The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1889-09-26
ALMOST A LYNcHlSG,


aAter Narrowly Escapes MOb-Eyidenc'
That He was Drunk.
CHICAGO, Sept 25,-seth TWomble
the engineer OF the freight engine which
last evening crashed into the suburban
train at Eighty.seVenth and Vincennei
avenue, had narrow escape from belnl
lynched. In five minutes after the frs
report OF the collision had spread, the
wreck was surrounded by a great crowd
from thasneighboring station, Nearly
all the killed and wounded We're real
dents OF the vicinity, and the indigna,
ton aroused at the sight Of the scalded
Corpses soon reached the heat OF mot
fury. A cry went up from the crowd
I"Where's the engineerT
"TheTe he goes, replied the frighten'
cd, white-laCed brakeman, who was
trembling in the clutch Of half a dozen
strong hands,
The figure Of a running man could be
seen up the track In the dusk, and yell
Ing "fhere he goes, lynch him,p-a
hundred men made chase after the tugi,
tive, He had a start Of five hundred
feet and when he turned around and
saw the rush, he doubled his exertions,
The pursuers were fleet also and they
might have oyertaken him but q few
blocks up he plunged from the track
into q side street and disappeared in the
gathering darkness, The mob returned
TO the wreck and helped to carry of the
dead.
The first body taken from the wreck
was that Of Miss Kelley, The steam had
so boiled her hands and face as to turn
her skin toa horrible purple and her
features were swollen out OF all re-
semblance to their former shape, The
others were not so badly dlsdgured and
only one person was cut, Most oil them
had died from inhaling the tremendous
cloud OF hot steam that filed every cor.
ner OF the car before the echoes OF the
first terrible crash had died out.
Twombley was arrested this morning,
The police say he has the appearance Of
Just recovering from the Influence OF
liquor. Twombley was slightly injured,
as he jumped from his engine just as 1t
piled into the passenger car, He ran to
the assistance Of the people in the coach
when he saw what ruin he had caused,
and after the excitement he appeared
much prostrated. Twombley has the
reputation Of being a reckless and fast
runner, and, moreover, 1t is alleged by
railroad officials that he Is a steady
driuker, Immediately after the acCi.
dent a great many people insisted that
Twombley was drunk, but reporters
found people who Hssuredthem that the
engineer was perfectly sober. Twomb'
10y gave the following account Of the
disasterI
ave left Auburn Junction and were
proceeding on orders. Ibid not notice
the train standing at South Euglewood
until 1t was too late for me to avert the
trouble. ! did not SEQ tho red light
flashing from the semaphor arm. re.
yersed my engine, put on the vacuum
brakes, but 1t was too late, and after bid.
ding my fireman jump for bis life, |
jumped myself" Persons who saw him
before the accident say he had been
drinking all the afternoon aud that when
his train was made up he was so stupid
from liquor he had to be picked up aud
lifted into the cab. He Is a son Of the
master mechanic OF the road.
I.acloche, the hremen On tho freight
train, Is detained as q witness. Both lie
and Engineer Twombley were somewhat
injured. Both have made statements in
regard To the matter, and agree In assert.