The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-09-24
NEGRO BEING HELD
FOR TRAIN WRECK|NG
Said to Have Misplaced Switch
at Goree
CAUGHT IN GADSDEN
other Negroes Say Neal Mitchell Told
Them He Made Living BY Wreck
ing Trains-Tried to Sell
Them Goods

In the arrest of Neal Mitchell and Jack
Bailey In Gadsden the Birmingham de-
tectives believe that they have the men,
or man, who attempted to wreck the fast
train out of Montgomery for Birmingham
on the Louisville and Nashville near
Goree in the early part of 1909.
Mitchell was arrested in Gadsden last
Thursday on an ostensible charge of bur-
glary and grand larceny. Bailey was ar
rested In Birmingham in the early part
of the week on a minor charge. Both
negroes were brought to Birmingham
yesterday from Gadsden by Detective
John Wrenn and lodged in the city jail
with charge of burglary and grand lar
ceny against them. It developed yester-
day that the negroes were really wanted
for the attempt to wreck the fast Louis
Vile and Nashville train.
1t is claimed that Mitchell told two
negroes Jack Bailey and Luther Gray,
that he attempted to wreck -. and
that he made his living by wrecking
trains. 1t is also claimed that he showed
them a switch key of the Louisville and
Nashville. The negroes Bailey and Gray
cloth and hats and other clothing and
tried to sell them something, but they
refused to buy anything. 1t is said that
Bailey and Gray gave information that
led TO the capture of Mitchell.
Mitchell vigorously denies the charges
made by the other two negroes and is
very angry with them for telling. Il will
be remembered that he made strenuous
efforts to kill Bailey Thursday afternoon
when the two negroes were being brought
from Gadsden to Birmingham. So far
the detectives have not succeeded In find
ing any of the articles told of by Bailey
and Gray.
T. E. Brooks, superintendent of the
Louisville and Nashville. when ques-
toned last night in regard to the arrest
of Neal Mitchell. said to be in copnec-
ton with some wreck on his line, stated
Il have no personal information that
any arrest has been made However,
our company has received the general in
formation that another arrest was to be
made In regard to the attempted wreck
at Goree some time last year. The ar
rest may involve a negro but as to that
we are at sea- We can state one thing,
anu lHdl is. % lar as L knOW, there
has been no arrest made in the attempt
to derail No. at Goree. In the other
wrecks on the North and South Alabama
there has been an arrest. The attempt
at Goree unlike the ones at Calera, Gun
ningham, and Decatur was not success
full. The switch was found to have been
tempered with before No. 4 reached the
trap. Had II not been for this timely
discovery there might have been wreck
as disastrous as the one at Cunningham.
I'VE are very anxious to clear up the
wreck at Goree and would be glad to
see anyone who has information that
| would clear UP the matter in our minds
| That Is not the only one on the system
that is at this time a mystery to the
Louisville and Nashville officials. We
intend, however, to keep working in an
effort to solve this attempt, which was
among the first of the series that came
as almost an epidemic to our lines"
The matter has been turned over to the
special agents of the Louisville and
Nashville, and they are working on the
case Mitchell was removed from the
city jail last night and carried to Mont
gomery by Special Agency Hardesty of
the Louisville and Nashville. In the
meanwhile the city is holding the negro
Doilau material witness