The Twin Falls times. [volume] (Twin Falls, Idaho) 1905-1916, 1911-10-20
DYNAMITE PLACED
ON The TRACK
Dastardly Attempt to Wreck
Presidents Special
PLOT DISCOVERED BY WATCH
MAN ON THE ROAD.
Two Men Who Placed Explosives
On Viaduct Escape After Revolver
Battle.

Santa Barbara, CAL, Oct. 16-What
is pronounced by Sheriff Nat Stewart
of Santa Barbara county and w. F.
Wines of San Francisco, special agent
for the Southern Pacific, to have been
deliberate attempt to dynamite an
S0O-fOot bridge 25 miles north of here,
over which President Taft's special
train passed early today, was frustrat-
ed by the vigilance of a Mexican
bridge watchman at 1880 this morn
ing. Sheriff Stewart and Mr.. Wines
returned from the scene tonight and
said the evidence of a plot was COM
plete.
Although the suspects have disap-
peared the officers say they have GER
tain clews, and already secret service
men have been summoned from San
Francisco and will be placed on the
case. 1t has been ascertained that the
men have not left the mountains, and
close watch is being kept on all pas
sengers.
Seen By a Waterman.
The bridge it was planned to wreck
is fine structure 500 feet long. About
midnight the Mexican watchman was
passing over the bridge on his regular
round. At about half way across he
noticed the dim outline of man in
the gully beneath the bridge. He call
ed to the man. who Immediately start
.~serA~ = 49, - - g----ss.s drew his MIS-
- an, ..od several shoiss Anmt psI all
went wild. He then made an fnvosrf-
cation, and finding II package of dyna-
mite, at once notified the sheriff's Of
fee here by telephone. The sheriff
notified the railroad officers, and
Wines, who was on the presidents
special, was ordered to get off the
train at Santa Barbara and make an
investigation.
Find the Dynamite.
When the officers arrived at Capt.
tan they were taken to the spot by the
watchman. Inside boxlike section of
steel pier 21 sticks of dynamite were
found. The explosive was entirely
hidden from view except that a fuse
10 feet long hung out.
In similar position at the next pier
s18 sticks Of dynamite were found, fuse
attached. Both of these piers were
about the middle of the bridge.
Further inspection disclosed two
sticks of dynamite lying to one side of
the bridge, exactly at the spot where
the man had been arranging the dyna-
mite and attaching the fuses.
Watchman just In Time.
The officers said the dynamite
would test 40 per cent, enough, they
declared, to blow the bridge to atoms
They believe the watchman came along
just about the time the suspect was
placing the dynamite in the second
pier, as this is about the spot where
the watchman says he first saw the
man. From position taken directly
above the dynamite on top of the
bridge the man could have commanded
a distant view of any train approach
ing.
The 10 feet Of fuse lighted. he could
have easily had time in which to place
himself beyond any danger of physi-
cal harm by the explosion, and II an
experienced dynamiter he could have
SO timed his fuses as to destroy any
train he wished.
,pr74e Mexican watchman told the Of
.fieerH that he saw a strange man two
days ago at Daviota, but he paid no
particular attention to him. Just what
clews. II any, the officers have they
refuse to divulge, but they express
the hope there will be developments
soOn-Statesman.