New-York tribune., 1897-08-30
TRIED TO WRECK A TRAIN
RASCAILY PLAN OF FIVE BROOKLYN
BOYS
SURPRISED AT THEIR WORK AND TWO OF THEM
cAPTURED-sERIoUs DISASTER AvERTED Bf
4 PoLCEMAN's BRAVERY.


cAPTuRED-sERIous DISASTER AvERrEp BY
poIICEMAN's BRAVERY.
For several weeks gang of young rascais
has been trying to wreck Brighton Beach
train In tho neighborhood Of Eastern Parkway
Brooklyn. Last night n wreck was Narrowly
Rverted and two members 0f the gang were
caught through the vigilance Of Patrolman FAR
rell The prisoners william McCauley, thir-
teen years old. and Edward Campbell. sixteen
years old. both Of No. 80 Lttle-st. While they
stubhorny refused to talk last night 1t is prop
able that they will weaken by to-day and tell
whether the motive that actua;ed them was
simply n perverted sense Of amusement or a
desire to rob after the train was wrecked.
The Brighton Beach Railroad is now branch
OF the Kings County Elevated road with which
Il connects at Frankn-ave. and Fulton-st. Kun
ming southwark, its tracks cross under Eastern
Parkway about twenty five feet below grade.
The passageway underneath this boulevard Is a
short tunnel, and at night 1t Is too dark 10 pe
safe yet not long enough to require lights, or SO
the roads officers have thought Recently en-
gneers have occasionally seen stones on the
track. and have slowed up just In time to escape
accident The fear that they would not always
he able to slow up has caused them to keep the
closest kind Of lookout while going over THIS part
| OF the road.
The officers OF the road finally reported the at
tempts to Captain Leavey, Of the Twenty -secohd
Precinct. and he detailed Patrolman farre" u
watch this tunnel Farrell. dressed In citizen
clothes hid himself where he could get a soou
view Of the interior of the tunnel last evening
few minutes before O'Clock he was rewaraeu
by seeing five rough-lookng boys appear at the
MI t,orI l.
,ion. and then went to pile OF cobblestones
near hy and returned. each carrying stone.
Entering the tunnel they halted at blind
switch near the middle Prying the switch open
they crowded three stones about the size OF a
mans hand into it and pounded them down Win
larger stones To make doubly sure OF wrecKng
the train that was expected from the city IN
few minutes they rolled large bowlder on 'he
switch ana an her one the track little
further down.
lust as they had finished their preparations
Farrell sprang from his place OF concea'''e".
and made dash for the boys He seized one Vi
them with each hand. and the other three -
! caped Farrell knew that train was Que a' any
minute So tightening his grip on the struss""s
Youngsters he placed his right foot against o".
Of the powders and pushed until ne had sho, o, e,
| them 10 one side. Then he began to KICK 10 se1
no cObblpStOueS =
no made no impression. Putting MS leit dt II,
around one Of the boys he grabbed the othsi ~, ~
the wrist with the left hand and thus hao i,is t
rich, hand free. Picking up another s'ohe' "0
heean 10 pound out the wedged stones 80,
He had succeeded in getting one OF these ~, u
~ the switch when he heard locomotive per, a,
a,d tho rumble Of cars. Looking up ne saw h''
1,ore than six or seven blocks away the heau,
iqht Of an engine which was hurrying ,oMa.u
hin, Farrell threw his frightened prisoners ~
tbe ground and. getting on his knees; Moiksu w ,
madIv at the remaining stones. sun hoinins va
bovs with his left hand. He got then, ou, an, an'
nlacod his foot against the switch as tne ehtine
Entered the north end of the tunnel EAeI,Ins
aT bis strength he pushed the rail back IN place
and nulled the two boys from the track just aS
the train rushed by. - .o,hiro was
Tbe engineer had seen that something Was
vvronr when about twenty-five feet away, pu. u
mad been unable to slow up. 1here WI WI e,fA
nars in the train. and they were an "ei' "''e"
r.,,b messengers bound for the stashort -,
Earreu. with his clothes covered WIN cay
ord Garth took his prisoners to the poiice s'a
,;on They are hardened youths, ana reiused u
Lare NJ n bad Second Precinct gang r,,
The train went on through TO Brighton p-ac,i s.ap
"a ,be passengers knew nothing of their nario"