The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-08-02
Passengers Lie Flat While
Balls Hiss and Crash
Above.
SEEKING NEGROES LIVES
The Mob Wished 10 Lynch Two Prisoners on the
Trar---The Engineer Pulls 0p-n The
Throttle and the Train Dis
appears.
(By the Associated Press.)


Huntington, w. Va, July 31.-The
Chesapeake and Ohio express No. l was
help up by a mob of 200 men near Clifton
Forge late last night, and a desperate eff
fort was made to takes negro prisoner
from the train. over a hundred shots We're
fired by the mob, and when the train
reached here twenty bullets were buried
in the woodwork of the smoking car, and
all of the window glass had been shot out.
At Clifton Forge, the two negro prison.
ers were taken on board to be brought to
Covington, Va for safe-keeping. Engi-
neer James Peck, of Hinton, and Con
ductor Jack Hall, of this city, who were
in charge of the train, saw lights waving
on the track as the train had begun to
gather speed after leaving Clifton Forge.
The train was stopped Immediately and
Engineer Peck started to get out of his
engine to find out why the train had been
tagged.
AS the train came to a standstill, a mob
surrounded the engine and coaches, and
threatened to shoot Engineer Peck if he
moved the train, then they began to
climb aboard.
Conductor Hall, who had anticipated
trouble, when he saw the train tagged
was prepared for the mob and as they
made a rush for the coaches he ordered
all the doors of the car locked.
The men finding that it would be impos
sible for them to enter and get the ne
groes, began to gather around the smok-
ing car, in which the negroes were under
guard. AS Conductor Hall ran through
the train calling upon the passengers to
lie flat on the car, the mob began firing
into the windows of the smoker while the
passengers scrambled from their seats to
n place of safety from the flying bullets
The firing was kept up for several min
utes with bullets whistling through the
windows. While women screamed the mob
outside continued their clamoring for the
two negro prisoners. Revolvers were also
brought into play. and flying missiles of
all descriptions came through the windows,
but not a passenger nor trainman was in
jured
Engineer Peck during the firing had
sat upon his engine covered by revolvers
in the hands of several members of the
mob. At last, when the main body of the
mob had almost exhausted their supply
of bullets, those who had been guarding
the engineer left, going towards the smok-
er, leaving Peck unguarded. AS his Tor
mer guards turned and ran toward the
smoking car Peck pulled the throttle
wide open and the train began to move
The mob, seeing the turn things were
taking and fearing that they might be
outdone In their efforts to get the pris-
oners, climbed up on the platforms of the
cars and attempted to stop the train by
turning the angle cock to the air hose
thereby applying the brakes. Not under
standing the working of the brakes, how
ever, they were unable to apply them at
full pressure, as the train had gotten un-
der Roadway
Realizing that they were baffled. the
men jumped from the moving train and
fired several farewell shots into the car
windows
The train gained quick momentum and
did not stop until Covington was reached
where the negroes were placed in Jail
The negroes for whom the train was
held up, are from Lynchburg, Va, and
are supposed to be the men who shot and
seriously injured a white brakeman Ed
ward Hite on the Chesapeake and
Ohio excursion between Clifton Forge and
Lynchburg, few days ago.