The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-05-16
Seven Men Apprehended on
Charge of Train Wrecking.
Five Released Later and Two
Held for Investigation.
AT WORK
Gov. HOch Offers Reward in Adj
ditiOn to That of Company.
Last of the Wreckage Has Been
Cleared Away.

Emporia, Kan, May 16.-Of the
seven suspects being held here for
completely in the Santa F'e wreck of
Sunday morning five have been re-
leased, there being no case against
them.
The names of the two men held in
the jail are Christopher James Nc
Crane of Arkansas City, en- route to
Topeka, and Charles Appleman of
Pawnee, Okla, destination Hilltop,
Kansas.
The prisoners declare they arrived
in town only last evening, but the Of
fcials have sufficient evidence to prove
they have been in the city for several
days.
The theory here among railroad
men and officers is that the train was
wrecked by an organized gang for the
purpose of loot rather than that of
revenge.
Detective Germaine and several 9TH
er secret service men of the Santa Fe
have been here working on the case
and they caused the arrest of the
seven men.
Most of the tramps admit being ex-
railroad men. Some of them say
they have worked in Santa F'e shops.
One is an ex-machinist, but denies
that he is a striker. The two held for
closer examination said that they did
not know each other. A small boy
living near the junction was called in
as a witness to testify that he had
seen the two tramps together near the
Emporia junction for the past week,
and once overheard them talking
about getting into the Toulouse,
which is near the junction. 1t was
from the tool house the tools were
taken with which the Wreckers doc
| tOred' the track.
The last of the ditched cars was
raised Monday afternoon. There were
no bodies under the car as reported.
/ The rumor was started by passengers
in the smoker, who said there were
more men in the smoker before the
wreck than were taken out of it. and
Conductor Taylor says he thought he
saw two men jump through windows.
It has been announced that the rail-
road company is not liable for damages
to the injured, as it was neither the
fault of equipment or employees that the
wreck occurred. Trainmaster Austin
said that the loss to the equipment was
not less than $1,000.
No theory except that the train was
wrecked by discharged employees is en-
tertained by the dectives and officials.
The Santa F'e officials regard the mem
bers of the machinistS' union as dis
charged employees rather than "strik-
ers."
The tracks found near the scene of
the wreck indicated that three men and
one woman did the work. Train wreck
ers ditched a passenger train killing
two men, by piling ties on the track
| October 5, 1885, in almost exactly the
same place as No. II was wrecked Sun
I day morning. One man was tried and
was found guilty.
Governor Hoch has offered a reward
| of $500 for the arrest and conviction of
/ parties who pulled the spikes and
wrecked the Santa Fe train at Emporia
/ early Sunday morning. General Mana
/ ger Hurley, of the Santa Fe, called up
/ on the governor and explained the de-
j tails of the crime and asked him to Of
fer reward. The governor telephoned
the officers at Emporia, and they said
! it was a deliberate crime. He then de-
/ cided to offer $500 reward. That is the
/ largest amount the state can offer I'M
| der the law. The Santa Fe has offered
! $4,000 reward.