The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-12-20
Santa Fe Attempts With Blood
hounds to Find Wreckers.
Little Progress Made Toward
Solution Of Mystery.
BIG LOSS OF MONEY.
Over Ten Thousand Dollars in
Burned Express Car.
Tools Used by Wreckers Found
in a Field.

Emporia, Kan, Dec. 2O.-BIood-
hounds have been placed on the trail
of those who were responsible for the
wrecking of Santa Fe train No. IT near
Lang early yesterday morning and
which resulted in the death of En-
gineer H. G. Davis Of Topeka. and FL
mer Derrick, the express messenger of
Kansas City.
H. H. German, the chief secret serv-
ice agent of the Santa Fe, who arrived
at the scene of the wreck a few hours
after it occurred. found at the begin
ming of his Investigations that the How
ard branch tool house had been broken
into on the night preceding the wreck
from which tools were secured to re-
move the spikes, rail joints and angle
bars from the rails. A clawbar and
wrench were found to be missing from
the complement of tools in the house
and these We're found later in the
afternoon by a farmer in a meadow
not far from the place where the wreck
occurred. On the finding OF these tools
Mr.. German sent to Wichita for four
bloodhounds. They reached here late
in the afternoon and were set to work
in the meadow to pick up the scent Of
the wreckers. They made little prog
ress yesterday and were put to Work
again this morning.
This same tool house was broken
open last May to secure the tools that
were used in wrecking this same train
near the same place at that time. IL
is thought that those who caused the
wreck in May are responsible for this
latest disaster.
Kansas City, Mo, Dec. 20.-Besides
the loss of life and damage to railroad
property which was occasioned by the
wreck at Lang, there was about $4,000
in gold, $4,000 in currency and many
thousand dollars worth of jeWelry de-
stroyed through the burning of the
express car. The money was in transit
from the National Bank of Commerce
in Kansas City to Kansas and Okla
homa bankers
There is no doubt but that it will be
fully six months before the entire loss
of the express company is known, ;"
said D. 7. MerVine local manager OF
the Wells Fargo Express company.
s'In the safe was the currency and gold
and whatever space remained was filled
with packages of jewelry. Our cashier
estimates that there was over $4,000
in money in the safe. We shall not at
tempt to open it until it has entirely
cooled The gold will be redeemed at
practically its full value, and we are in
hopes that the currency will be in a
condition to warrant the treasury de-
partment in redeeming the greater part
of it.
IN Tn car WnlCn WAS Q6SlIOyEO
there was but one safe. It is made OF
steel and is about two feet by four
feet. We are unable to state just how
much jewelry was in the safe or what
its condition will be when it is opened.
It is customary to put all packages
containing jewelry in the safe, but at
this time of year we are flooded with
express matter and it was out of the
question to have all the jewelry in the
safe. The amount of jewelry in the car
will not be known until all claims have
been presented, but it is estimated that
the jewelry in the car and safe will
foot up to 100000"
No word has been received at the
Santa Fe offices as yet today concerning
the progress of the hunt of the special
agents for clues of the wreckers. And
really no definite knowledge has ever
been obtained about those who were re-
sponsible for the wreck in May last
Previous to that wreck four futile at
tempts had been made to wreck the
attempts were made by piling ties on
the tracks Each time the engine struck
the ties. did not leave the track and no
serious results followed. This train
seems to be the especial one which the
wreckers are after and why it should
be the officials of the company cannot
understand. There have been attempts
to wreck it at intervals for many years.
This train was ditched on Oct. 5, 1885,
as the result of striking ties which had
been placed on the track and two men
were killed. The engines then were
small, and more easily derailed. No one
was punished for this offense as the
guilt was never fixed, although several
persons were believed to be implicated.