The Mathews journal. (Mathews C.H. [Court House]) 1903-1937, 1911-01-12


gers from the cars and herded them
on one side OF the cut. The express
messengers. Harry Murray and Percy /
Crutchheld, representing the Adams /
valuables put In their charge had
been stolen, and they had been help |
less TO prevent IL. as Morganfield had |
threatened to blow their brains out
1 a. they interfered.
Splendid Loot.
The express car had contained what
/ was known as the bankers mali
; from the South. What Morganfeld
carried away was never given out
/ One of the packages which he took,
. however-and he took more than one
was said to contain $4,000.
Not knowing what might happen
next, IL was impossible for Captain
Z Birdsong to leave his train He or
dered the Pullman porter to so to
Whitewater and report the hold-up.
The porter swore he wasn't "goin' no.
| whar-" He Just wanted to get back
| to Richmond one mo- time, and 70
God he would never get on another
train"
/ Finally two gentlemen volunteered
to walk up TO the station IL was
/ about four miles from the scene of
the robbery. and they reached it in
| about three-quarters of an hour. The
operator at once flashed the news to
his division superintendent, and plans
| We're at once devised for getting the
Meanwhile, the wild engine, run
ming at what appeared to be not less
| than seventy miles an hour, 7 ad
| rushed by Whitewater station The
| operator, knowing that Il down train
/ would be due in a few minutes and
/ that disaster of frightful proper
| tons would result unless il could be
| stopped, flashed the danger signal to
| Quantico, where the operator hasten
ing out OF his office, threw the switch
OF sidetrack. In a few second the
mad locomotive was upon him, but
the lever had been turned, and the
great steel mogul veered from the
main track on a coal dump, utterly
demolishing half dozen loaded coal
cars.
Hardly had the danger of the first
collision been averted when the roar
of the SouthbOund train was heard
With the exception of a siding the
road from that point to the cut, in
| which the other train was standing.
| was single track and another wreck
was threatened. Red lights flashed
| by the QuanticO operator brought the
incoming train TO a sudden standstill
| however It was pulled on the siding
an engine sent down for the decapi-
| tated train patiently waiting i'm the
] cut, and the delayed passengers final
ly pulled into Washington.
Robbers Escape.
Morganfeld and Searcy had disap-
peared. Several days later. however.
in one of the dives in Calverton, Md,
| the two men are supposed to have
/ been recognized. They disappeared
| again. but detectives were so close
! upon them that within a short time
/ Searcy was caught. Morganfield was
! making his way to the West coast
| He was recognized in Ohio. He was
/ on train at the time, and suspect
/ ing that a detective was dangerously
| close, the rObber rushed to the door
| and leaped from the moving train
n 10 1r1n hi In
/ so seriously that further effort at es-
cape was practically impossible. and
! the detective, who had stopped the
I train. hurried back and arrested him
| Taken back TO Stafford county, Nor
garfield was indicted by the grand
| jury November 21st following. SearcH
| turned States evidence. and told the
whole story. Both were sent TO the
penitentiary. Morganfield's term be
ginning May 6, 1875. over six months
after his crime hal been committed.
His knee hai ..t % set in "A plaster
cast. but had rot proved. The joint
| had been dislocateo. and the bones
| refused 60 BE returned to the proper
] position. Morgarfeld was conse-
quently famed for life. and is now un-
able to walk without a crutch.
Would Net Work.
When he entered the penitentiary
ne was given clerical position. as
his lameness prevented more active
employment. lie refused 10 work. lie
said he didn't like to work. The State
had sent him TO the penitentiary en-
tirely against his viii and now mus;
take the responsibility of it. He didn't
propose 10 do anything. he said; the
State could take care Of him.
AS practically all able-bOdied con
victs are required 20 do something.
| the suprrint ondCnt decided that Nor
! yanfield would have to work. The
RECORDS do not show that he was beat
( en-. however. in order that he might be
convinced Of his error. Milder per
suasion was used and the train rob-
Der finally consented TO sew on but
! tons In the shoe factory.
II was not until he had been in
the great white prison for more than
| a year that harsh methods were re-
quired. according to the books con
/ tanning the mans record. For viola
ton Of the rules" MOrganneld was
given ten stripes" Qashes) on Sep
| TENDER O. 1896. The books. as far as
can be learned, contain no further
mention of him until July, 1875
! nearly two years later.
Then Morgantieii.d appears to have
dent TO the surgeon" he was given
! twenty-one stripes on July 10Th. tor
/ refusing TO obey the assistant super
| intendent' he was given twenty stripes
/ two DAYS later, and for attempting TO
| strike the assistant superintendent ne
Halter These extracts are from Morgan
| fields record" Of which he has copy.
/ He was given TINS copy py oupeIlh-
| tendent Wood upon his dismissal. These
| specific "punishments'' which Morgan
field refers 10 as torture and cruel
and inhuman treatment have never be-
! fore been published.
From his own standpoint the train
robber may have considered his at
tack upon the assistant superintendent
iustifable For the sake OF prison
discipline, to say nothing of his re-
gard for his own safety, that official
objected to it, however, and reported
Morganfield to the superintendent. who
ordered the then convict given the
twenty-five lashes above mentioned.
Guards and keepers who have been
in the prison for many years point out
that MorRanfield was shown frequent
consideration. AS he was lame, he was
not required to walk in line. nor was
he required 20 do hard physical labor.
Stunned by Fellows
In spite of this he was regarded as
one of the most morose- and dangerous
prisoners within the walls. Because of
|,kis savage disposition the other con
i -. Stunned him. He was left to him
he guards say. and was con
nkepera1ly disagreeAble.
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