The herald., 1898-02-09
MoRDEN, THE TRAINWREcKER
GIVES THE NAMES OF ALL HIS
ACCoMPLICES
Intimation Given That the Death Sen.
tence Will Be COMMITTED to I'M
prisonment for Life
Associated Press Special Wire

Worden, convicted Of wrecking mail
train bearing a guard of United States
soldiers, near Sacramento, during the
great railroad strike in 1894 and In
whose behalf the supreme court of the
United States declined to take favorable
action on his plea for new trial. has
confessed his crime to Governor Budd,
with a view to receiving Communication
of the death sentence from the executive
OF the state.
Wordens confession covers 300 words
and gives the full details of the crime,
telling that he, with several others. had
been ordered by a committee of strik-
ers to remove the rails near the Yolo
bridge, for The purpose of wrecking the
train carrying the troops. He gives the
names of his accomplices and makes
known many details of the work of the
strikers heretofore unknown to the gen.
eral public.
Ex-President Cleveland interested
himself in Worden's behalf, out of SYM
pathy for the mother of the condemned
man, and Governor Budd determined to
probe the matter to the bottom before
deciding the case, with the result that
Worden made the confession in the
presence of the governor Warden Aull
of the Folsom penitentiary and a stem
ographer.
The confession, which is long, ram
bling document, is in Worden's own
handwriting, his signature being wit
messed by Warden Aull of the Folsom
prison, who filed the document with
Gov. Budd today. Worden was induced
to make the confession by the entreaties
of his relatives, aided by the advice of
the prison warden. The letter declares
that the confession was voluntarily
made, without hope of reward or mitiga-
tion of his sentence, but 1t is said that
Wcrden had reason to believe that the
death penalty would not be imposed if
his lips were unsealed.
The confession begins by Worden
stating that he arrived in Sacramento
early In 1894 in search of work. In May
of that year a lodge of the American
Railway union was organized and he
became member. He was elected as
delegate to represent the lodge at the
Chicago convention of the order held in
June, and was to be paid IS day. He
returned to Sacramento on June 26 and
found that the strike had been declared.
He adds:
LAS soon as I changed clothes 1 at
once sought the officers of the lodge to
report, and found that the grievance
committee. consisting of Knox, Mulln
and Compton, were in charge of the
strike and there was to be meeting
that evening at which was to make my
report to the convention in matters of
laws and new constitution, and while
so making my report the meeting was
adjourned on receiving notice that there
was some trouble at the depot. That
was the only meeting at which tried to
make my report. 1t was generally un-
derstood, and all seemed to be satisfied
to let it go until the strike was ended.
In the days after my return to Sacra-
mento / became again a member only
and was no longer an officer of the lodge,
had no authority Except as an organ
izer, which was given me by the general
secretary while in Chicago), in any way
nor had any one else to my knowledge,
except the grievance committee, which
was composed of the three men already
mentioned. Knox being the chairman"
Worden then went to Stockton, Lodi
and Lathrop on an organizing tour, but
met with poor success. He continues
as follows:
"On my return started for headouar-
ters on Front street and then learned
that United States troops had come that
morning. The room was full but Knox
and the others were not there. l went
back to breakfast at the fremont house
about a. m, then went to Front street
again. Found Knox was at the new
rooms, corner Second and ] streets, and
went there and talked for maybe half
hour of my trip to Stockton and coming
from Lathrop. / was feeling good then
i talked with several there, probably
ten or twelve Of them.''
Worden throws the blame for the
Matching of the train-w wrecking plot on
Harry Knox chairman of the grievance
committee of the Sacramento lodge,
American Railway union, who. he says,
gave him all his instructions and de-
coyed him into accompanying the gvng
of wreckers to the Yolo bridge He also
charges completely in the plot to Mulln
and Compton, the other two members
of the committee, who, with Knox. man
aged the strike on the Sacramento divi-
sion of the Southern Pacific Worden's $
story is that Knox instructed him, as
member of the A. R. u, to procure a
team to convey eight men to Davisville.
saying that Tom Kelly, another striker.
would accompany him "and knew all
about it." AT the same time Knox gave
Worden an order on a Sacramento liy-
cry stable for the team. Worden pro-
cured the conveyance, and a youth
drove them out of Sacramento. In the
wagon, besides Worden and the driver.
who was merely a livery stable en-
ploye, were Tom Kelly, James Dunn,
- Hatch, - Appleman, Wheeler, -
Barrett, and a brakeman whose name
Worden cannot recall. He was not pos-
tive Barrett was in the party. but
thinks he went with the others. Wor
den declares that all We're armed except
himself. Hatch directed the driver to
take side road leading to the railroad
track. Arriving at the track, all alieht-
ed, and Worden says his first suspicious
were aroused. The confession goes on
What are you going to do?" asked.
"To take up the rails" they said.
stopped still and said I would have
nothing to do with 1t. All surrounded
me and Appleman swore he wou. kill
me then and there. They all put their
revolvers to my head and said the same
and made me swear would be silent