The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-08-06
CHIEF DETECTIVE
At WORK ON CASE
John B. Harlan Takes Charge
of l.. & N. Probe
NEW CLUES YESTERDAY
Practically livery Empioye of Road Is
Now Aiding to Capture the Nun
Guilty of Recent Wrecks
IN the Line

The Louisville and Nashville Railroad
company's shrewdest detective, John d.
Harlan, arrived yesterday and assumed
charge of the investigation of the wreck
of a freight train In the Decatur yards
Wednesday night. The attempt was d.
rccted toward the fast mail train and
as It was the sixth attempt TO wreck
mail trains on the Louisville and Nash
Vile the roads chief of detectives Is
directing the work In this district.
Mr. Harlan is from Louisville and has
been at the head of the special service
for the Louisville and Nashville for
many years. He is reputed to be one of
the best detectives In the south and 1t
is confidently believed that he will I'M
ravel the mystery surrounding repeated
attempts to wreck trains on the Louis
vile and Nashville
In addition to Colonel Harlan about l6
special service men from every point on
the system are now engaged on ferreting
out the person or persons who nave
made attempt after attempt to wreck
trans on this railroad.
The renewed effort of the special
service department was about the most
important development In the case
through yesterday and last night sew
eral short conferences were helo curing
the day between officials and several
fresh clues have been discovered. 1t has
been officially stated that the arrest of
a person below Montgomery for partici-
pating In q wreck near that city Is not
believed to be the solution of the cases
II is said the arrest below Montgomery
has very little to do with the real per-
petrators and the Montgomery arrest
Is not taken seriously. The theory pre-
walls here than one man or one gang
of men is responsible for all the wrecks,
and upon this theory the Louisville and
Nashville Is working. The work is SAID
to be that of a discharged employe or
of several men who have lost their jobs
for cause. However, this is not admitted
by the railroad offlcialh.
t. E. Brooks, superintendent of the
Louisville and Nashville railroad, who
has been working ceaselessly upon the
Investigation was at his offices last
night in direct touch with the large force
Of investigators. Every few minutes re-
ports would be received of important
features of the case. Mr. Brooks said
last night that he intended to remain In
close touch with the situation until the
clues were exhausted or until some IL
male had been reacneo. he 10 saio ~ oe
grirnly determined to seek out the men
guilty of such outraGes on his division
and assisting him in the work is practi-
cally every employee If the Louisville and
Nashville At a late hour last night Mr.
Brooks gave out a statement that no
important developments had taken place
during the day. He said the conference
with District Attorney Jones of Mont
gomery was in regard to the wreck, but
the details were not stated.
The continuous attempts to derail and
wreck passenger trains on the Louisville
and Nashville have created the most
exciting days experienced in Louisville
and Nashville circles in many months.
The result Is that every engineer, con-
ductor, flagman and other employe Is
making 1t a personal matter to assist
in experimenting the guilty.