Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1893-11-23
YOUNG TUCKER.
A Youth on Trial Tor Causing an
Awful Tragedy.
TIE BARCLAY, KAN, DISASTER.
One of the Villains Relates with Great
Goodness the Details Of the Plot and
what They Expected to Get
by IL.

LYNDON, Kan, Nov. 17.-Fred Tuck.
er, the youngest member Of the gang
that is charged with wrccking an east
bound Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe
passenger train 2 miles cast of Barclay,
Usage county. about 3 o'clock on the
morning Of September 81, 1892, WHICH
resulted In the death Of Engineer Ed
ward Maher and three others and the
injury Of thirty people, is on trial in
the district court of Usage county for
murder.
The gang charged with that horrible
job was composed Of Fred Tucker and
his father, Larando Tucker, Steve and
Charley Webb and All Reynolds Fred
Tucker who is now on trial is ls years
old Old man Tucker was acquitted on
preliminary examination. The Webb
boys are in the county jail awaiting
trial and Reynolds has turned state S
evidence. lie is here and on the wit
ness stand told without a finch or
quiver of muscle the story of the cruel
deed in II manner so heartless that the
audience shuddered.
Reynolds was the principal witness
introduced by the prosecution. lie
testified ON direct examination that
Steve Webb was the leader of the gang.
Webb met him at Barclay, he said, on
the afternoon OF September Is, and
asked him to 90 into the scheme to
wrecl, and rob the train. lie refused.
Webb then told him that II he said any
thing about it he would kill him.
The next day Webb again approached
him and said there was sure 10 be big
haul. This time he consented, and n
meeting was arranged to take place at
Usage city the following night After
Webb went away Reynolds lost his
nerve and started TO Oregon, where he
had previously lived lie got as far as
Topeka and bought his ticket lie
again changed his mind and went to
Usage City to meet Webb After n
short consultation Reynolds said he
guessed he would not go into the
scheme.
Webb pulled revolver and said II
he backed out he would kill him. Rey-
nolds then said he would 90 and they
started up the track toward Barclay.
Webb said everything had been ar
ranged. Before arriving at Barclay
they were joined by Charley Webb.
The trio went to the Santa Fe tool
house, broke it open and stole claw
bar and track wrench. They then
started east toward the scene of the
wreck Near the Barclay creamery
they were Joined by Tucker and son.
This was nearly midnight.
Going TO the foot Of curve two miles
east of Barclay, they removed the spikes
and tishplates from the left hand rail,
moved the west end of the rail four
inches toward the center of the track
and spiked IL down.
They then threw the claw-bar and
bolts into a pool and the wrench into a
pasture They then repaired to plum
patch and waited for the train to come,
II came. The wreck was so terrible that
the gang fled in dismay On cross-ex-
animation Reynolds was very weak
lie admitted that he was unarmed
and that he knew nothing of the de-
tails of the scheme, except that they
were to make n rush for the wreck and
take what they could get. He said he
supposed people would be killed and
wounded, but it was his intention to
rob and plunder anybody and anything
he found. lie didn't care whether it
was the living or the dead, whether
his victims were in the bloom of health
or the throes of death. He gave as his
reasons for turning states evidence
that the railroad company had promised
to shield him from prosecution, pay his
expenses and allow him for his time
until the cases were all disposed OF.