The evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1907-1908, 1907-07-12
NEGROES DO
NOT LOOKLIKE
BANDITS
None Of Four Who Held Up
Train Over 2O--Put Under
Heavy Bail.

John johnson, Is years old; Joseph
Wilson, 10 years old; Norman Tobin,
10 years old and Clarence Davis, the
four Philadelphia negroes who stopped
fast Pennsylvania Railroad freight
train two miles east of Trenton yes
terday afternoon by setting a danger
signal and were later captured in this
city after a lively chase, were ar
raigned before Judge Howell in the
Third Precinct Police Court today and
held in $1,000 bail for the Mercer
County authorities. Detective Frawley.
who is in charge of the Trenton dis
trict of the Pennsylvania Railroad sys-
tenn, made the formal complaint against
the negroes, charging them with inter-
fering with the signals or safety de-
vices on railroads. The prisoners were
taken to police headquarters and meas
ured and photographed for the Bertil-
lon system. They were then taken to
Trenton by Frawley and Detective Ell
roy, of the railroad force.
The freight was eastbound. 1t con-
tanned perishable goods and was run
ming at a high rate of speed. when be-
tween Lawrence and Mendham. about
TWO IIllleS IIOIl 1TGHlDUt
Henry B. Lawrence saw the danger
signal set on signal bridge soma dis
tance ahead. In an instant ne closed
the throttle and put on the brakes The
train quickly came to stop. II was
soon learned that there was nothing
wrong, and just as the train started
again the negroes jumped aboard They
were at once suspected of setting the
signals. The engineer of the train
caused dispatch to be sent on to Jer-
sey City, and Detectives Elroy and
Phillips were on the watch for the
negroes when the freight train came to
Waverly. When the train slowed up
the negroes leaped from the train.
AS quickly as possible the alarm was
given and Elroy and Phillips turned
out to give chase to the fleeing men.
They didn't have much trouble in pick
ing I'D the trail The detectives are not
familiar with the district through
which the chase led them, but they say
that they covered block after block of
the streets in the vicinity Of Freling-
buysen avenue. finally being led to
make a turn that took them after the
fugitives into the downtown section.
The pursuit race reached Lafayette
street and so down past Van Buren
street. crowd had gradually taken
up the chase, and the four desperate
men, breathing hard and with terror
stricken faces, were tearing along In
front of hundred pursuers.
Not daring to try a shot In the crowd
ed streets, the detectives depended on
running the men down. Word of the
chase meanwhile reached the Third
precinct station and the reserves were
at once ordered out by Sergeant Bar
rett. Mr. Maher volunteered the use
of his automobile, and SO the pursuing
party gained valuable recruits.
Policemen Miller, Collins and Byrnes,
of the Third, in the automobile. drew
close to the fugitives in Ann street, and,
picking up Policemen Cruit and Far
rell overhauled them at the intersec-
ton of that thoroughfare and New
York avenue.
Johnson, Tobin and Wilson were
quickly overpowered, being so winded
that they could scarcely stand. Davis
made as If to stop and then, quickly
turning, ran along New York avenue.
He turned up one street and down an
other until he was finally headed off in
Ferry street by Policemen Scully and
Bechtold.
How the danger signal was set is
causing considerable inquiry. AS far
as can be learned the negroes had
broken a signal and set the danger
signal in its place without interfering
with the system.
The negroes have the appearance OF
anything but highwaymen. They are
all youthful, and bore a scared look
when arfaigned today. Among the
officers in Newark today on the case
was Chief Graham, of the railroad de-
tective force and former Detective
Sergeant John M. Coakley, of the local
police, now in the employ of the rail-
road as a detective.