The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1895-11-20
WRECKED BY TWO BOYS
AN ENTIRE PASSEAGER TRAIN
DuCuED AND i've PER-
Sons KILLED.
TALK or LYHCRIkG THE CULPRITS

They Have Been Arrested ard Have
Confessed Although No Cause j.
KnCwn for the Dccd-One Of = hen
Told His Sweetheart OF Their TBten~
tIon-This Was The Second AtttmpI
within Three Weeks TO Wreck The
Same Train Near the Same Spot.
SYRACUSE, n. Y, Nov ia de-
llberate attempt was successfully
made at point one mile west of Rome
at 4 O'Clock this morning to wreck
train number on the New York Cen
tTal Railroad, the engine and all the
cars on the train being ditched and the
train wrecked. Engineer Hager, Of
Albany, and tramp were killed. The
fireman Chris Wagner, of Albany, and
mail clerks, porter and NJ. j. Mccarthy
and tramp were injured
This was the second attempt within
three weeks to wreck the same train
near the same spot which is an ideal
one for the commission of such a
crime. 1t is on a heavy down-grade,
and trains usually run down it at the
rate of siXty-five miles an hour. This
train, opened at Rome, generally goes
down the grade at a great rate of
speed and must have been running
close to seyenty-fiye miles an hour in
order to make up few minutes lost
time. There is not a house within
half mile of the place. The wrecllers
broke into the section tool house and
stole some tools, with which they re-
moved the fish-plates which fasten the
rails to the ties, and pulled out the
spikes.
The train left this city at O'Clock
1t consisted of four mail cars and three
sleepers. There were eleven postal
clerks and fourteen passengers
aboard, besises the members of the
crew. The engine was thrown from
the track into the ditch and complete
iy submerged in the mire, only the
driving wheels of the left side being
above the earth. Tn forward mail car
was thrown two car-lengths ahead of
the engine and rolled down the bank
80 that it lay lengthwise towards the
rails. The second car, in which the
mail clerks were working, was thrown
on the tender of the engine and badly
demolished. The third and fourth
cars were also ditched, the ends of
each being broken. The first sleeper
was thrown from the rails, completely
rolling over. The second car was sim
Ply turned on it's side, while the rear
sleeper did not leave the track.
Engineer Hager went down with his
engine and must have been instantly
killed. The fireman, Chris. Wagner.
was badly injured about the head and
it is feared he is internally hurt
John Hildreth and Frederick Pris-
tol, two boys, have been arrested,
charged with wrecking the train.
Young Hildreth broke down and con-
fessed that he and Bristol.in company
with two other boys named Herbert
Plato and Theo. Hubbard, had broken
open tool house and with the aid
of tools thus secured had removed the
fish plates from the rails. No cause is
given for the deed
The body of the tramp who was
killed has been identified as that of
Billy Bond, of Boston. His companion,
whose left foot is cut off, was John
Macy, also Cf Syracuse.
The City Hall, in which the police
station is located is surrounded by an
alarming crowd tonight, who express
freely the opinion that the train
wreckers should be lynched The night
and day police force is on duty to pre-
vent trouble.
Several witnesses have been taken
into custody for examination, includ-
ing young lady with whom Hubbard
kept company, and to whom he told
the story Of how he and his chums had
wrecked the train.