The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1896-12-10
WRECk|NG F|ENDS ABROAD
AN EXTRA FREIGHT TRAIN WAS
THROWN IN THE DITCH
NORTH OF FORT WORTH.
INTENDED FOR PASSENGER TRAIN
Which Was Close Behind the Freight
Two of the Crew Killed and Another
Fatally Injured-Switch Had
Been Tempered With.

Fort Worth, Tex, Dec. 4.-(Special.)-
What gave evidence of being one of the
most diabolical and successful attempts
to wreck a train on record, occurred at
the gravel pit, one and a quarter miles
north of Justin station on the Santa Fe,
some twenty-five miles north of here,
about O'Clock tonight. The wrecked
train was an extra freight southbound in
charge of Conductor Osborne and Engin-
Ger Mobly.
The engine was nearing Justin at the
time the wreck occurred, at which point
it was to take siding in order to let the
southbound passenger, due here ut 9:35
p. m. pass. 1t was running at the rate
| OF about fifteen miles an hour and was
right on time. The engine was thrown
from the track and fell to the west side
of it, while five freight cars were hurled
| about on and near the track. Engineer
Mobley, Fireman Walter Holman and
Head Brakeman Mitchell were all caught
beneath the wreckage and Holman and
Mitchell killed outright. At midnight to-
night Engineer Mobley is reported still
| pinioned beneath the ponderous machin-
cry, badly scalded, as it takes time to get
the wrecker to the scene. Latest tele-
grams are that while he is thought to be
fatally injured, still he is under the in
huence of opiates and suffering no pain.
The train crew all reside in Cleburne and
were on the run from Gainesville to that
point.
That the wreck was planned seems
| certain, for only an hour before regular
freight passed that place going south, and
its crew reported all in good shape when
it left there. The next train, to be ex-
pected was the southbound passenger,
some thirty minutes in the rear of the
wrecked extra freight, and that it was
this train the wreckers were after seems
certain, for they had no knowledge of
the extra.
At 11:30 tonight Division Superinten-
dent Davidson arrived here from his
headquarters at Cleburne on an extra en-
route to the scene. Seen by II reporter he
said:
1t seems, from what l have ascer-
tanned, that it was wilful attempt at
train wrecking by some one, as the place
of the wreck is isolated There is n
siding there, and am informed that the
switch lock is broken and that the lock
has not been found, and further that
spikes are wedged in between the points
of split switch. l expect to get to the
scene of the wreck about 1 o'clock. The
train was an e:s,ra freight. The regular
freight passed the spot about an hour
ahead of it and everything was all right
then
Mr.. Davidson confirms the report
touching the killing and the condition of
Engineer Mobley as given above. Prior
to leaving Cleburne Mr.. Davidson wired
to the officers here to secure and have
all ready the blood hounds to take TO the
scene. Officer Tom Payne left for the
dogs at 11:30, but as they are some four
miles in the country it may be as late
as 1 o'clock before they can be had here
and placed aboard the special, Mr.. Da-
Wilson'S delay here is caused by this en-
forced wait.
The south bound Santa Fe, due here
at $50 p. M, is just north of the wreck
and has been abandoned. 1t was the
failure of this train to arrive by 10 p. IN.
that caused the news of the wreck to
get out here, as the division headquart-
ers are at Cleburne and reports from
Justin were going to that point. Had
this train dashed into the cut with it's
load of human freight the chances are
that one Of the most disastrous wrecks
of passenger trains during the year would |
have resulted.
The facts given above relative to the |
with the switch lock and the |
fact of the spikes being wedged in be- |
tween the points of the split-switch come |
from authoritative advices from men on |
the ground, and railway men here say |
prove almost conclusively that the affair |
was the work of miscreants. If so, then |
it was the passenger train that the trap |
was laid for, as no one except the rail
way officials had knowledge of the COM
ing of the extra freight short time out
of Gainesville. Again, trainmen say
that spikes could hardly be forced by
reason of a wreck into places reported.
1t is further almost certainty that had
anything been wrong with the switch the
regular freight crew would have discov-
cred it.