loose there there is no settlement, and none carer than Tehschepi. SO that they night rob 1t. No train men were on card, and some little time would elapse efore they could get an engine there, aving. as they would have, fnll knowl- age that an engine could not go down lere alone, but wonld be compelled tO Duple on fiat cars enough to lot 1t down le mountain, which would give more me than they would require for rob ing the train if they had the messen- CT killed"