The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-11-16
THE MYSTERY OF THE WRECK
WAS THE ERAILMENT OF THE TRAIN
AT HOPE MILLS PReMEDlTATeD
From Harnett County-Rumor That
He Intended to Commit suicide-Re-
ward OF $500 for His Capture-En-

The Fayetteville correspondent OF
The Messenger. d date OF yester-
day, writes concerning the wilful
wrecking Of train Nc. IS on the Allan
tic Coast Line. at Hope Mills. seven
miles from Fayetteville. about noon on
the 10th instant.
There are elements in the story OF
the wreck on the Atlantic Coast Line
railroad last Saturday which nay de-
velop into a sensation.
o the identity OF the man who fas-
tened the spike on the track there
seems to be nc doubt. His name is
Erastus Tart, whose home is in Har-
nett county, and who went TO Hope
Mills only about two weeks ago. TAX
ing board with a man named Lovett
Tart, for whom the persistent hunt is
| still going on, is Is or Is years of age,
5 feet s inches in height, weighs from
$50 to 10 pounds. has smooth face, with
| light hair and blue eyes, and. at the
time of the disaster, wore a dark suit
| and a SLOUGH hat, crushed in al the
| crown. a reward OF $3.50 has been Of
| fered for his apprehension.
1T is a notable fact that hardly any
! where on the line would a spot ave
been chosen where an obstruction on
| the track would so inevitably cause an
accident-a sharp curve with a steep
opposing embankment.
This morning a police officer of this
city, noted for his ShrewdnesS and de-
tective faculties, expressed to The Mes
senger correspondent the opinion that
| Tart went to Hope Mills with the plan
already matured for the act, and that
when he is captured the implication OF
others will follow.
"A story is current that Tart tied the
| the SniEp Tn the rail in order 70 aSCer-
tain, as he declared, whether or not IL
would be broken by the wheels, and
that when the awful consequence OF
his act We're dashed on his eyes, he
rushed to the woods, declaring that he
would kill himself.
THE wreck was a great, inextricable
mass of ruin-locomotive and mail and
baggage cars, piled one upon another
and thrown bodily across the track.
With two wreck removing trains and
all the appliances for work provided
by his splendid railway system, the
line was not cleared for travel until
after 4 o'clock yesterday morning.
There were about sixty passengers
on the wrecked train of whom Rev. 5.
j. Porter, pastor of the First Baptist
church, Mr.. J.. a. Oates, Jr., editor of
the North Carolina Baptist, Miss Bren-
ernan the elocutionist, and Hon.
George NJ. Rose, were of this city. Mr..
Rose had his back severely wrenched.
AT 5 o'clock yesterday Sunday
morning, despite the care and skill OF
DR.. Nixon, the Atlantic Coast Line
Railroad Company's surgeon and other
physicians, Engineer Frank MCGOWAN,
died of his injuries at Taylor's Allan
tic hotel on upper Hay street. At 4:30
o'clock yesterday afternoon his re-
mains were conveyed to his home in
Florence, with a detachment of his
brother engineers acting as honorary
and active pallbearers. He was well
known and much like here, and his
death is deeply deplored. Postal Agent
Craft and negro fireman were bad
ly hurt, but will recover"
FIVE HUNDRED DOLLARS RE
WARD.
Mr.. John r. KenIy, general manage
of the Aatlantic Coast Line re-
turned to Wilmington last night,
by way of Rocky Mount, from
Fayetteville and Hope Mills where
he went on q special Saturday
of train No. IS. He says there is pos
tive proof that Erastus Tart wrecked
the train. His home is about seven
miles from Dunn, in Harnett county,
and he had been at Hope Mills only
two weeks. He had been working in
the cotton mills there, and was board
ing with George LOVett, a white man
II v - AoAN
wreck. He tied a spike on the rail with
a red bandana handkerchief, and stood
by and waited until the train was hurl-
ed to destruction. After the wreck, he
old Mr. Lovett that he had tied the
spike in the track and then took to
the woods. The ~bloodhounds which
Sheriff George A. Burns, of Fayette-
vile, carried to the wreck on Saturday
afternoon to trail the villain, failed
to get the scent, as SO many people
had been on the grounds that it was
impossible to get on the proper trail.
Mr.. Kenly stated to a Messenger re-
porter last night that the Coast Line
offers $500 reward for the guilty party
with proof to convict, and that he Is
confident that he will be
n be in the cluthches of the law in
a few days. Detectives and other par
ties are after him, and the large reward
will make his capture pretty certain.
1t is presumed that the $3.50 reward
!, mentioned by our Fayetteville CORE
spondent is offered by Cumberland
county.
: Engineer MCGOWAN, who lost his life
] In the wreck, leave a wife and sever
:, al children. His death makes out a
: case of murder against the party who
J caused the wreck. We learn from Fay
t ~etteville that the people are so wrought
= up over the tragedy that the sheriff
I would he spared the job o. hanging
, the Gonscienceless villain that commit
s ted the deed 1t is stated that Tar
L said he did not intend to wreck tht
e train but that he put the spike on thu
I fail to see how fiat it would be mash
I'd.
Brockington, the egr fireman, re
ceived a broken leg and scalp wounds
o out he will recove 1t was the inten
ton yesterday to send him to his hom'
e ant Florence. Mail Agent Craft re
e ceived a scalp u but he is no
seriously hurt. He was able to go OIL
d to his home at Washington, d. c..
l.. The damage by the wreck is estimat
ed at from 10000 to So. 000. The de
d bris was cleared in time for the vesti
y bule train bound south to pass Sunda
/ rnorning SO that it was only necessar
e TO send the n~orthbound vestibule b
j. Wilmington on Saturday night A
previously mentioned, il passed her
at 1880 o'clock that night
II The Price OF Cotton Advances
q The price of cotton seems t. be tend