Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1895-01-24
Jury Returns a Verdict in the &c.,
end Degree Against Frank
Pahinski.
TRAIN WRECKER CONVICTED,
Story Of the Infamous Plot to Rob
the 500 Passenger Train
Specials.

Merrill, Wis, Jan. 1.-THE trial Of
Patlinski, the alleged train wrecker was
concluded and the jury charged by ,mdro
| Bardeen just before the noon recess 10.
| day. The prisoner testified in his own ho-
| half, and belied his looks in that he proved
| TO be an expert witness, whereon the tps
| timony of the prosecution coupled him as
| being in company with Hazelton without
| any doubt. He admitted having been
with Hazelton, but swore point blank
| that he separated from the latter in thn
| morning of the day of the wreck, and
| that he was at Rhinelander when the ne
| cident occurred, but fell in with Hazelton
again on the morning of the day they
| were arrested. He had no witnesses to
corroborate his statement.
This afternoon the jury brought in
verdict of murder in the second degree,
| Motion for new trial was made and TAX
en- under advisement by the judge.
| On October last Il wreck occurred on
the 500 road near Heafford junction in
| which Fireman Charles Carroll was in
stantly killed. A short time previous a
| similar wreck occurred on the same line
| in which two persons were injured. A
| week later Levitt Hazelton and Frank
| Williams, alias Pat1nski, were arrested
at Rhinelander on suspicion. They Were
brought to Jail here and under severe
Sweating" Hazelton broke down and
made 4 confession. In telling of the
| Heafford Junction wreck he said:
I'VE had made our camp near the
trestle. After dark we broke into the
| Toulouse at Bradley, secured long
cross-cut saw, wrench, spike puller and
! lantern. The saw we wanted to saw the
piles and stringers in the bridge with,
and the other tools to loosen the rails
with. This was for the purpose of wreck.
| ing the train so that we could rob it. We
| expected the wreck to be much worse:
that he whole train crew and nearly all
| the passengers would be killed, or so bad
| ly hurt that they could not interfere with
our work of robbery. We cut all the
stringers acrosss the bridge and tive sets
of them at the ends, and then sawed the
| piles or posts upon which they rested, and
also cut a brace. When this work was in
operation the east-bound passenger train
passed over the bridge in safety. The
work was continued until the West-bound
! passenger train came along and broke
| through. When the train went through
we were near by, but soon the passengers
and train crew got off the wrecked ears
and we heard one ask another if ne was
hurt much, and the reply, Only q little,
| We heard no cries and concluded that
none were hurt much and left the scene"
! Hazelton also related several other cX
periences they had but which had no con
| nection with the present case. lie Is q
! boyish-looking fellow, about 20 years of
age. He pleaded guilty and was SEN
fenced to twenty years in state prison.
| Paflinski formerly resided IN small
town near Appleton. He LETT home sew
| eral years ago to work in the pneneS,
since which time he has wandered all
over Northern Wisconsin.
| The prisoner will probably be sentenced
! to state prison in few days.