The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1905-03-18
ONE KILLED AND
TWO ARE INJURED
Wreck on Ensley Southern Yes
terday Near WyIam
ENGINEER BARNES is DEAD
The Engine of Mixed Train Leaves
the Track at No. Mine-The
Negro Fireman Was
Badly Hurt.
ENGINEER BARNES is DEAD

Ensley, March 17.-(speciaL)-A wreck
on the Ensley Southern railroad, caused
| by the engine and tender leaving the
track, five miles west of Ensley this
morning at 1890 o'clock, resulted in En-
gineer Joe Barnes losing his life, Walter
Drake, the negro fireman. sustaining seri-
Gus injuries. and Mrs Casino Perry
passenger. being slightly hurt.
The train, which is a mixed one, and
makes tri-weekly trips from Ensley to
short Creek, left this morning at $3.50
O'Clock, the regular schedule time. The
train was made up of twenty cars, one
of which was a passenger coach with
about twenty passengers. When No
mine of the Pratt division was reached,
the train was backing on side track
preparatory to unloading some freight.
when the engine left the track. near the
switch.
The tender and engine separated and
both were ditched. Engineer Barnes was
caught under the engine and pinioned to
the ground He was not killed instantly,
but the escaping steam rendered it inn
/ DOSS1Dle
from under the wreck before he died. The
fireman escaped death by being on the
opposite side from which the engine was
ditched. His right foot. however, was
caught under the wreck and was mashed
off Mrs. Perry, who was in the coach
at the rear end of the train, received only
slight injuries. At first she was thought
TO be seriously hurt, but after being car
ried to Copeland g. Berrys infirmany 1t
was discovered that her injuries were not
serious and she was sent to her home at
lrondale.
Help is Sent Out.
Shortly after the wreck help was tele-
graphed for and a special train with
relief party was sent out from Birming-
ham Several physicians were on board
and the injured were given every at
tention.
The special train brought the passen-
gers back to this city and the dead and
injured were carried to Birmingham.
The remains of Engineer Barnes were
taken to the undertaking establishment
of Lige 10y. He has been with the South
ern since 1903. and leaves wife and
family, who reside at Avondale.
Fireman Drake was carried to Cope
land & Berry's infirmary. 1t is said that
he will recover.
The wrecking crew is removing the
wreckage and will complete the task
In few hours. The engine was not badly
damaged and the loss will amount to only
a few hundred dollars. The number OF
the wrecked engine is 21
Conductor Meeks In Charge.
The train was in charge of Conductor
William Meeks and he and his crew rem
dered the injured every assistance
The body of the engineer, which was
recovered only after two or three hours
hard work, was in frightfully crushed
condition. Henry Foster, negro pas
senger, who worked heroically to reach
the pinioned engineer, says he was one
of the first to reach Mr.. Barnes and that
he beckoned to him to remove some of
the heavy debris from his body.
The Ensley Southern runs from Ensley
junction to Short Creek a distance of
about twenty miles
Williams Released.
John williams the negro, who has been
held for the past week. suspected of be-
in. the slayer OF Police Officer Bennett
on proving thai he was at Flat Top at
the time that the murder occurred, has
been released by Justice of the Peace
Donaldson. Williams was arrested on the
testimony of Aleck Robertson, who was
HdHBtu III tue touHty JAN yaiu idSl TIL
day. Robertson identified Williamson as
| the slayer of Policeman Bennett.
Williams claimed all the time that he
was serving a term at Flat Top at the
time of the killing, and an examination
| of the records proved that his statment
| was true.
Will Present Play.
| A company consisting of local talent will
present the comedy. Mrs. Wigs of the
| Cabbage Patch" next Monday night at
/ the Ensley opera house. The proceeds
wiz go for the benefit of the First Cum
berland Presbyterian church
| The cast of character of the play Is
as follows:
Mrs Wigs, Miss Alice Davidson.
Jimmie. Lindsey LEROY
| Billy. Ed Black.
| Asaia. Mary Elizabeth Moore.
| Australia, Wilmuth Hickman.
| Europena. Lutte Cowan.
| lucy Olcott. Miss Myrtle Francis
| Re bert Redding Gilbert Gaum
| Miss Hay, Miss Margaret Spradling.
! Chris Hazy, jeff Cummings.
I etc, Olive Barton.