New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-09-06
AN ATROCTOUS CRIME


Va human act ran be more utterly depraved
and damnable than the deliberate wrcckng
If = railroad passenger train. The mind that
is capable of plotting and the Will which can
execute such deed belong to hcndS aiohe'
There are crimes which compassion cNtch-
yates and justice is almost inclined 10 par
don: but railroad wrcclting offers not ono
solitary plea for palliatiOn. 1t belongs III inc
same category with arson 1t Is lhiiii'ciS
worse than ordinary murder. Ii is perfectly
Deliberate. 1t contcmplates wholesale slalgh-
fer without shrinking. 1t rcckons upon the
agony of women and children, and intends
grief and despair to unnumbered Households
II is mcrccss, malignant, m0nStrous, CON
dcmncd and accused by every sentiment and
instinct which distinguish men from beasts
of prey.
Tbi. IS the crime which was committed on
Thursday night near Albany against scores
of travellers on a hudson River train by UNI
known observation-disclosures at present. but not
for long it is To be hoped The second ser-
ton of the Montreal and Northern express
which leaves this city at 7 80 O'Clock III tn"
evening. was behind time. and in consequence
running unusually fast-at nearly forty miles
an hour, the officials say. On high embank-
mcnt. "A few miles south Of Grcenbush STA
ton. the wrcckcrs had skiliuly and securely
fastened "A stout obstruction. The locomotive
struck il. and in IN instant the train WAS de-
rallied and shaft red. by one OF those miracles
which. if they cannot be- explained by referring
thom ~ the direct intervention Of Heaven
cannot he explained at all. nobody was either
killed or dangerously injured. This mar
vcllouS escape must at this moment he causing
bitter disappointment t" one or more inhlNid-
uals who had confidently expected to XIII ana
main and torture. They have good reason
for surprise and charrin. They had done
their work thoroughly, and supposed that II
could be trusted. Even i'll the light "i Tbs
experience they would not know how +" make
\ second attempt more certain of success. They
are Doubtless cursing the luck which kept them
from becoming mur'rcrS
To cnargc an individual with such an
a,roci,y as thi, is to assume heavy RESPONSE
hiiy. but it is not an insult nor an injustice
10 saw tina, upon IN" Knights Of Labor rests
the burden of proving that their organization
i, not. Ar least in some degree directly or in
directly guilty. Events have shown that us
membership includes, in good and regular
>tIlluing, men WHO dTf filihi' VI SH u '''t''
In addition I" that. IL selfish, coHaidl! ana
ncrccnary leaders invariably seek 70 retain
their supremacy and their cmonnicni'' ty pro-
louciIi:. every failing strike and by fraudulent
assurances Of victory when defeat ha' a'rcady
hrcprn" complete and disastrous. In" strike
Is ,ilI ON. and will never be declared uii,
SAYS Povd.rly at this moment, with the last
in,i.Imcnt OF his livc-tiouSand-do'la SALARY
in the bank. Ia the poor dupc> who are WIN
out wages and expect soon to be without iooh.
Thus the honest and vrtuous among his fol-
lowers arc reduced " despair, and the wich"d
and reckless nrrvcd u acts of drprlvity We
should lik" t. know whether the malignant
y!any Of ,hiS latest case of tram wrecking
rests lightly upon the conscience OF the GraIid
MASTER " urkmdn at the 81. Cloud Hotel.
Unc step can be taken by the knights OF
Labor through their executive which would
hc recognized by the community as tit and
becoming. if not absolutely incumbent. They
can duplicate the reward Of $1,000 which the
railroad hl, offered for the arrest and CON
ync,inn Of the wirckeIs. POwd"riy has as
s,lr,d them that their treasury is in "A sound
and satisfactory condition. There Is no con-
ociyab.c purpose Tor which its funds can be 50
well expended al this jUncurr. nor one to
which the best member, Of the order would so
gladly sec them dcyOird. There arc many
chca,,cr hotels in tho city than tho II. Cloud.
I'crhap, l'owdcrly might save cn"n Gh Oh his
board bills to make handsome contribution
without any alarming waste of tissue or of
dignity.
The State, too, can well afford to offer
large reward in fact, in our opinion, 1t cannot
afford not to. This is u matter which closely
concerns every citizen as an individual, and
as "A part Of the Commonwealth. No other
duty so immediate and ST. imperative now
rests upon the civil authorities is the capture
of these fcnds. There is danger that more
thought will be given to the miraculous escape
than to the dreadful peril. The police ought
to proceed as if sixty lives had been lost in
stead OF saved This is not . solitary case of
rain wrecking since the Central strike began.
Olhcr crimes. similar in character but Of
smaller scope, have been committed. Some of
them have attracted little attention and one
of them within our knowledge, escaped public
|'noticc altogether 1t is not 4 time for feeble
and dilltory action. but for instant and I'M
firing energy. the highest detective skill, and
the cooperation of all good citizens.