The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1889-05-16
DANVILLE LETTER.
Railroad Accident-Unkn0wn Man Found
Dead-Suicide-Sam Jones, &c.
DANvILLE, VA, Nav IS. 1889.

DANvILLE, VA, May Is, 1889
EDITOR GOLD LEAF Last Thursday
evening as the employees of the Atlantic
Danville Railroad were finishing uB
their days work an accident occurred, re-
sultinS in the death Of one man and the
serious wounding OF several others. The
accident took place just within the city
limits, near the old fair grounds
Ihe construction train Of the \. & d.
| road, consisting OF engine and two fla cars.
one OF which was loaded with railroad
iron, was returning to this end OF the line
Oh the car with the iron were mauy n"-
groes employed by the COMPANY. The
train was moving at low rate Of speed,
ana while turning curve and ascending a
grade, from some cause or other. doubt
less because OF too much weight Oh one
side, the loaded car left the track with 4
tremendous crash, turning nearly over
The entire load Of rails was thrown off.
catching many of the men in the wreck
The diSagreeable task of eXtricating the
wounded was then begun. After the iron
had been removed it was found that one
negro named ThOs. Thomas was instantly
killed, the body being terribly mangled.
The neck was broken, the body being in a
sitting posture. just as it left the car Two
others had their legs broken between the
knee and foot One Of them is thought to
be fatally injured. Several sustained
slight injuries. The wonder is more were
not killed outright, considering their per-
ilOuS conditions
physicians were soon OH hand and the
railroad company had the wounded men
conveyed to their homes on stretchers and
properly cared for
The writer OF this was an eyewitness to
this distressing accident and it was a
shocking and heart-rending scene that fol-
lowed; large crowd was soon on the
ground and the negro women and children
were highly excited, shrieking and mourn
ing as they gazed upon the sickening spec
tacle.
BY the way, work on this end of the A.
Il u. road is being rapidly pushed. Al
ready the grading has been completed to
Milton iud e ana work is going on along the ell
vile. Three or four miles of rails have
been laid OIL this end Of the line and by
next December it is expected trains will
be running through from Danville to Nor
folk. BY this route it will be 200 miles be-
tween the two cities.
A few weeks ago some boys found the
Dody OF an unknown white man Just below
DanvIl!e lodged on fish trap. They at
tempted to float the BODY to shore Int if
went to the bottom of the river and was
lost. Last week it was again seen four
miles below here, near the North Carolina
Inc. Iils time 1t was taken out and a
ccrOnersS inquest held. The verdict of
the jury was that the man came to his
death by foul means at the hands of some
unknown party. Nothing was found on
the body to identify it. and the presump-
tlon Is that the man is an entire stranger in
5nese parts and was murdered perhaps for
his money. All sorts of theories have been
advanced but at this writing the affair is
all shrouded in mystery
MIS-. George Fetch a widow lady about
40 years OF age living in Caswell county
n e., not far from this city, committed
suicide last week by shooting herself
through the temple. Her husband died a
lew lew i,lonths ago and since that time she
had been unfortunate in the loss of much
OF her property by fire. Melancholy from
these causes IS the reason assigned for the
act she leaves two children aged about
10 and II yearS-bOth bows
keV: Sam Jones, the great evangelist, ar
IiEea Ill Danville Sunday morning, and Il
large crowd was at the depot to See him
lie Is the guest of Mr.. James +. Schooi
held, Oh Main street. He preached hi,
first sermon in Main Street Methodist
church at II O'Clock Sunday morning. If
was not expected he would preach until
the afternoon, at the warehouse, or the
church would not have accommodated a
fourth of the people that would have gone
TO near him. Farmers warehouse, Cor the
labernacle, as it is called is where
the meetings are being held and every
thing has been nicely arranged for the
coiiiloIt OF all WHO attend. Good benches
are provided and the seating capacity of
the house is $500 A platform for 100
singers, selected from the various churches
OF Danville and North Danville, has been
erected. and this part Of the service is led
by Mr.. Excel, who accompanies the noted
evangelist at all of his appointments. Both
piano and organ are used, and the music
furnished is very good. The building is
we'll ventilated and the sky-lights and
windows so shaded as to keep out the sun.
1t is thoroughly lighted for the night SER
vice-ahout eeyenty-ive gas jets being in
use.
Excursion trains came i'm yesterday and
many strangers attended the services.
FULLY 5000 people attended in the after
noon and many more than that at night.
The railroads have all reduced rates. The
| meeting will continue ten days-three SER
mons day.
L have read many of the peculiar say
ingS and oddities of sam Jones and since
hearing him three times they are all fully
verified. j " r
1EAnniysoSS