The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1895-11-27
JUVENILE JESSE JAMES.

W OAN0A O&AAhAx<Ss
FOUR BOYS CAUSE A WREcKoN THE
N. Y. CENTRAL.
Removed Spikes and Fishplates From Two
Rails--Many Persons Killed and Injured.
The Young Miscreants Captured.
ROME, N. Y, Nov. 19.-The deliber-
ate wrecking of the fast mail train,
No. 6, eaNbound on the New York
Central railroad, was accomplished
about three miles west of this city at
4:20 this morning. The wreckers had
broken open the company's tool house
nearby and obtained wrench and
crowbar, with which all the spikes and
fishplates from the two opposite rails
on the shoutherly track had been NJ
moved. The two released rails were
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 40 miles an hour, the
locomotive left the track, bounded
over the ties and fell sidewise into
ditch IL feet deep on the south side of
the track. The first two mail cars
shot over the engine, the first car land
ing fully 75 feet from the point where
the engine left the track. The second
and third mail cars came together in
"V" shape and the wrecked engine Law
in the open space between them, Un-
der the second mail car, pinned down
by pair of trucks and stone dead,
was found Engineer Hager. The
fourth mail car was toppled part way
over. The first two sleepers were part.
ly turned over and the last one re-
manned on the tracks. Strange to saw
the two loose rails had not been
thrown from the roadbed, the last car
remaining upon them. There were
30 passengers in the three sleepers and
not one of them was hurt. The pas
sepgers were taken east on another
train shortly after the accident. The
killed and wounded in the smashup
are: ~ 514
Nathan N. Hager, engineer, Albany,
killed; Robert Elliott, or Bond, from
Syracuse, tramp, died after being
removed from the wreck; e. Reardon,
Herkmer mail clerk, head and body
cut and bruised; j. E. Lavine, New
York, mail clerk, upper arm
bruised and sprained; f. N. Pad
dock. Syracuse, mail clerk. arm cut;
@. W. Sackett, HerGmen, mail clerk,
arm cut and bruised NJ. j. Mccarthy,
Buffalo, porter, mail car, head cut
and bruised; R. B. Peck, Syracuse,
mail clerk, head cut and bruised; Con-
ductor Charles r, Reynolds, Albany,
injured in the chest; John r. Macy,
tramp, Syracuse, right foot smashed
and amputated- d-he is at the Rome
hospital; @. Wagner, Albany, fire
man, head cut. The body Of Engi-
neer Hager is in charge of Undertaken
Orton of this city.
The tools with which the spikes
were pulled were found on the track
after the wreck. One week ago, last
Sunday night, fishplate was loosened
near the point whore this mornings
accident occurred. Several trains
passed over the place in safety The
matter was discovered by trackWalker
the following morning and a. watch
was kept there each night till last
night: g =
years have been arrested forswrechng
the train. They are J. Watson Hill
dreth of New York; Fred Bristol and
Herbert Plato of Rome, HiIdreth has
made a confession duplicating the
other two and Theodore Hbbard, who
has not been apprehended. Their OBJ
ject was robbery. The arrests sYwere
made by Detective Latham.of the New
York Central and Policeman Keatng
of Rome. .:St, 'tr% t%.
They found Hildreth's hat:with his
name in it in the bushes near the
wreck. Upon confronting :.thim; he
weakened and told who His Iaccom-
plices were and their object.li.:iG
Twenty-Five passengers were taken
ont of the windows on thefrstt sleeper
the Inca. All of the mail laad fsleep-
ing cars were lighted withpintch gas
and no fire was set in :;;theswreck:
Young Hildreth is said to .beltheE son
of wealthy lawyer in ;NeWEY ork.
Theodore Hibbard, the last ;oftthe four
train wreckers, was captufedatii 8 p.
m. and is now in the custody with the
others. A yellow covered thiEnry Of
the exploits of the James boys was
found in one of Bristols's pockets.
In addition to the four 3boyssafrest-
ed for wrecking the Central alsmail train
near this city this morning, sJoseph
Wilkes, 1S years of age, has been ar
rested as witness. It is said sthat he
was taken into the confidence: OF: the
others when they were planning the
wreck, but that he refused to 90 with
them when they went to commit the
deed. Confession have been made by
all the other boys of their guilt.
| One of the boys confessed that they
had woods near the railroad track,
and he was taken there this evening
to locate them, but on account of dark
ness the spot could not be found.
There is no evidence that others be-
sides those apprehended were concern
ed in the plot. Coroner Mock: began
an inquest on the bodies of Engineer
Hager and the tramp Robert Bond, who
were killed, but the inquest was not
completed this evening.
Lewis Harris of this city this after
noon found q black cloth maskin the
woods near the scene of the wreck.
| Murder His Wife?
ASHLAND, KY, Nov. 21.-The dead
body of Mrs. James Dewitt was found