The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-05-15
TO STOP WREcKING.
Railroads of West Combine to Stamp
 Out Crime.
From the Washington Times.

From the Washington Times.
 Efforts are being made by a number of railroads in the West to bring about the formation of an association for the pur- pose of stamping out the crime of train wrecking
 All the railroads. and especially those traversing the thinly populated districts in the West, are deeply interested in pre- venting hod-ups of their trains, which are often accomplished by derallment abuse of signals, or other dangerous methods, even if the robbers do not re- sort of methods resulting in the actual wrecking of the trains. .3vs
 The latter plan has, however, become the one which bandits loolxuupon with most favor as insuring them plunder without their taking any great risks. for in case of accidents there is generally so much else, to do that the criminals can make good their escape before 1t is even suspected that the wreck was deliberately planned and executed by human hyenas.
 There can be no doubt" said the rep resentative of q Western railroad while in Washington the other day that the cost of an association, formed for the purpose of taking whatever steps may suggest themselves as feasible to stamp cut this crime. would be many times paid back to the railroads by the saving not only of their property but of the lives of their passengers.
 Every train-w wrecking attempt is gener- ally followed by suits for damages against the railroad, and while 1t Is im- possible to gather exact figures on the losses so incurred, 1t can be safely as- sumed that they run away up into the hundreds of thousands
 Perhaps still more important from the point of the actual cash loss incurred is the damage done to the equipment by these wrecking attempts. The value of first class train, consisting of an en- zine, baggage car, coach chair car, and several Pullman sleepers, approximates $100, GOO.
 Frequently there is so much damage occasloned there is no salvage on the equipment, with a possible exception of the engine. For this reason it is fair to assume that wrecks of this character would represent an actual loss of from $bo,O00 to s75,O00 to the railroad company
 Adding to this the damage resulting out of personal injury claims. it is fair to assume that the cost of every such wreck is very nearly $100O00. This is by no means small item, and anything that could be done to save such a loss any railroad would be glad to undertake It IS believed that joint action in prose- cutting train-w -wreckers to the very end will prove to be more effective than the Independent efforts which the railroads have so far made
 Tt is believed that joint action in pros- ecuting tran-wreckers has to be carried on. under the State laws This involves great difficulties, and 1t is proposed to secure the enactment of a Federal statute making train wrecking a crime under the Federal laws. For every apparent reasons criminals fear Federal laws and authority more than the State laws.
 The element of locality does not exist in United States court. Extradition proceedings cannot be invoked to delay United States officers are not handicapped by lack of means. The criminal classes fear the laws of the United States because punishment under them is swift The United States Government exercises au- thority of interstate commerce and there