Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1906-12-01
PRESIDENT SPENCER OF SOUTH
ERIN RAILWAY KILLED IN Ac-
ciDENT ON THAT ROAD.
HALF A DOZEN OTHERS ALSO PERISH
MOST OF THE VICTIMS GUESTS
OF RAILWAY MAGNATE IN
HIS PRIVATE CAR.


Samuel Spencer of the Southern Rail
way system, who was en- route to the
South, was killed in a rearend collision
at Lawyer, ten miles south of Lynch
burg. The private car in which he
was riding was struck and split open
by the colliding locomotive. 1t 1mme
diately caught fire and the body OF
Mr.. Spencer was burned almost be-
yond recognition. In the car with him
were Phillip, Schuyler, Of New York
city; Mr.. Spencer's private secretary,
Merrill. and his private dispatcher, d.
W. Davis of Alexandria, Va. Operator
Davis was crushed and died in fifteen
minutes. Mr.. Schuyler was instantly
killed, but his body was not badly
burned before it was rescued By pas
Sengers. Engineer Perry, who was on
the rear train, was killed. Private
Secretary Merrill was injured. Twelve
or thirteen passengers, most of them
negroes, were injured, only one of
whom is thought to be fatally hurt.
Two men are missing, Charles D.
Fisher of Gilt & Fisher, commission
merchants, Baltimore, and Frank I.
Redwood, also of Baltimore. Their
bodies were recovered later.
Phillip Schuyler, among the killed,
was retired capitalist of New York.
His residence was on Hudson river.
The car next ahead of Mr.. Spen-
GERS private car, a Pullman sleeper,
was destroyed by fire, but all the pas
sengers escaped.
Collision Follows Breakdown.
The collision was between train No.
80, the Jacksonville express, and train
No 81, the Washington and Southern
vestibule limited. The Jacksonville
train stopped on the top of a very
heavy grade mile north of Lawyer
depot to repair a slight breakdown
and before, it is said, iagman could
get back to protect. the train the At
lanta train dashed into it.
The heavy engine of the train
plowed into the private car of Pres
ident Spencer, in which he and his
guests are supposed to have been
sleeping. Immediately the private Car
caught fire. The Wreckage was piled
around the engine as though placed
there by human hands to be consumed.
Every piece of woodwork on the en-
CINE was burned, and the monster ma
chine stands there torn and twisted
and will have TO be turned down the
embankment, as 1t is useless. 1t was
under the locomotive that the burned
body of President Spencer was found
It is evident that Mr.. Spencer was
killed instantly and that he did not
suffer the tortures of being burned
Dispatcher Davis was alive when he
was taken from under the wreckage.
He was crushed about the lower por
ton of the body and was conscious
until the end. He asked that word be
sent to his wife and child
One of the worst phases of the acct
dent was the heartless manner in
which a few passengers and some of
the attaches, especially some of the
porters of the Atlanta train, ran
sacked the wrecked cars for plumber.
F. NJ Curtis of jamestown, N. Y, who
was passenger on the Jacksonville
train, saw one negro porter go through
a lady's grip. He saw him throw away |
such things as were of no value to
him and appropriate those things he
wanted Mr.. Curtis declared that he |
would have certainly killed the porter |
If he had had something to do it with |
Rescuers Save Number of Lives.
Mr.. Curtis, who was on his way to |
High Point, n. c., on business mis-
sion, was the hero of the hour. 1t
was claimed by some of his fellow !
that to his work and gen |
eraship belongs the credit of the res
cue of a dozen persons who might |
have persisted but for his efforts. Sew
eral persons not seriously wounded |
were taken out from the two cars that
were burned and six negro passengers
were taken from the combination
coach Of the forward train. They were
literally covered with heavy baggage,
which had been thrown through the
light partition between their portion
Of the car and that set apart for the
baggage. They were badly hurt, most
Of them having broken legs, some of
them both legs, and one or two with
fractured skulls All of them have
numerous cuts and bruises. but the
physicians attending them believe all
viii recover with the possible excep-
ion OF an aged woman, who may be
atallv hurt These were brought to |
he city hospital.
The cause of the wreck cannot be
earned now, but it is understood that
he operator in charge of the block
,ffice at Rangoon, four miles north of
lie scene, allowed the Atlanta train to
enter the block before he had been
siyen a clear track from the next
flock station at Lawyer depot, five
niles below
No So, the Jacksonville train. came
o stop at the crest of one of the
heaviest grades on the road between
4ynchburg and Danyille. If the trains
lad come together a mile further