Evening star., 1896-11-28
THE TRUNK WAS LOADED.
The Poets Dream of RetributfOn f,
the baggage TOsser Comes True

The Poets Dream of RetributfOn for
the BnSgnGe TOsser Comes True.
From the Memphis Commercial Appeal
Some years since poem upon the fate of
a baggage man who smashed a trunk load
ed with dynamite attracted considerable at
tention among the travelling public, but 1t
remained for an agent upon a Yazoo and
Mississippi Valley train to actually en-
counter that fate. He is ]. p. Henry of
this city, baggage agent for the road and
also express agent for the American Ex-
press Company. He now lies in bed on
South Main street with buckshot in each
leg, cut over the left eye, bruise in the
chin, piece Of zinc in his foot, and some
twenty or thirty small shot in different
parts of his body. And with all of this he
is happy that he is alive. That the trunk
was loaded Mr.. Henry will make affidavit
and put in photograph of his skin as evil
dence but no one seems to know what it
was loaded for or with. The missiles would
be effective for either bear or flies.
Mr.. Henry runs on the train from Vicks-
burg to this city, and when the train pull
ed into Alligator Lake. eighty-eight miles
south of the city, at 1:20 o'clock Saturday
afternoon, the porter at the depot pitched
an ordinary looking trunk into the baggage
car. There was only one other piece of
baggage in the car, and soon after the
train pulled out Mr.. Henry caught hold of
the trunk and was edging it to a conven-
lent place in the car when there was ter
rifle explosion. The lid flew up and struck
him in the face, knocking him to the floor
with the remains of the trunk on top of
him. While he was falling he received
three small shot in the right arm and any
a large ball in each leg, one being about
the middle of the left calf. and the other
just above the right ankle. He was con-
scious enough when the mail agent rushed
In IN toll fho LOT for RI ba
the mass Of rubbish had taken fire from the
explosion. The postal clerk aided Mr..
Henry in extricating himself until the con-
ductor and brakemen came to their assist
the remains of the trunk out of the car
door from fear that It might contain some
other explosives. The trainmen were afraid
to make an examination of the contents of
door there could be seen a box of caps for
an old-fashioned muzzle-loading gun, lots
of smoking shells, brass musicians horn
and lot of clothing. 1t could not be seen
whether or not there was a gun in the
outfit.
There was only one passenger to enter the
train from AlligatoreL4ake. He was negro,
and was ticketed for Jamestown. It was to
the same place that the trunk was checked
but when the trainmen went to the negro
| for information as to, the contents of the
| trunk he declared that he had no trunk
He put up a good denial at the time but
when the train arrived at Clarksdaie he
left it and failed to- return. None now
doubt that he owned the trunk and knew
what was in 1t.
From papers left in the car after the ex-
plosion 1t was learned that the owner OF
the trunk was a negro preacher by the
name OF Y. T. Jones. and that he was q
| member of the Epworth League and sew
eral other orders. but no trace has been
gotten of him since the explosion Should
he be caught, he would be dealt with &C.
cording to the law. Judge Fentress, coun.
sci for the road, in discussing the matter
said that if Mr.. Henry should die the owner
of the trunk would most certainly be guilty
of manslaughter. But while his injuries
| are painful, they are not serious. He IL
wounds from the bullets shall have had
time to heal up.