The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1902-08-27
SUMTER. S. C.. WEDNESDAY, AUGUST e. 1902.
TRAIN WREGKER ARRESTED.
The Negro Had No Motive Except
That He Wanted to do Some
thing DeviIish.

&HhS4 SSssuS
Columbia. Aug. 20.-The crime. of
train wrecking is generally supposed
| to have been contemporaneous with
! that of train robbing. But while trains
are not wrecked frequently nowadays,
it is because the railroads, through
their section bosses keep a superb
patrol of the great highway of COM
naerce, and frustrate whatever attempts
are made.
A bold attemps to wreck the South
ern's fast train between here and
| Charlotte few nights ago failed MI
raeniously, and subsequent attempt
the night following also failed. There
viii be no more attempts for the negro
fend 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 6.25 last Thursday evening ran into
an obstrcution at the Shannon place
| lust beyond Cornwelrs. The engine
was going at a mighty clip, some
thing like 60 miles an hour, and the
obstruction was on curve. 1t IS mar
yelous that the train was not deralled,
especially when the nature Of the OBJ
struction is known.
/ Flat on the outer rail on the curve
was placed piece of fat 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
fish plate or piece Of iron which is
4 used to tie the ends Of rails. This
| was almost a sure agent Of destruc-
tion. 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 into field nearby, tossed
/ the {. fsh-plate'' to one side and push
ed the rocks from the track.
| Friday night the attempt was re-
peated this time a smaller rock was
used. There was some delay in report
ing the matter, but in less than two
days after he got the information Mr..
+ Bishop had secured confession from
John Wallace, a negro boy 19 years
old. who lives near the scene Of the
4 attempted wreck.
The section master suspected GER
tain negro, but the latter, IN proving
/ his innocence, threw some light on the
crime and stated chat two or three me-
groes whom he named had been seen in
The neighborhood about that hour. An
old plantation darkey corroborated
this statement. John Wallace was
among the boys named. ME. Bisaos
found the boy and charged him with
! the crime Wallace wilted and his sus-
picious actions led to his arrest. On
| the way to the Jail he admitted having
made the second attempt but denied
| responsibility for the first. He had no
! motive except that he wanted to do
something devilish.
/ 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. 1t develop
| ed 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
1 elaborate methods the second night
but was frightened by the approach
/ of the train.
It is difficult to appreciate the enor-
nifty OF this attempted crime. John
Wallace waited for the short train, OF
/ local, to go by, and his efforts were
directed against the yestibule which
! follows shortly afterwards. This train
carries upwards of .150 persons every
day. From the topography of the 10
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 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 143 persons
aboard. The guilty party, negro,
was caught and was given Is months
in jail, but little more than an ordi-
nary thief would be given. A railroad
man said yesterday that the author OF
an unsuccessful attempt at train wreck
! ing should be sentenced for life with
the stipulation that pardon by a
governor would not be recognized in
such case.
The best physic-C Chamberlain Stomach