The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1904-05-06

EXCITING X. RUNAWAY
Of a Pullman Coach Over Two Miles
Into Car of Whiskey.
woRK:oF AN UNKNOWN NEGRO.
Men, Women, Boys and Girls, white
and Black. Scramble to
Catch the spilIing
Corn whiske,

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The Columbia State says the people
of the mill district Of that city, witt
messed an exciting runaway Wednes-
day afternoon. A Pullman coach,
whose brakes had been released by an
unknown negro on mischief bent, as
the car stood on an incline at the
Seaooard's Gervias street yard, DASH
ed ut high rate of speed over the
long trestle south of the city. In
the coach at the time were a Penn;
sylyannia railroad porter, ID. @. Muir
ray, who says he lives in Jersey City,
and his helper, Joe Robertson. a
small negro boy who says he lives
with his mother, Frances Robertson.
at 9l3 Pendleton street. Both were
asleep at the time the coach started
out, but were aroused before the
coach reached the Seaboard's main
line trestle, which starts at the SOUTH
ern end of the yards and extends
through the mill district to the rear
of the Olympia and CRANKY mills. q
distance of nearly two miles.
over this elevated track the coach
sped at rate of about 40 miles an,
iiour. Murray tugged at the brakes,
put without apparent result, his
failure being due, he thinks, to his
excitement and fear. at the end Of
the treStle behind the mills stood
Seaboard box car loaded with 80 bar
rels OF Wateree corn whiskey consign.
ed to Commissioners Tatum which had
been temporarily switched on to the
main line by q train busy in the mill
siding. Murry and the hoy retreated
to the end of the coach furthest from
the approaching danger. The box
car was telescOped and reduced to
splinters by the heavy Pullman.
which was hurt but little. Neither
occupant OF the coach was injured. Ike
Dreher, yard brakeman, who was on
the top of the box car as he saw the
runaway coach rounding the curve
toward him, did not hesitate long to
wonder. He had just made his way
Gown the embankment when the
collision occurred.
Thirty-six barrels of whiskey rolled
down the embankment unbroken.
-Four were smashed and the contents
streamed out of the werck and collect
ed III the shape Of a little lake.
Quickly collection about SO men.
women and boys, white and colored. 3
were on the scene with bottle. pans 3
glasses and buckets scrambling forss
positions under the various little IA
streams s O hiskeys pouring forthsSl
from the wrecked box car. When the
white boys and girls began to din up
the whiskey in their caps and what
vessels they were able to muster into
service on short notice, a white man
with deep-seated look Of disgust on
his face found a shovel and began
throwing dirt into the lake. The
children who were running off to
drink the whiskey as rapidly as they
Scooped it up raised a protest and
some men who were also dipping into
the mine made remarks about the
man with the shovel being smart and
but he needed not and did
not stop until he had obliterated the
lake.
a wrecking train working from the
bridge end and a freight engine from
the other cleared the track in less
than an hour, and no trains were
delayed. The Pullman coach, which
was due to go north with the Sea-
boards $50 train, was hauled back to
the yards for repairs. 1t was slightly
Splintered and broken in at the col
lision end, but it is remarkable how
little it was damaged in view Of the
complete way in which the box car
had been wrecked