The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-11-20
TRAIN Wrecked At ROME
Two Persons Killed and Many are
Injured.
THE NRfCKERS ARE CAPTURED
Three Young Men Responsible for the
Disastcr-Thcir Motive was Robbery.
One OF the Parties Reads Litcra.
tArc Concerning the James Boys.

Rome, N. Y, Nov 19-Fast Mail No.
was wrecked about three miles west
of this city about 4.30 o'clock this morn
ing. The wreckers had broken open the
company's tool house nearby, and OBJ
tanned a wrench and crowbar with
which all the spikes and fish plates
from two opposite rails on the southerly
track had been removed. The two re-
leased rails We're 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 landing fully fifty feet from
the point where the engine left the
track. The second and third mail cars
came together in "V" shape, and the
wreck OF the engine lay In the open
space between them.
Under the second mail car pinned
down by pair Of trucks and dead was
found Engineer Hager. The fourth
mail car was toppled part way over.
The first two sleepers We're partly
turned over and the last one remained
on the tracks. Strange to say the loose
rails had not been thrown from the
them. There were about fifty passen-
gers in the three sleepers and not one
of them was hurt. The passengers
were taken east on another train short
ly after the accident.
List OF Killed and Injured.
The killed and wounded are: Nathan
N. Hager, engineer. Albany, killed;
Robert Elliott. or Bond, a bartender,
of Syracuse, who was working his way
to New York, died from his injuries;
Il. Reardon, Herkimer, mail clerk, head
and body cut and bruised; j. f. Lavine,
New York, mail clerk, upper arm
bruised and sprained and face cut; H.
d. Robinson. Syracuse, mail clerk,
ankle sprained; F. N. Paddock, Syra-
cuse, mail clerk, arm cut; c.. w. Sack
EFT. Herkimer, mail clerk, arm cut and
bruised: NJ. j. Mccarthy Buffalo. por-
ter, mail car, head cut and bruised: r.
B. Peck, Syracuse, mail clerk, head cut
and bruised; Conductor Charles r.
Reynolds, Albany, injured in chest;
John r. Macy. tramp. Syracuse. foot
smashed and amputated; c. Wagner,
Albany, head.
The tools with which the spikes were
pulled were found on the track after the
wreck.
One week ago last Sunday night a
where this mornings accident occur
red. Several trains passed over the
place in safety. The matter was dis
covered by the trackwalker, the fol-
lowing morning and a watch was kept
there each night until last night.
The Wrcckcrs Captured.
Three young fellows, aged is to 10
years, have been arrested for wrecking
the train. They are j. Watson Hid
reth. of New York: Fred Bristol and
Herbert Plato. Of Rome. Hildreth has
made a confession, duplicating the
other two, and Theodore Hibbard, who
has not been apprehended. Their OBJ
ject was robbery. The arrests were
made by Detective Latham, of the New
York Central, and Policeman Heating,
Of Rome. They found Hildreth's hat
with his name in 1t In some bushes near
the wreck. Upon confronting him he
weakened and told who his accomplices
were and their object.
In addition to the four boys arrested
for wrecking the Central Mail train
near this city this morning. Joseph
Wilkes, is years old, has been arrested
as a witness. 1t Is said that he was
taken into the confidence Of the others
when they were planning the wreck.
but that he refused to go with them
Confessions have been made by all the
other boys of their guilt.
One of the boys confessed that they
had a number of revolvers hidden in the
woods near the railroad track.
There is no evidence that others be-
sides those apprehended were con-
cerned in the plot This afternoon a
black cloth mask was found in the
woods near the scene Of the wreck.
Twenty-Five persons unhurt We're
tahen OUT of the windows of the first
sleeper. All of the mail and sleeping
cars were lighted with Pintsch gas and
no fire was set in the wreck. Young
Hildreth is said to be the son of
wealthy lawyer in New York.
Theodore Hibbard, the last of the
four train -wreckers, was captured at
D. 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 Bristol's pockets.