River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1890-09-11
TRAIN WRECKERS.
They stiI Pursue Their viIlsinous Course
the New York Central-Narrow Es-
cape of a yestibuie, Train-Important
Arrasfa

-
the New York Central-Narrow Es-
cape of a yestibule Train-Importans
Arrests.
PouGHKEEPsIE, N. ", Sept. 9-The
rain-wreckers made another desperate
attempt Monday night Only by mere
chance was the St Louis & Chicago fast
express train prevented from being
hurled off the track and down the bank.
The train left New York at q D. M 1t
is the Limited" and made up
of three sleeping 1t reached
here half an hour behind time.
Promptly on its arrival Con-
ductor Banker reported to the railroad
authorities that the lateness was due to
an attempt made to wreck the train at
point on the road known as Old Troy,
which is about 500 yards south of the
New Hamburg draw-bridge. He said
that TIE engineer stopped the train
there in response to a danger
/ signal which was being set just as
1 he came in sight of the tower. The
| conductor went forward and found the
fiagrlan in an excited condition. He was
! gesticulating and talking wildly
| About eight minutes before, the flag
man said, he noticed some object on the
4 track at the culvert near Old Troy. lie
/ hurried to the spot and found several
| ties standing on end in the culvert and
| wedged in so that they formed a solid
! barrier. Their ends reached up above
| the rails just far enough so that when
train struck the barrier il would
of certainly be derailed and tipped
/ 10 ~ hnp
and was straining with all his might
and main when three shots were fired
at him from the bushes on the east side
| The bullets whizzed harmlessly by and
| the flagman ran. He ran fast too, not
1 only to save his own life, hut because
! he remember that the Chicago limited
, was due in two or three minutes and
4 the lives of hundreds were at stake
Almost exhausted he reached the post
and set the danger signal AS its red
eye rose in the air the faint hum of the
/ Jared rails reached his ears, and ne
saw the light from the locomotive creep
along the track and burst into full
glare. Then it stopped and the train
was saved. The trainmen went for
ward to the culvert and found the OBJ
scribed it. 1t required considerable
work to remove it; nearly half an hour,
in fact OF course nothing was seen OF
| the miscreants who fired the shots and
planned the disaster.
The news of the narrow escape had
m eanwhile reached the passengers, and
there was wild excitement aboard the
train. Women wept to think what
! might have happened, and there was an
| hysterical air predominant for an hour.
The train was composed of eight sleep
ers, with every berth taken, about
thirty persons to car; two ordinary
passenger coaches, which were well
filled, and baggage car. The
news of the attempt was Immediately
given to the police Chief of Police
Byrnes, of this city, when informed OF
the matter, issued orders to his force to
watch suspicious characters closely.
Conductor Banker says that there were
eight ties in the culvert on the up main
track and that two ties we're placed be-
side the rail toward the south SO as to
ditch the train.
TWO KNIGHTS ARRESTED.
ALBANY, n. Y. Sept. 9.-The mys-
terry attending the apprehension of John
Reed who was detained in Superin-
tendent Bissell's office on superstition
that he was one of the train wreckers a
week ago, was explained Monday by
the arrest of John Herman, West Al
bany freight brakeman, and John Cor
dial, freight conductor. Both men
are married and striking Knights be-
longing to local assembly No.
1,04O. From stray words heard by re-
porter it is evident that the arrests
were made on account of information
given by Reed. Suspicion was attached
to Reed from the fact that he had been
very prominent in East Albany in his
hostility to the Pinkerton men there.
He stoned them night and day, and
once when caught by three of the
Pinkertons was severely dubbed and
he made dire threats against the road.