The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1892-02-13
TRAIN WRECKER CAUGHT
An Insane Man Makes Two ATTEMPTS
to Wreck a Passenger.
SILVER CITY TELEGRAPH co.
Many Other News Items Worth Reading
and Remembering. Fresh, Spicy
and Accurate.

Last Wednesday morning, as w. P.
Carter, foreman of the east division of
the Caldwell section, had reached a
point on the railroad about four miles
east of town, his attention was attracted
by broken tie, several pieces of a
hand-car, and other indications of a
general smash-up. AS no distractions
on the track had been reported at the
Caldwell office by the crew of the west
bound morning passenger, he at once
stopped the car and commenced invest
igating.
Some time ago the hand-car belonging
to the east section was run into by a
belated train and damaged to an extent
to render it useless and tho remains
were left in the ditch in the vicinity
of where Mr.. Carter now found the
broken tie, etc. Further investigation
showed the fact that the demolished
hand-car had been removed and it was
at once apparent that deliberate
attempt to wreck the west bound pas
senger train had been made.
| The foreman gathered up the ropes
and straps when had been used in fas-
tening the tie to the track and at once
telegraphed full report to headquar-
tiers.
The next train brought Special Agent
Chase, of ShOShone, and his assistant.
Deputy Sheriff Edwards, of Payette to
the scene.
BY means of the fragments of rope,
straps and cloth on the tie, suspicion
of the preparation of the crime was at
once fastened on an unknown individ-
ual of a decidedly crazy nature who
had been in Caldwell for several days
the fore part of the week and who had
been put off the cars for attempting a
free ride to Nampa. At the instance
Of Waterman Martin, this individual
had passed night in tho cooler, and
the ropes and straps around his blank
cts correspondent to those found at the
scene of the attempted wreck.
MIR. Sam Ball, whose residence was
within few hundred yards of the spot
told a story to the effect that the afore-
mentioned individual had come to his
house on the night of the 9th and
requested shelter, which was granted
him, and in the morning he said some
thing about the wrecked hand car, but
thinking the fellow "otf," paid no atten-
ton to his talk.
Mr.. Carter. and those who assisted
in the investigation. are firmly of the
opinion that two attempts at wreck
were made, rs there are indications
that the distractions were struck by
trains going each way and account for
it on ground that the fellow failing in
his first attempt, deliberately went to
work and repeated the effort; but how
he managed to elevate the pieces of the
hand Car after once being hurled down
the embankment is u mystery.
That it was the crazy work of a crazy
man Is evident. No one but crazy
man would have tried to wreck train
by tying tie to the track with pieces
OF small rope and straps, and strength
ening the same with pieces of hand
car, when he could have placed the
distractions in Il bridge not more than
fifty feet distant us in this case. Still,
this feature of the case does not rob il
of its seriousness. Less obstruction
| than that employed in the case has
more than once been the means of
destroying life and property, and it is
to be hoped that the perpetrator will
be caught and placed where he car
exercise his whims at less risk to hu
man life.
LATERAL Nampa the officers
, learned that a man saying that n reward
of $50 for his capture for wrecking A.;
train had been seen in Boise valley. They
ut once procured rig and drove Owe
, and learned from a rancher that he ha(
stopped with him over night and tina
he had started through the sage brusl
for Mountain Home. After an excitin.
chase lasting from noon until 10 O'CLOCK
at night, during which the fugitiv,
l had doubled on his trail and got bacl
into the valley again. he was captured
: at Ellingsworth's ranch. The prisOne
gives his name rs Thomas Smith ant