The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-11-21
Cause OF AN AWFUL crime
BOYS Influenced by Sensational Liter
ature Into Wrcckin9 Train.
THOUGHT TO ROB PASSENGERS
But When the Young Men Heard the
Shricks of the Wounded Victims OF
the Disaster They Fled Into the
Woods in Terror.

Rome. N. Y, Nov. 20.-At the cor
oner's inquest over the bodies OF En-.
gineer Hager, of Albany, and BILLY"
Bond, of Syracuse, who were killed In
the railroad wreck here, there was no
important testimony except by Miss
Celia Perrin, a young lady with whom
Hildreth, the leader of the gang of
boy wreckers, was very friendly. She
testified that Hildreth came to her
house yesterday morning and told her
about how they had wrecked the train.
Hildreth told Miss Perrin that they
turned the rails that We're loosened so
that the train would go into the ditch.
The coroner's inquest was adjourned
until this evening. The four boys who
are charged with committing the crime
have all confessed except Bristol, who
refused to say anything. The evidence
of the others, however, duplicates him
and makes him and Hildreth the lead
ers of the gang. The boys had revol-
vers, which they said they threw away
in the woods.
The boys had all been reading sem
sational novels. They freQuented Hill
dreth's room at the Temperance Hotel,
where they played cards and had box
ing bouts. About three weeks ago they
went to Utica. There, Hlldreth, who
already owned revolver. purchased
two more. The boys rode home in a
box car and planned the wreck. They
thought they would get about $4,000
from the dead or dying passengers.
They matured their plans and not until
the rails We're loosened and the train
was nearing the fatal spot did they
seem to hesitate.
When They Hesitated.
ed Hildreth lost his hat, but did not
pins and needles and wished those rails
We're back in place. We stood on the
north side of the track, all with reyol-
vers in our hands ready to rush in
among the people. When we heard the
crash and the cries of the people We
ran away through the woods. We were
thoroughly scared and realized what we
had done. We had not gone far before
we decided to throw away our revol-
Vers, because we We're afraid If they
were found on us we would be suspect
ed. Hildrth lost his hat but did not
stop to get it,
The loss of this hat was what led to
the speedy arrest of the boys. They did
not seem to feel any severe pangs of re-
| morse.
There is no danger that any Of those
injured in the wreck will die. Fireman
Wagner. who is in the hospital at One
ida. Is improving and John Macy. of
Syracuse, whose leg was taken off, Is
doing well at the hospital in this city.
Wrcckers Arraigned for Murder.
The train wreckers, John w. ,HfIdreth,
Theodore Hibbard and Fred Bristol,
were arraigned before the recorder this
| afternoon. charged with murder in the
| first degree in causing the death Of Ma
than M. Hager and Robert Bond. They
pleaded not guilty and their examina-
tion was set down for December 3.
This afternoon q young man named
Fred. Palmer was arrested on suspicion
of being connected with the railraod
wrecking plan. He says that the pris-
oners talked to him some time ago about
| wrecking train, but he refused to join
| them.