The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1900-10-31
TRAIN WRECKERS.

Caught in the Act Near Lawrence
willie, Ga, on the Seaboard Ali
Line-Sherif, Detective and Pris
| Oners all Board the Train.
An attempt was made to wreck the paasen
ger train on the Seaboard Air Line railroad
four miles from Lawrenceville Saturda!
night.
The men had been suspected and watched
and were caught in the very act Of removing
the bolts from the rails.
The train which left Atlanta saturda!
Abbeyille, had five coaches all crowded
many Of the passengers having been to Allan
ta to attend the fair. The two men who ha6
purpose of robbery must have counted or
this, and selected time when they believed
there would be many to fall Into their GRASP
as they lay dying at the bottom OF the trestle
WOULD HAVE BEEN LYNoHED. :
When all OF this dawned upon the pas
sengers, among whom there were women and
helpless little children, the feeling, against
the dastardly fellows became Intense, and the
sheriff himself states that ne ne 6eIisves there
with the men II Lawrenceville had not been
90 close at hand.
The two men who would have murdered
6n.
hundred dollars, are John Dalton and Tom
Patterson Each tells q story, and seeks 10
place the guilt on the other.
STORY TOLD BY THE sHERIFF.
"For several days myself, 3. F. Brubaker, OF
board Air Line road, have been working on
this matter. It was reported to Us over q
week ago that an attempt would be made 10
wreck the night train out OF Atlanta. We
them.
last night we succeeded in bagging our game.
Just after dark, last night, j. T. Byrd, John
Oaks, the detective and myself went out 10
the trestle, about four miles from town. 1t
having been reported TO as that the time for
wreckfng the train had arrived. We station.
ed Byrd and Oaks on one side OF the river
and the detective and myself on the other.
About half an hour before the Atlanta train
was due the wreckers were heard coming
down the track and struck the trestle. -
"The trestle is $50 feet long and 81 feet high:
They walked on to the trestle and stopped
about $50 feet from the side we were on and
went 10 work loosening bolts, etc.
srThat was sufficient warning to us. and we
proceeded to close in on them. 1 haa them
both hapdcufed together n host twinkling nd t1Go
rocks that they were using to throw the rails
ont of line. There was two ofthem, 9John
Dalton, young man about " years OLD, ana
Tom Patterson, man ABOUT ~ Year. ,,iGs oiu,
from thetrestle. He ts an nm married man.
patterson is married man with q family,
and lives about one mile rom the .trestle:
The detective asked them who they were ana
what they were doing. Patterson replied
that he Was working on Ssheaechon ana was
a King the tfestle. q n :. T., 81
"It was not long until the train came: along;
boarded the train for Lawrencey1lle. There
were four coaches full of people and the news
OF our capture and the Scircumstanoesa spread
like wildfre through the Irain ana g csassa 9sts
distance had been ten miles, instead OF four,
To I,awrenceville there would have been
iynching. am thankful that .wes landed
them in Jail safely" 3. ~ !
, JOHN DALTON, TELLS HIS STORY. Z ~
2 "I was going to Gloster about half past 9
O'Clock after cheese for my brother and met
Tom Patterson on the tresle. He had Q crow.
two 0eSaS as saps On
Sim him what he Was doing; and be said that he
was Tightening taps. Ttold him be wonld be
o51S sna 2 =
pie and that AZ wouid2be hanging crime.
lie replied thata poor mHns couldn't make
living In this country, andtd told nim ne
lime have ever been accused a q crime 7f Pc q
fore. 81. tR 80 sgf 80 4
- WHAT TOM PATTERSON SAYS
Z VI was born in ,Abbeyille county, 3. y. l
came TO Gwinpett county In 49,. nave
worked In factories, on railroads and farms.
Not long ago John Dalton and moved man
to the Moffett farm above town. now owned
by nj, e. Ewing. On that trip ne suggested
several things for us TO do, such. g stesnng
chickens and the like. We passed Q cotton
pen on the road and he suggested tnat We
stea, that on our way back. told him tnat
was no chicken thief nor cotton thleI. Inat
n I stole anything II would be something
that would count. Then ne suggesteu tne
ahnnt IL some time. He said that: bis inten.
lion was to wreck the train on GLOW river
trestle. He said that he would throw tne
trsir Off the treatie into the river, and would
xiii ali that survived the wreck Win an az,
and then rob the express car, mail car ana
passengers. I'm this way ne & saia ne ao,isrs TEura
r. said that he would hide the passengers
wa,ches ieWeiry, etc., and sell them two or
three wears afterwards. He suggested tnat
efter we had divided the spoils we would fall
ont 10 prevent suspicion that We were con-
nected together In the crime. This was sucn
an awful thing that went TO reiaIYe, py
marriage, Mr.. Bob Mofett, ana aGYlssa M VII ah,
kili me If / did or did not Join him. Moffett
advised me to report the matter. 70 tne
anthorities, which ! did. IT 1s mistake
about Dalton meeting me on the treatie.g w
went there together. I got the orowbar 81
Mr.. Davis farm, where live. knew. sne
officers would be there: The W9ole program
myself. The reason gave the plot away was
because wanted to protect the passengers
lives as we'll as my own"
His story about putting the officers on 70
the plot to wreck the train s believed W %
true. = r- ....-... !,