The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1907-01-09
WRECK AND MURDER
ATTEMPTED BY FORMER SOUTH
ERN RAILWAY FIREMAN.
Diabolical Crime Was frustrated by
the Runaway Train Running
into Two Engines.

Branchvll]e Friday evening, Decem
ber-2S, bad 8 narrow escape from be-
ing wrecked by a runaway train sent
out from Augusta by Royal Sego, q
former fireman Of the Southern R2il-
way, for that express purpose. 1t
seems that Sego hsd some grudge
against Engineer Oliver Ewing, who
was running the engine attacned to
the passenger train, and in order to
iDiuSe him opened the throttle OF an
engine in the Iailrosd yard at Au'
gusts and started it On Its errand OF
destruction, thereby imperrilipg the
life OF every passenger IS we'll as the
crew OF the passenger train. The iol-
lowing account OF the attempted
crime, which we take from the Au
gusta Chronicle OF last Friday, will
be read with interest:
Rogal Sego, . white man about 80
years CID, Was arrested yesterday BY
Constable Kelly and taken to Magts'
trste Nurnburger's Office, between
2. 80 and 3 O'CLOCK, charged with hav
ing opened the throttle OF the engine
which pulled the run away train out
Ct the Southern coach yard last Fri
day night and which was only pre-
vented from wrecking the incoming
passenger train by colliding with sn.
gines 3O45 and 1404 on Washingt ton
street, between Broad and Reynolds.
Ssgo is q former fireman Of the
Southern road, and be claims that the
company owes him to the amount OF
s33.00. he was arrested On warrant
sworn out by the railroad company.
Judge W. 81. Nurnburger being the
magistrate, the evidence wsrranting
the Issuance Of the paper having been
furnished by NJ. E. Boyett, an EN-.
ploye Of the road.
Boyett states that a day OF two ago
Sego came to him and stated that he
was guilty OF opening the throttle OF
Southern engine No. 1852, the one
which pulled the train Of two cars
through the heart Of Augusta. Sego
stated that il the two freight engines
had not been on the track at the time
Of the collision, be would sure ha7e
got Oliver Ewing" Oliver Ewing Is
the engineer who was pulling No. II
last Friday night. the passenger train
from Branchville. snd which train
would have collided with the runaway
engine and coaches, II 1t had not been
Tor the presence Of the two freight en-.
qines in the path Of the runaway.
B.yett also states that Sego en-
desvored to persuade him to assist In
derailing another train, but he says
that he refused to sccept the fellows
villanous invitation. When the au'
thorities Of the road heard OF the
statements which had been made to
Boyett, and investigation was held,
apd the arrest Of Sego was the result
He was arraigned before Magistrate
Nurnberger shortly after 8 O'Clock,
but In default Of bond he was commit.
ted to jail.
When making his statement to
Judge Number, Sego absolutely de-
MED that he had made any statements
whatever to Royett, and vehenently
claimed that he was innocent. Boyett
sa7s, on the CONTRARY, that Sego even
vent SO far as to describe his manner
Of starting the engine, saying that be
s,eaked up on the engineers SIDE OF
che cab, pulled the throttle half way
open, and then jumped of. He then
ran into one Of the nearby trainmen's
shacks, and the suspicious OF the mar
inside were aroused, but he paid nc
sspecisl attention to the matter.
Considering the tact that the charge
is one OF the most serious which Car
be brought sgatnet any man, 1t II
generally thought that, In case he Il
proven to be guilty, he will received
= vsry heavy sentence. 1t is SAID Una
Sego is at times slightly denenteo.