The sun., 1903-02-12
BESSIE MILTON STOPS TRAIN.
HER METHOD rs TO PILE STONES
on THE TRACK.

she Lives Nearby. hut Had Never Seen .
Train stop Thcre-Wanted TO-Only
10 Years Old--She u Said to Have
Been Betrayed by . JealOus Lover
RoSkoNKoMA. l.. J.. Feb. il.-Miss Bessie
Milton, 10 years old, but large for her
age and good-looking, daughter OF John
Milton. a farmer living at Lakeland
one mile west of this station. is under ar
rest charged with pilng stones on the rail-
road track in an attempt 70 wreck inc h,vcr-
head EXPRESS. Which arrives at this station
about tbs O'Clock at night. Jealousy on
the part OF rival lovers is said to have led
to the girls arrest yesterday by James
Sarvis, chief detective Of the Long isiahu
Railroad, and Detective John Burns, also
of the railroad force.
Ever since her mothers death. several
years ago, Miss Milton has kept house Tor
her father and younger brother Charles
II. Milton. Their home Is within sight OF
the railroad track, and yet never IN her NE
land. Neighbors say she had two sweet
hearts. George Stance, 10 years old, who
lives at Lakeland, and John Stack, l6 years
old. of Central Islip. The attempt 70 wreck
the train occurred on the night Of MONDAY,
Feb. ?, when the Riverhead express. con-
sisting of three passenger coaches ana
combination baggage car and smoker,
dashed into heap Of stones piled on the
track near Lakeland. ..'
Engineer Beach and Conductor Callahan
were in charge OF the train The engine
ran into the stones before Engineer Beach
could stop il, and some of the stones got
wedged In the underworks OF the loco
motive, causing delay to the train. There
we're fifteen stones in all and they averaged
about thirty pounds each.
According to the witnesses summoned
before Justice of the Peace W. W. Hawkins
Yesterday, the girl said to them on Saturday
night that she would stop the night express
Ii was John Stack, who IL said to be jealous
Of his rival, George Stance, who hrst gave
information to the detectives concerning
the cuiprit. Then the girls brother, Charles
\. Milton, "A years old, was brought before
the Justice, and he admitted seeing his
sister place the stones on the track.
In a careless fashion the girl admitted
in court that she placed the stones on the
track. She said she simply wanted TO zee
the train stop. Every night, she said, the
locomotive went laundering through Lake
land showerine sparks and she didn't
know why 1t couldn't stop at Lakeland
as well az at Ronkonkoms, 40 she told her
companions Saturday night that she wouh
make the train stop On Monday she col.
lected pile of stones and after dusk placed
them on the track and then hid herself
near the track to enjoy the fun. When
the locomotive struck the heap and sent
the stones flying in all directions she be-
came frightened and ran home. but look.
ing back she saw that the train had stopped
Her Younger brother watched her az she
put the stones on the track but ne did not
assist her. Stack also testified that the
girl had informed him that she had placed
a heap OF stones on the track and stopped
the train The girls father pleaded in her
behalf. 1t was the opinion OF the detec-
tiyes and Of the Justice that the girl is
mentally irresponsible. and she was paroied
in the custody Of the Justice until Friday
of this week. when she still be examined
She has dark brown hair and ewes.