The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1890-11-27
COMMITTED WITHOUT BONDS.

WITHOUT BONDS.
. Last week we annonnf cd thatoB the
Wednesday before some miscre ant had
removed u rail from the tract at the =.
e. II. & N, railway, about two and a
half miles this side of Round Lake
A man named William Sha.
fer, living n.ar the place where the
break in the tack was made gave in
formation OF the fact, to Mr. E. A.
Trip, the agent at Round Lake.
Fortunately the train coming from the
east was bslated and had not yet ar
rivei there when the information was
given. Shafer was asked to accvmpa-
ny the party of men which volunteer.
ed to accompany The train to the place
uf the break. Strangely enough lie re-
fused to wait, but went back himself
on foot to the place saying that 10
wanted to get satchel he had seen on
the track, where he had seen six men
with guns lying In the grass waiting
for the coming train, that was to be
wrecked. He said he had overheard
the mon talking Of what they intended
to do, and that they said they would
change their clothes after the destruc-
ton Of the train, to AVOID detection.
When the train arrived at Round Lake
a party of armed men from the neigh
borhOOd got on board-some on the
| cars and others on u hand car which
preceded the train to ascertain the
piece of the break before the locomo'
tive shonld reach it. The break WAS
found as Slafer had reported it. and
WAS repaired, by the train hands. The
train theu came on carefully to WUr-
Ellington, and soon after returned to
Round Lake to take home the citizens
who had come to see it safely through.
But for the information given by
Schafer the train would have ben
broken to pieces, and not life would
have been spared except by a provideu
tial miracle. Investigations, of course
were at oace entered upon by the rail-
way and county officials. County At
torney DALEY happened to be on thu
imperilled train, and therefore felt thai
h, had had a pretty narrow escape
and gave prompt and earnest attention
to the case. No trace was discovered
Of the six men whom Sl,afer claimed
to have discovered in the tall grass
near the break, though some witnesses
testified to finding 4 place which
had been beaten down rs if by men ly
ing upon it. Suspicion fell upon Sha
fer himself as statements made by hiu
seemed to be improbable, contratlicto
~, and without confederation by as
certaired facts and circumstances
Shafer was brought before Esq ". NJ
Bear and \ patient preliminary hear
ing was had for three days. The tes
tlmony was quite voluminous. Coun
ty Attorney Daley appeared for tn
State and did his duty well. The &C
cused man was very ably defended b
J. A. Town, Esq. The magistrat
5 d the offence charged was & mos
serious one. That the crime had bee
committed by some one was fully pro,
en-. The evidenca, while not suflicien
to convict the prisoner in final cou;
was sufficient to warrant the judgmell
that he is probably guilty, and there
: fore he would be comm tied to j.
without the privilege Of giving bonds
to await the action of the Grand Jury
This is a singular case, and in som
Of it's aspects is painfully mysterious
The timely informat ton given by Sh;
fer saved the train aud all tie lives o
board, and, if innocent he deserve
gratitude and reward instead Of sus
pition and accus alton. If guilty, Ii
action in doing the deed and then IL
forming the station agent of what liza
:: been done, is difficult to account 70
In orr judgment the committin
/ magistrate was justified by the fac
! and circumstances in his action unit
s the developments in the case are con
plete. The prosecution desires to d
no harm to IN innocent man, but I
the same time shonld follow up evel
clue until the guilty party or parti'
y are found and condignly punished.