The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1906-12-05
PRESIDENT SPENCER KILLED.
HEAD OF SOUTHERN RAILWAY
MEETS TRAGIC END.

Terrible Rear-EnO COluSlOn on Ufc
Southern Near Lynchburg, Va
President Spencer's Private Car
Demolished and the Wreckage
Burned-Everybod in Car Killed.
Lynchburg, Va, Nov. 29.-samuel
Spencer, president Of the Southern
Railway company, and recognized as
one of the foremost men in the de-
yelopement of the Southern States,
was killed this. morning at 6.10 O'Clock
in a rear-end collision in which two
fast southbound passenger trains
were involved, ten miles south OF
Lynchburg. and a mile north Of
Lawyers depot. In the same wreck
three of his guests were killed. Only
Mr.. Spencer's private secretary, =. A.
Merrill of New York city, and one OF
the three porters survived the ac-
cident.
The Dead.
President Samuel Spencer, Wash
ington.
Chas. D. Fisher Of Baltimore, Nd.
Philip schuler OF New York city.
Frank r. Redwood Of Baltimore.
D. W. Davis of Alexandra, Va,
private dispatcher to President Spen-
Ger.
William Pollard, colored, porter on
President spencer's car, who died in
hospital here.
An unknown person, whose head
and limbs are burned off short, who
is believed to be the third porter on
the private car, who is missing. His
name cannot be learned.
The Injured.
Lucretia Allen, colored, Danville,
Va, leg broken and amputated below
the knee; left arm badly broken.
willis J. Winston, 2ss East One
Hundred and Twenty-seventh street,
New York city, leg badly broken.
J. W. Shaw, colored, Spencer, n.
c., fireman, badly crushed and both
legs broken.
Garland Thomas, colored, Green's
boro, n. c., leg broken and badly
bruised up.
P. E.. vauls, eolored, Waynesboro,
Va, badly broken up and bruised.
Cora Logan, colored, Shelby, n. c.,
both legs broken.
Sam Cox, colored, porter on the
private car, of Gil First street, S. w,
Washington, D. c., leg broken.
Cruett, address unknown, the
supreme organizer of the Heptasophs,
back badly wrenched.
Son Hoglan, colored, Charlotte, \.
c., badly bruised leg.
E. A. Merrill, New York city, pri-
vate secretary to President Spencer,
head and arms badly burned, will re-
cover.
Mr.. spencer's destination was
Friendship, n. c., where he was 60
ing on a hunting trip with Messrs.
Schuyler, Fisher, Redwood and Mer-
rin, as his guests.
President Spencer and his entire
party occupied the rear car on the
foreward train and as far as is known
were sleeping when the collision
happened, and the probabilities are
that all Of them excepting Dispatcher
Davis were killed instantly. 1t is
certain that life was extinct before
the flames touched them. President
Spencer's bady was burned almost
beyond recognition, as was that Of
Mr.. Fisher The body Of Mr.. Schuy-
Ter was taken from under the train
before it was burned very mich,
having been singed only slightly.
President Spencer's car was attached
to the rear Of the Jacksonville train,
which was standing still when
struck.
President Spencer was lying direct
ly under the big locomotive Of the
rear train. So great was the force of
the impact that the forward train
was sent at least $50 feet ahead, the
s locomotive going over and upon the
body of Mr.. Spencer. Until after
the debris burned itself out and the
engine cooled off tn bodies could not
be removed.
The impact drove the combination
car forward and the express car lifted
up together with it's truck and crush
ed the car 40 feet, leaving the re-
mainder OF the car strewn with tons
of baggage and colored passengers,
who were pushed back, as the ex-
press car crushed the combination
car, like rats.