Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1885-08-28
A DASTARDLY ACT.
Attempt to Wreck a Train of Cars-Ar
rest of Suspicious Character.

rest of a Suspicious Character.
! For some years past the railroad men
have been greatly annoyed by the opera.
tons of scoundrels, whose special aim in
life has seemed to be the wrecking of trains
| Time and again accidents have occurred
| through the displacement of switches, and
good men have had their lives sacrificed
for no other purpose than to satisfy the
| cravings of some diabolical wretch for re-
venge against the railroad company. The
terrible affair of last week, near the sum-
nit of the Sierra Nevada, by which a pas
senger train was derailed, and one faithful
and brave fireman of a locomotive lost his
life, and two of his brother employees were
nearly scalded to death, was but one in a
long list of disasters of that character. Not
only have trains been purposely wrecked
in remote localities, but right here in this
city, within less than a hundred yards OF
the police station, have
SWITCHES BEEN MYsTERIoUsLY OPENED
At night. while the employees of the com
pany we're engaged in making up trains.
The yardmen have found it necessary to
exercise the utmost caution in switching
trains from one track TO another on Front
street, SO often have they found the
switches misplaced. Not long ago one of
the yardmen set his switch so as to run
some cars down past the freight she'd
but instead they were run
off, and came near crushing
some of the train hands. 1t looks, how
ever, rs If the author of some of these
troubles had been caught at last. About 8
O'Clock last night locomotives were en-
ployed on Front street in making up freight
Of hn tcl,
were in constant use. One man set a
switch so as to run some cars upon one of
the main tracks, and had walked some
yards down the track when he thought he
DETECTED A SOUND
AS of the reopening of switch in the d.
rection from which he had just come. He
looked up the track, but it was very dark
and he saw no one moving. He took the
precaution, however, to 90 back to the
switch, and got there just as the train had
arrived within few yards of it, and by the
aid OF his lantern he saw that the switch had
been opened. With that presence of mind
and alacrity which characterizes the level
headed and experienced railroad man, he
instantly threw the switch back to its
place, thus averting q collision, the posi-
bic wrecking Of q number of cars and the
injury or death of several men. Word
was at once sent to local officer Patrick
Rice, night Waterman at the freight depot
and he fastened up the track in the dIrec-
ton of the switch. After waiting there a
few minutes he saw
\ MISUNDERSTANDING INDIVIDUAL
Move out from the shadow of some freight
cars, and arrested him. The prisoner
thrust his hand into his pocket and drew
forth a large jack-knife. but before he had
q 10 i L. l..
cred with Colts revolver of the old but
effective pattern in use thirty wears ago
and which looks as if it might discount
some OF the latter-day rifles. The knife
was returned to the pocket and Rice
marched his man to the station house.
Here he was searched by the officer in
charge, who found on him
BUNCH OF RAILROAD KEYS.
Some marked c. p, others o. & c., and
others without marks. They were all
switch keys, except two, of which latter
one was caboose key and the other KEY
to passenger coaches. His pockets also
panned out steel contrivance said to be
used by crooks to open sealed freight cars.
The prisoner first gave the name of Sis
by, )" but when Rice demanded his right
name he said it was George Williams. He
was very sullen and uncommunicative.
anu WAS III once LOGGED IN cell.
THE PRISONER
Is keen, rather bright-appearing fellow, of
dark complexion, and about five feet nine
or ten inches in hight. He is said by Rice
and several of the train hands to have been
a former employee of the railroad company.
but was discharged some four years ago.
How he became possessed of so many train
keys IS something that remains to be ex-
planned. railroad man who examined
them selected one key which he said would
open any switch in the country.
This arrest may prove to be one of the
most important ones made by the railroad
police in years. 1t is certain that some
miscreant, who places no value on human
life, has been possessed of the means for
unlocking and opening railroad switches
and many fatal accidents have resulted
from such having been done and great
loss entailed upon the railroad company
through the destruction of cars and freight
If this man Williams, or Silsbv, or who
ever he may be, cannot account in some
reasonable manner for his presence among
the railroad tracks last night, when a
switch was purposely misplaced, and for
the posse ssion of so many keys to cars and
switches, ne will be apt to find himself in
bad boat No mercy should be shown to
any man who may be clearly convicted of
being trainwrecker. The promptness
with which the arrest of Williams was
effected last night, SO soon after the act of
dlsplacing the switch, reflects credit on