The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1902-08-27
TRAIN WRECKER ARRESTED.
Two Unsuccessful Attempts Made
Near Chester.

| TWO UnSuCCeSS1ul attempts -MaOe
Near Chester.
The crime of train Wrecking is gen.
orally supposed to have been contem.
pOraneouS with that Of train robbing.
But while trains are not wrecked fre.
quently nowadays, it is because the
railroads, through their section
bosses" keep superb patrol Of the
great highway of commerce, and frus-
trate whatever attempts are made.
A bold attempt to wreck the South
ern's fast train between Columbia and
| Charlotte few nights ago failed mi
raculously, and a subsequnt attempt
the night following also failed. There
will be no more attempts for tt e
negro tiend is in Jail. The arrest was
made by Mr.. Geo. w. Bishop, special
agent OF the Southern railroad.
The fast train which left Columbia
at 625 last Thursday evening ran into
an obstruction at the Shannon place
just beyond Cornwel's. The engine
was going at mighty clip, something
like 60 miles an hour, and the obstruc-
tion was on a curve. It is marvellous
that the train was not derailed,
especially when the nature Of the
obstruction is known.
Flat on the outer rail on the curve
was placed a piece of fiat iron about
an inch thick and four feet long. This
itself was almost enough to throw the
wheels Of the engine from the track.
Back of this was placed a 'fSh-plate"
or piece Of iron which is used to tie
the ends of rails. This was almost a
sure agent of destruction. But to
make the thing doubly sure, the would
be wrecker placed on each rail flint
rock weighing l25 pounds.
When the great engine struck this
Combination of distractions it hurled
the iron bar far into field nearby,
tossed the 'tiSh-plate' to one side and
pushed the rocks from the track.
Friday night the attempt was re-
peated; this time smaller rock was
used. There was some delay in re-
porting the matter, but in less than
two days after he got the information
Mr.. Bishop had secured confession
from John Wallace, negro boy 10
years old, who lives near the scene Of
the attempted wreck.
The section master suspected a GER
tain negro, but the latter, in proving
his innocence, threw some light on
the crime and stated that two or three
negroes whom lie named had been
seen in the neighborhood about that
hour. An old plantation darkey cor
roborated this statement. John Wal
lace was among the boys named. Mr..
Bishop found the boy and charged
him with the crime. Wallace wilted
and bis suspicious actions led to his
arrest. On the way to the jail he ad-
mitted having made the second at
tempt but denied responsibility for
the first. He had no motive except
that he wanted to do something devil
iSh.
When visited by his parents at jail
John Wallace was asked what he did
with his younger brother with whom
he had started to church. It developed
that Wallace had protested against
the younger boy going with him. and
when they arrived near the scene OF
his intended crime he left his brother
on some pretext and slipped down the
railroad track. After some evasion
he finally confessed his guilt in the
first attempt. He would have used
more elaborate methods the second
night but was frightened by the ap-
proach Of the train.
It is difficult to appreciate the enor-
nifty of this attempted crime. John
Wallace waited for the short train, or
Local, to 60 by, and bis efforts were d.
rected against the yestibule which fol-
lows shortly afterwards. This train
carries upwards Of $50 persons every
day. From the topography Of the To-
cality, the speed of the train, etc.,
it is easy to believe that the loss OF
life would have been appalling.
The law, it is said, is not severe
enough. Last year over in Lexington
county an attempt was made to wreck
a passenger train coming down the
hill at Leesyille. A spike was driven
securely between the ends Of rails and
a link used in coupling was thrown
over the spike, making a formidable
obstruction.
A white man passing the spot saw
the obstruction and with a lightwood
knot drove the spike from its secure
position, It required frantic efforts
to remove the spike before the train
came rushing by with l43 persons
aboard. The guilty party, a negro,
was caught and was given is months
in jail, but little more than an ordin-
ary thief would be given. A railroad
man said Wednesday that the author
Of an unsuccessful attempt at train
wrecking should be sentenced for life
with the stipulation that pardon
by a governor would not be recognized
in such case.
Big Fire in Georgetown.