The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-11-20
A FAST MAIL TRAIN WRECKED.
TWO RAILS LOOSENED BY BOYS
BENT ON ROBBERY.

The scene Of the wreck Three Miles
West of Rome ON the New York
Central ROad-The Engineer Kill
ed Outright and Tramp Dies
From His Injuries Few Hours
Later-Two Mail Cars Leap over the
Engine Like Race Horses Taking
Hurdle.
Rome. ". Y. Nov. 19.-The deliberate
wrecking OF fast mail train No. g., east
bound on the New York Central rail-
road, was accomplished about three
miles west Of this city at 4:2O o'clock this
morning The wreckers had broken open
the company's tool house and obtained
a wrench and crowbar, with which all
the spikes and fsh-plates from two op-
posite rails on the southerly track had
been removed. The two released rails
were left in their places on the track.
AS the train. comprising four mail cars
and three sleeping cars. came along at
the rate of about forty miles an hour,
the locomotive left the track. bounded
over the ties and fell sidewise into the
ditch twelve feet deep on the south side
OF the track The first two mail cars
shot over the engine, the first one land
ing fully seventy-five feet from the point
where the engine left the track. The
second and third mail cars came togther
In "V" shape and the wreck of the en-
gine in the open space between them.
Under the second mail car pinned down
by a pair of trucks and stone dead, was
found Engineer Hager.
The fourth mail car was toppled part
way over The first two seepers were
partly turned over, and the last one
remained on the track. Strange to say.
the two loose rails had not been thrown
from the roadbed. the last car remains
ing upon them.
There were about fifty passengers in
the three sleepers. and not one OF them
was hurt The passengers were taken
east on another train shortly after the
accident. The killed and wounded in the
smash up are.
Nathan N Hager, engineer Albany.
killed.
Robert Elliott or Bond. from Syracuse.
tramp, died after being removed from
wreck.
E. Reardon. Hermlker, mall clerk. head
and body cut and bruised
j. r. Lavine, New York, mail clerk,
upper arm bruised and sprained and
II. d. Robinson, Syracuse, mall clerk.
ankle sprained.
#. N. Paddock, Syracuse, mail clerk.
c, w sackett, Herkimer, mall clerk.
arm cut and bruised.
NJ j, Mccarthy, Buffalo, porter, mail
car, head cut and bruised.
4. b. Peck. Syracuse, mail clerk, head
cut and bruised.
Conductor Charles r. Reynolds, Albany,
John Mackey, tramp, Syracuse, right
foot smashed and amputated Hers at
c. Wagner, Albany, fireman. head cut.
The body Of Engineer Hager IS in charge
Of Undertaken Orton OF this city.
ha W "
pulled were found on the track after the
wreck.
fish plate was loOsened near the point
where this mornings accident occurred.
Several trains passed over the place In
safety. The matter was discovered by
the track walker the following morning
and a watch was kept there each night
tn last night.
have been arrested FOR wrecking the
| train. They are J. Watson Hildreth OF
| New York, Fred Bristol and Herbert
confession duplicating the other two and
! Theodore Hubbard. Their object
was was robbery yho,..Ii,. The arrest >, was was
| the New York Central and Police
| man keating of Rome. They found Hil-
| dreth's hat with his name in 1t, in some
bushes near the wreck. Upon confront
| ing him he weakened and told who his
/ aeeomplices were. and their object,
Twenty-Five persons unhurt were taken
| out of the windows Of the sleepers.
All the mail and sleepers were lighted
| with Pinch gas, and no fire was set in
| the wreck.
Young IIildreth Is said to be the son oe
| a wealthy lawyer in New York.
| Theodore lIibbard. the last Of the four
| train wreckers, was captured at p. m,
| and is now in custody with the others. A
| yellow covered history of the exploits Of
| the James boys was found in one OF
| Bristols pockets.
In addition to the four boys already
/ named, Joseph Wilkes, 1s years old, has
/ been arrested as a witness. 1t is said he
was taken into the confidence of the otn-
/ ers when they were planning the wreck,
/ but he refused to go with them when they
| went to commit the deed. All the others
| have confessed. One of the boys con-
| fessed that they had a number OF revol-
vers hidden in the woods near the track,
| and he was taken there this evening to
| locate them, but on account of darkness
/ the spot could not be found.
There Is no evidence that others besides
! those arrested We're concerned In the plot.
! Coroner Mock began an inquest on ths
| bodies of EngineeF Hager and the tramp
/ Robert Bond, who were killed but tho
| inquest was not completed this evening.
Lewis Harris Of this city this afternoon
/ found a black cloth mask in the woods
/ near the scene of the wreck.
| TRIAL. OF COL. COIT