Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1907-01-01

As predicted by the News" yesterday
n sensation has been sprung as a result
of investigation of the Oregon Short
Line wreck ncar Peterson, Utah. sun
day morning Special Agent Joseph
Jones has hcer working day and night
20 throw light upon the affair and
confession now in his possession is his
reward. This statement is the written
statement OF Roy swartfage,, The is
year-old operator, at Peterson, who adj
mits he deliberately wrecked the freight
train and IN so doing was the cause of
Engineer j. A. McFecley's death and
serious injuries to A. +. Trask, fireman,
and NJ. II. Tice, head brakeman. The
boy says he placed the rail and brace
along the track while under the infiu-
ence of liquor. and from the window of
the station house. watched the train
plunge into the river. The contents OF
the confession are being withheld by
Mr.. Jones, but 1t has been learned that
the boys statement contains many sur
prising paragraphs.
FARMERS NOT IMPLICATED.
Under the severe Sweating" process
10 which he was subjected by Special
aAgent Jones, swartfager, who is the
son of the Oregon Short Line agent at
Peterson, is believed to have told every
thing. Horace Garder, Henry Gar
der Louis Cobaba, William Anderson
and Irve Corrigan. the farmers arrested
upon suspicion, are not implicated in
the confession and they were released
this morning. Swartfager says the
men were hanging around the depot
Saturday afternoon and towards eve
ming decided to celebrate a quart bot
tie OF whisky was procured from Ogden
and the men and boys proceeded to
sample It. Later In the evening Swart-
fager placed n short piece of rail In the
switch and stood at the window OF the
depot as No Sc eastbound freight rolled
towards the station. He remained at
the window when the front trucks of
the engine climbed upon the piece of
rail he had laid in the tracks. throw
ing the engine and several cars into the
Weber river.
LAYS BLAME TO DRINK.
Swnrtfager wired ahead to have No.
3, the California express. stopped. Had
this train rushed into the freight wreck.
many lives would have been lost. Az
Ter sending the warning message.
swartfager went out to the wreck ana
watched others lift the dying engineer
and scalded trainmen from beneath the
cars, piled up In the river. Swartfager
cannot explain his act; he blames II to
the whisky. The boy is almost insane
with remorse, as he realizes what he
has done. The boys father Is grief
crazed. He can offer no explanation
of his sons deed. Like the boy, he
says II was prompted by liquor.
GOOD WORK BY JONES.
Special agent Jones has made a good
record In this case. The wreck occurred
at o'clock Sunday morning. and since
that time Mr.. Jones has not enjoyed n
wink OF sleep. With the clue furnished
by the broken rail. found IN the switch,
aud Information volunteered by Swart-
fager Mr.. Jones and Claim Agent Nc
Nit commenced working on the case.
swartfager explained that the Ave men
mentioned were In the habit of hang
ing around the depot at Peterson. BY
tampering with signals, leaving them
AT danger, etc. the men brought big
Heisht trains 10 standstil near the
station While the train crews and
Haslheh would be trying TO locate the
aouple indicated by the danger sig
ess mo gang would climb aboard coal
tus S ana roll on generous supply OF
tros, When the crew could md no
aheaS NE delayed train would move
the sewing the gang 10 take homo
pulauo0~ OF their clever signal mani
cIsss CREWS PUZZLED.
sAhing through Peterson have