The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1895-12-04
TRAIN WRECKED BY BOYS
Young Despera5oes Ditch a Fast Mail,
Causing Two Deaths.
INTENDED 10 ROB PASSENGERS.

A New York Central Exnress Thrown
From the Track Near Rome, y. Y.---
The Engine, Four Mail Cars and Two
sleepers Demollshe l---Engineer Hayes
and Tramp Killed.
Four bows, who had been in the habit OF
reading dime novels and who decided they
would like to become full fedged despera-
does, wrecked the limited fast mail train on
the new York Central Railroad, three miles
west OF Rome. n. Y. Two men were killed
and several others badly hurt. The young
train wreckers were quickly arrested, after
one Of them had confessed the crime. They
were locked up in the police station in the
City Hall at Rome. and the place was sur
rounded that night by large crowd OF ex-
cited citizens. who freely expressed the
epinion that the prisoners should be lvnched.
All the policemen of the city remained on
duty to protect the lads.
The wrecters had broken open the COM
pany's Toulouse nearby. and obtained
wrench and crowbar. with which all the
spikes and fish-plates on two opposite rails
on the southerly track had been removed.
The two released rails were lett in their
places on the track. As the train. compris-
ING four mail and three sleeping cars. came
Along, ut the rate of about fortv miles an
hour. the locomotive left the track. bounded
over the ties and fell sideways into the ditch
twelve feet deep on the south side OF the
track. The first two mail cars shot over the
engine. tine first one landing fully seventy
Eve 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 stone dead. was
found Engineer Ha2er. The fourth mail car
was toppled part way over. The first two
sleepers were partly turned over. and the
last one remained on the tracks. Strange to
say. the two loose rails had not been thrown
from the roadbed, the last car remaining upon
them.
There were about fifty passengers in the
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 Bond, OF Syracuse, a tramp.
riding on platform between first and second
mail cars. died after being removed from
wreck: E: Rsardon, J. E. Levine,
H. D. Robinson. F. N. Paddock,
C. W. Sackett. NJ J. Mccarthy, R. B. Peck,
Charles R. REYNOLDS: John r. Macy, syra,
euse, riding on platform between first and
second mail cars. right foot smashed and
amputated; G. Wagner. Albany. fireman.
As soon as the wreck became known to
the railroad authorities Detective Latham,
OF Utica. began working up the case. In
the bushes near the track was found black
derby hat with the name "Hildreth" written
on the lining. Inquiry showed that boy
named John Watson Hildreth was in the
crowd looking at the wreck. The detective
arrested him and charged him with the
crime.
he denied the charge. but soon broke
down and confessed having been engaged in
the work Of wrecking the train. Hildreth
Is son OF J. Honor Hildretb, a wealthy
lawyer. of New York City. He is wayward
and had been sent to the country to escape
the temptations of CITY life.
Hildreth is sixteen years old. He implt-
Gated "Frel" Bristol, eighteen years old:
Herbert P. Lato. sixteen years old. and
Theodore Hibbard, nineteen years old. all OF
Bone.
All the boys were arrested and have made
q full confession to District Attorney Klock
and the railroad detectives.
Hildreth says the object Of the wreck was
robbery of passengers. He says he and his
companions we're the ones who loosened
hshplate at the same place a week before,
when they tried to wreck train.
Joseph Wilkes, eighteen years old. was ar
rested as witness. It is asserted he is one
OF the orginetors OF the plan. but his cour-
age failed him when the time came for ac-
tiou.
Hibbard said that the four boys each had
revolvers and intended to 80 among the
passengers and demand their valuables and
money. but when they saw what they had
done they were too scared and fed.