The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1908-11-05
HAD NARROW ESCAPE.
Mr.. James DeHart Chloroformed and
Robbed at Old Town.

Newberry, Oct. 31.-Mr. James
DeHart, of Saluda county, and SOL
of Mr.. Dan J. DeHart, of this county,
had a most remarkable experience on
Saturday, October II. Mr.. DeHart
sold cotton at Chappell's, and was
given a check on Greenwood and he
took the morning train for Green
wood to get his check cashed so that
he might pay bank note which he
owed at Ninety-SiX. After getting
his money, he came to Ninety-Six,
and finding the bank closed, he says,
as it was after banking hours, there
fore could not pay his note. He then
boarded the night train at Ninety
Six to return to his home in Saluda
county. He left the train at Oid
Town, and here begins his remark
able experiences and narrow escapes,
and the loss of his money and clothes.
1t seems that that night there was
a freight train following the passen-
ger train and the engineer, as he ap-
preached Old Town, observed some
thing ahead of his engine across the
track. His engine carried a brilliant
headlight, and he was thus enabled
to stop his train before the engine
struck the object across the track.
The engineer, whose name has not
been learned, got down from his en-
CINE to examine this object on the
track. He found it to be a white
man. The body was square across
the track with the feet resting on one
rail, and the head, face downward,
on the other. There was cloth un-
der the mans nose saturated with
chloroform. His hat, coat and shoes
were missing, so our information
goes, and the man was unconscious.
There was on his finger, however, a
knight of Pythias ring, and the engi-
neer, being a knight of Pythias, re-
cognizing his obligation to care for
brother in distress, put the body on
board his engine, and carried 1t on to
Columbia, but did not call physi-
clan, or secure medical aid of any
kind. The story is that the engi-
neer's home is in Savannah and, as
soon as he got off his run in Colum-
bia, he b arded a Southern train for
Savannah, carrying the unconscious
form of his brother Pythian with him.
Of all this Mr.. DeHart knows moth
ing. When he gained consciousness
he was in Savannah, and it was Sun
day, and he discovered that his mon-
ey was gone. The last thing he re-
members from the time he got off the
train at Old Town on Saturday night
until he came to himself on Sunday
in Savannah is that as he got off the
train at Old Town some one unknown
to him put an arm around his neck
and held cloth under his nose. He
remembers having the money for his
check when he got off the train, and
not having it when he reached Sa-
vannah, or rather when he found
himself in Savannah.
Mr.. DeHart was given a ticket or
pass by his engineer friend in Savan-
nah back to Newberry, when it was
discovered who he was and where
his home was. Mr.. DeHart says he
came back from Columbia and spent
Monday night there, coming on to
Newberry on Tuesday. Mr.. G. NJ. B.
Epting sent him out to Mr.. D. J. De-
Hart's Tuesday, after his arrival in
Newberry. In the meantime his wife
had become alarmed at his not re-
turning home, and his father, Mr..
Dan DeHart, had gone to Saluda,
where they were searching for the
lost boy, and it was relief to them
all when he turned up alive.
There seems to be no doubt that
Mr.. DeHart was chloroformed by
some one who knew in some way that
he had this money and that the mon
eV was taken away from MIN.