Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-02-18
FREIGHT SPOILED THE PLAN
Had the Plot Succeeded Many Would
Have Died.
DETECTIVES HOLD CONFESSION
Scheme, the Woman Says, Was to
Throw Express OF Track and
Loot Passengers.

SIDNEY, N. T., February 1S-L. u. Har-
rington, who resides on Orchard street In
this village. was arrested Saturday by
Sheriff Warner and taken to the county
jail at Delhi. The grand jury of the Feb
ruary term of the supreme court in Della
ware county had been taking evidence In
the case and an indictment was reported
Saturday morning charging Harrington
with an attempt to wreck passenger train
No. on the Ontario and Western. the
sleeper from New York to Chicago, on
March 9, 1905.
On the night Of March an extra freight
train running few minutes ahead of the
sleeper ran into some railroad ties piled
high on the track a short distance above
the roundhouse at an abrupt and dangerous
curve, with steep entertainments on each
side Of the track. The engine was not run
ming fast, and although it was dana ged
and the roadbed torn up, it was not thrown
down the embankment. Had the fast train,
filled with passengers. run into the obstruc-
tion it must have been thrown down the
steep embankment at fearful loss of life.
Detectives began work on the case the next
morning and Harrington, the accused man,
came to them and volunteered his services.
He said that he had been a detective for
many years and as soon as he earned OF
fully and had found broken button, which
he said he recognized as similar to those
he had seen on a coat usually worn by one
Harry Cotton, an employe of the ontario
and Western. who was then employed as a
night worker at the .roundhouse. near where
the attempt to wreck the train had been
made. He said that Cotton had attempted
to wreck train at Earlville in the same
manner several years ago, and he told the
officers to go and see Cotton'S wife and she
would them enough evidence which
to have him arrested.
Proved an Alibi.
They went to the home of Cotton and
found that he was able to prove an alibi,
as he had not been working that night, and
Mrs. Cotton assured them of her husbands
innocence.
The detectives then began to suspect their
coworker. who seemed so anxious to prove
Cotton the criminal. but as no evidence
could be found against him the investiga-
ton was discontinued. It was learned,
however, that Harrington had been for
some time a frequent and welesne visitor
at the Cotton home when the husband was
absent at work, and that the husband had
discovered some fervid love missives writ
ten by Harrington to Mrs Cotton that were
not intended for his perusal. and each had
threatened to shoot the other.
Soon after the unsuccessful attempt at
train wrecking Harrington and Mrs. Cotton
had a quarrel. in which she threatened to
inform the authorities of his connection
with 1t, and he vowed vengeance on her for
not giving the officers evidence against her
husband. Several months passed, and the
matter was being forgotten when Harring-
ton came into the office of Police Justice
Hoffman with young man. Arthur Waters,
who had received a threatening White Cap
letter, and they demanded a warrant for
the arrest of Mrs Cotton as the author of
ho lott n oh he rcfi
a number Of letters written to him by Mrs.
Cotton for comparison with the White Cap
letter, and made an affidavit positively
identifying the letter as written by her,
and a warrant was issued and she was ar
rested. charged with a violation Of section
$50 Of the penal code.
Protested Her Innocence.
Mrs Cotton protested her innocence and
claimed to have no knowledge of such a
letter and pleaded not guilty. The case
was set down for trial in the police court,
but on the adjourned day Waters. the COM
plainant, did not appear to prosecute. much
to the chagrin of Harrington. and Mrs.
Cotton was discharged. She then told the
following story In substance to Justice
Hoffman and her attorney. A. G. Washbon:
Harrington, she admitted had been a
frequent welcome visitor at her home. and
they had planned leaving for the west to-
vented them from making the secret jour-
ney. Several schemes were discussed by
them for getting money, and finally Har-
rington told her he had a scheme for get
ting a lot of money and at the same time
get rid of Cotton, her husband. He said
he was going to wreck the Ontario and
Western sleeper some night, and in the
excitement he could get a lot Of money
express and mail cars. and they would
swear it onto Cotton. who worked near
where he would wreck it.
Threatened Her Life.
He was to tell the officers that Cotton did
the job. and was to send them to her. and
asked her to help in laying it onto her hus-
band She told him she did not like his
plan, but he thought he could depend on
her to play her part in 1t. A few days
after the attempted wreck she met Har-
rington on the street. and he told her that
an extra freight train had spoiled his plan,
and told her she ought to have helped him
In trying to lay it onto Cotton. He told her
if she ever told on him he would kill her
She said the White Cap letter had been
written by Harrington in imitation of her
handwriting, which he was able to do from
the large number of letters written by her
in his possession, and his purpose was to
drive her out of town, or by reason of her
arrest and. conviction of a crime to SO dis
credit any story she might tell regarding
him that she would not be believed. Her
story was investigated, and witnesses were
found who had seen Harrington standing
by the pile of ties beside the track late on
the evening of the attempted wreck.
Harrington Is a married man with no
children, and has lived In Sidney since the
close of the Spanish American war. He
is about forty-five years of age. During
the war he was in Col. Scotts command
that was stationed at the Sandwich Islands
pp0cpESS OE c0r0pED PArE