The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1903-08-11
TRIED TO WRECK
SALTAIR TRAIN
Walter Edgar in Jail Charged
With Serious Crime.
MANY LIVES THREATENED
ENGINE STOPPED JUST BEFORE
DANGER SPOT WAS REACHED.

TTI ALTER EDGAR, 15-year-old
w boy. is in the county Jail charged
with attempting to wreck a salt
/ air train near the Jordan river few
days ago. The lad, it is alleged, drove
hshplates in the frog of the track at a
point where the train travels at cOnsid-
/ cradle speed, and where it runs on a
grade several feet high.
The condition of the track was dis
covered by a pedestrian just IA time to
prevent the APO train, loaded with sew
eral hundred passengers, from being
wrecked. The attempt was made at
a place where the whole train would
have been thrown down the embank-
ment and many people would probably
have been killed.
Young Edgar denies that he is the
guilty party, but three boys who saw
the work done identify him as the one
1t is said that the lad tried to ditch the
train just to get even" with cOnduc-
tor who put him off the cars while he
was stealing a ride.
Many People On Train.
On the day the attempt was made. Aug.
f. the train was loaded with large eN-
Cursion party. 1t had reached the
straight track near Ninth West and was
beginning the make speed The train
when man who was crossing the track
near the river bridge noticed a pile OF
ner that it would throw the train from
the rails over the embankment. Realizing
that action must be quick, he called to a
labOrer who was near and they Tagged
the train. The engineer saw them just
in time to bring the engine to a standstiU
but lew feet from the place where the
irons had been driven.
trouble and after working for fifteen or
twenty minutes the irons We're loosencd
and removed They had been pounded in
SO tightly that il was with difficulty that
they could be taken out AS soon as the
track was cleared the train moved on and
the passengers never knew how near they
came TO being killed or injured in a wreck
Had ii not been for the mere chance
passing of the pedestrian. whose name is
unknown, the engine would have been
thrown from the track. the trainmcn say.
and it would have dragged the cars
Embankment is High.
The embanl1ment at that place is sew
eral feet high and the cars would un-
doubleday have rolled over and over 10
the bottom. They would not have gone
into the river, but would have landed not
Tar from the bank, II is said.
The matter was reported to Manager
LangfOrd and he Immediately consulted
the sheriff about the matter There was
nothing TO show who had done the work,
but from the manner in which it had
been done il was evident to the officers
that II was done for the purpose Of caus-.
ing q wreck.
Yesterday Deputy Sheriff Booth found
three boys who asserted that Young Ed
gar did the work The boys are Roy
Williams, Charles Hoffman and Adeibert
Penney. According to the story of these
lads, they We're cutting willows by tho
track on the day I'm question. and they
saw Edgar walk no the track. one Of the
boys stood on the track and he declares
he saw Edgar driving the irons into the
frog. The lad is only II years old and
did not realize what the results
would be.
Say They Saw Edgar.
The other boys assert that they saw
Edgar picking mp the iron that was driv-
en- into the frog and heard him pounding
something. but they did not see where
he was driving the iron.
According to the statement of these
boys to the officer. Edgar had been steal
ing rides on the fOOtbOards Of the cars
that day and the conductor put him off
the train several times. They say that
Edgar became angry and threatened to
get even with the conductor if he had
20 ditch the train. The officers believe
that this IS what prompted the lad to do
what he did.
DEPUTY Sheriff Booth found Edgar at
his home, 81 West South Temple street,
last night and placed him under arrest.
He denied positively that he had driven
the irons into the frog He was locked
up in a cell at the Jail and questioned
but he could not be made to say a word
except that he did not do it. However.
the three boys positively identified him.
and the officers are sure they have Sc
cured the right person. Manager Lang
ford will swear TO a complaint against
him today.