The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-05-26
IT INSULTS INTELLIGENCE
Il Claims in its Wording That The Wreck Was
Not by Its Own Criminal Carelessness
but Offers $500 Reward
for the Party Who
Caused II,


culars Offering reward of $500 for
the party or parties who caused the
wreck of the passenger train near RaI-
eigh last week. The circular is signed
by C. 81. Ackert, General Manager
Southern Railway, Washington, D. G.
and says that the reward will be paid
for the arrest and conviction OF the
parties who by the felonious
placing Of spike or other obstruction
on the track" caused the wreck.
Men who know gazed at each other in
iEcreduity and amusement as they heard
of this Southern Railway notice.
Its an insult to the intelligence Of
thousands of people, one gentleman said,
''and that circular explains why the
Southern has been keeping so quiet and
has made no statement about the wreck"
And the Southern Railway has had an
opportunity to make a statement re-
porter of this paper asked three men con-
Eected with the railway for this. One
of them is Mr.. Henry Miller. assistant to
Vice-president A. B. Andrews and he said
There is nothing to give out There is no.
body to give out anything"
But something has been given out, and
1T rings out in clarion notes against the
reward circular of the Southern Rail
way.
1t is the voice of Engineer Will Rippey
that speaks. Seen at the wreck imme-
diately after the terrible accident by
News and Observer reporter. who talked
with him in the presence of a number of
other gentlemen, ENGINEER RIPPEY
SAID HE WAS WATCHING THE RAILS
CLOSELY AND TFERE WAS MOTH
NG WHATEVER ON THE TRACK.
But the Southern Railway has found
something. The voices OF an outraged
travelling public has so thundered crimi-
nal carelessness into its ears that It now
offers $500 for the party or parties who
caused the wrecl. ssby the felonious plac-
ing of a spike o.. other obstruction on the
track"
There was nothing whatever on the
track. says Engineer Rippey, who was
In the cab with his hand on the throt-
tle
put spike or other obstruction on the
track writes Mr.. c. H. Ackert in the
Southern Railway office hundreds of miles
away.
Will the Southern Railway admit that
there were rotten ties at the wreck?
Never in words, but they are doing it
daily. Oak ties by the hundred are be-
ing hauled to the place where the wreck
occurred In the $50 yards about the
wreck 235 new cross-ties have been put
in, and on this side and beyond the wreck
there had been placed for use as late as
Saturday 146 new cross-ties, both these
numbers being given by actual count.
1.-THE rotten cross-ties did not cause
the wreck, it was a spike or some other
obstruction feloniously placed there by
a party or parties for whose capture we
offer $500" shouts the Southern Railway.
II counted 169 rotten cross-ties at the
place of the wreck and in space of some
thirty yards the ties were so rotten that
there must have been over thirty mashed
to powder there" says North Carolina
State official "I could grind some pieces
of the rotten ties to powder in my hands"
says a prominent citizen of Raleigh. Il
took pieces of the rotten ties as big as
my leg and broke them in my hands,
says another 81 pulled out numbers of
spikes with my hands from ties at point
below where the wreck occurred, says
another. Criminal carelessness caused
the wreck say thousands
THE ABSURDITY OF 1T.
The place where the wreck occurred is
on an embankment twenty-five or more
leet high. 1t is in full view for great
Instance. 1t is in the outskirts of Raj
eish' out short distance from the Hole
man road. One train had passed over 1t
itss than a half hour before. A gen.
,iennan OF this city had passed the spot
less than fifteen minutes before the wreck.
~ NUMBER of little children were fishing
IN the pools of water right at the wreck
All these things being SO who could have
maiKed out on the track. who would
nave dared. in broad daylight, about five
O'Clock IN the afternoon, in an open place
on the railroad. in sight of many peo-
pie, to place spike or other obstruction
on the track
The story OF the wreck puts to shame
and derision and contempt and scofflng
the miserable snbterfuge of the Southern