The age-herald., 1901-06-11
Infamous Railroad outraaes.


 ''The most infamous outrages upon railroad train ever heard of were per petrated against the Louisville and Nashville passenger train at syla- cauga. Fayetteville and Shelby last Sat urday night" said a leading tobacco manufacturer of Virginia yesterday.
 q was in Anniston Saturday on busi- ness. and determined that l would travel to Birmingham by the Southern train, timed to arrive here about 10 o'clock at night, but two friends of mine, who were also bound for Birming- ham, persuaded me to travel with them on the Louisville and Nashville train leaving Anniston at 5:5O in the after noon, saying that we would thereby get to Birmingham an hour or two ahead of the Southern. train.
 'When our train pulled into Sylacauga it was received with volleys of revolver shots and showers of rocks, the windows of the cars being smashed and many passengers narrowly escaping death. One bullet passed within hands-breadth of my face. There were deputy sherifrs on the train. but they could do nothing.
 "At Fayetteville the Sylacauga outrage was repeated in greater degree, great many bullets being fired and rocks thrown into the cars. There was the wild est excitement. Women screamed and men turned pale.
 Before reaching Shelby the conductor passed through the train and informed the passengers that he was powerless to protect them. He suggested to the men that if any of them were armed they might raise the shattered windows and fire upon the ruffans who were sure to give tho train as hot reception at Shel- by as had been given at the other two stations. Thereupon men, women and children threw themselves flat upon their faces on the floors of the cars to escape death. The firing of pistols and throwing of rocks at Shelby was terrible. One woman passenger was badly cut in the face by broken glass, particles of which entered her eyes.
 '"The conductor said that there was no cause or reason for the outrages that they were perpetrated by lawless charac- ters at the respective stations. The high Louisville and Nashville officials are fully informed as to the outrages and every thing possible Is being done to arrest and punish the ruffians.'
 Origin of the "YelIowhammer State"
 "The term 'Yellowhammer' as applied to Alabama and the Alabamians origlna- ted with a Confederate soldier named Will Arnett. who belonged to Company A of N. B. Forests original regiment, at Hopkinsville. Ky, in 1S61,' said Maj. c. H. Mutton yesterday.
 When the company from Huntsville, Ala, the captain of which was Rev. D. C. Kelly, who became one of Forests majors, and which was afterwards con- manded by Lieutenant Nance, arrived at Hopkinsville the officers and men were handsomely uniformed, and on their sleeves and the tails of their coats were bits of brilliant yellow cloth. Forests troops all turned out to receive the Ala bamians As they marched past us-I was in Company A-Will Arnett, who was a great wag, cried out at sight of their yellow-trimmed coats:
 'Yellowhammers yellowhamhers! icker-fiicker-flcker!"
 There was roar of laughter at this apt wit and from that moment we spoke of the Huntsville soldiers as Yellow hammers O term that quickly spread throughout the Confederate armies and was applied to all soldiers from Alabama. Subsequently it was applied to the State of Alabama, and so today we have the 'Yellowhammer State
 twill Arnett saw of course in the coats of the Huntsville soldiers sugges- tion of the familiar wild bird, yellowham- mer.''