Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1903-12-19
A WRECK AVERTEDl BOUND FOR BOMBAY
CHILDREN CONFESS TO HAVING
PLACED TIE ON BURLINGTON
TRACK.
Fifth Time DISTINCTIONS have been
Placed on Tracks in Big Cut Near
Albany, Mo.-special Agent Harri-
sen Makes Capture.

Five timesa have ties been piled
across the Burlington tracks by chill
dren in a big cut four miles east of Al
bany, Mo-. and each time has a seri-
ous wreck been narrowly averted. The
latest attempt of this kind was made
December z, when Mary Hunter, a 10
year-old girl, and Eva Barnes, aged IL,
while returning home from school
placed a tie and a number of car-stakes
on the track and then ran up the
embankment to await the COM
Ing of a freight train, which
they knew was due a short
time later. They saw the train ap-
proach and strike the obstruction, for
~tunately with no serious consequences,
and then they ran home, saying moth
Ing about their deed, which might have
resulted in loss of life and damage to
property. Special Agent James w.
Harrison, who in his thirty-flve years
OF service, has rendered inestimable
services to the company, went to work
on the case, and soon had wrung al
confession from the children, whose
only excuse for their rash deed was
that they wished to see what the train
would do when it struck the tie.
Train Strikes Ties. ;.
Monday afternoon, December z, at
4:30 O'Clock an extra freight train, pull
ed by engine No. 1890 with Engineer
Monroe at the throttle, struck one tie
and a number of car stakes in a cut
four miles east of Albany, Mo. The
engine struck the tie and split it wide
open, but fortunately was not thrown
from the track. Last Friday Special
Agent James M. Harrison was detailed
on the case and he Immediately went
to the scene of the narrowly averted
wreck and started upon an inyestiga-
lion.
Wreckers Tracked in the Snow.
He looked over the ground thor
oughly and tracked three pair of little
feet in the snow from a school house
near by to the point where the tie was
piled on the track and from there to a
point on the bluffs overlooking the
wreck. The tracks were seen to lead
up to a residence in hat vicinity. 1t
was then well into the afternoon and
Mr.. Harrison learned that the children
of the family to whose home the
tracks led were at school about three
quarters of a mile from the home.
Children Confess.
Arriving at the school house the
teacher was called outside by Mr. Har-
rison and was asked to call the chill
dren who lived in the house to which
the tracks led; Mr.. Harrison describ-
ing the premises. The children were.
called out and Mr.. Harrison was great
iy surprised to find that they were lit
tie girls, the oldest, Mary Hunter, but
Is years of age, and the younger, Eva
Barnes, only l. years old. The child
rem confessed to Mr.. Harrison that
they had placed the tie on the track
and then ran up the embankment and
waited until the train came along.
Mary Hunter planned the enterprise.
She is an orphan and is making her
home with little Eva Barnes parents.
The little Barnes girl asked her ii she
did not think there was danger of
wrecking the train and she answered
that she did not think so.
Previous Attempts at Wrecking.
At this same point in the track foul
previous attempts to wreck trains
have been made, or at least ties were
piled on the tracks which might have
caused wrecks. April "a and rs Viii
liam Coal, a 16-year-old boy, tried three
times to pile ties on the track. He
was caught by special agent Harrison,
and was later sent to the reform
school. Charles Hyde, a ~14-year-old
boy, placed a new tie on the track in
this big cut, and nearly caused q
wreck. Engineer Arthur Andrews
struck the tie, which became caught
beneath the pilot, and slid over the
tracks for a quarter of a mile before
the train could be stopped. Hyde was
also sent to the reform school.
All from Sullivan County.
A curious fact in connection will
the five instances when ties have beer
placed on the track in the Albany cul
by children, is that the two boys, Goa
and Hyde, and the young girl, Mary
Hunter, who was the ruling spirit il
the latest attempt, all came from Sui
Ivan county, Mo. The two boys raj
away from home and were employed
by neighboring farmers, and the young
girl was making her home with rela
tives heal Albany. The latest case
has been reported to the Burlington of
fcials, but as yet nc action has beer
taken in the matter.
Recalls Essex Case.
These incidents bring up the cast
against Charles Essex, cleared at Char
iton of attempting to wreck train M
8, the night fast mail. Essex wa
cleared Of the charge, and it came ou
in the trial that 1T was impossible TO,
a young man of his age, %, to place
a tie on a track unassisted. Specia
Agent Harrison states that the fac
that two little girls, the Oldest one liz
and two boys could place heavy tie
across the track without help, woul'
make it appear that this point in tn,
Charlton case was not well taken.
Depot Robber Caught.
Special Agent Harrison made anotl
er capture last week when he almos
stumbled upon the young man VIII
robbed the Murray depot on the nigh
of December 9. Mr.. Harrison was a
osceola at the time and he was not
fed there of the robbery. Will