The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1913-07-30
On Rail, Causing a Very
Serious Wreck.
JUST WANTED TO SEE RESULT
The Blame Was Finally LOcat.
ed After Many and Va.
riOus Suspicious.
Is HELD TO THE GRAND JURY

The Central City Argus of Fri
day says:
A remarkable development from
the wreck of 101 near Central City
Sunday afternoon occurred last
Tuesday at noon, as bulletined in
the Tuesday issue of the Argus,
when Benjamin Avery, the fifteen
year-old son of Sam Avery, admit
ted that he put spike on the rail
at the Frost curve and wrecked the
fast passenger train. The confess
sion relieved tense situation here,
as the spike which caused the wreck
had been found and innocent men
were under suspicion
The ditching OF 101 on the sharp
curve at the I'D Frost barn, near
Nelson, was described in detail in
Tuesdays Argus II will be recall
ed that two trainmen were hurt and
scores of passengers had very mar
row escapes from death. 1t was also
mentioned that several boys living
near the scene sat on road scraper
at the crossing and saw the wreck.
This fact brought about the discov-
cry of it's cause.
Superintendent Baldwin and the
other |. G. officials spent all day
Monday looking for the cause of the
wreck without success. They exam
ined all of the wheels. trucks, and
equipment without detecting any
condition which might have brought
about the disaster. But finally they
found the imprint of some hard OBJ
ject on the rails at the point where
the wheels first left the track, and
a search was begun for the hard
object. The search seemed in vain
for time. but finally freshly
mashed and battered spike was
picked up in some weeds about
twenty feet from the track. and in
position which, made it seem posi-
tive that it was the means of doing
the damage.
With the discovery of the spike,
the next thing to locate was the
person who put it on the track, and
the inquiry turned along that line.
Two or three perfectly innocent
parties were at once suspected and
Swallowed. In the meantime the
men working on the wreck began
Questioning farmers and others liv-
ing near the scene, as to any sus-
picious looking characters being in
the vicinity. No clues were OBJ
tanned and the mystery of an at
tempt to wreck train in broad
daylight, so soon after 102 had
passed. and in thickly settled
neighborhood. became deeper.
The fact was reported that Ben
jamin Avery and two or three 9TH
er boys were sitting on road
scraper near the scene of the wreck
when the train went into the ditch.
These boys were questioned, and
Avery talked too much. He finally
said that he saw somebody else put
the spike on the track. Then he
admitted that he put II there him
self and had been afraid to say So
He declared that he did not mean to
do any harm, but just wanted to
see what the train would do to the
spike. II seems that he and other
boys had been in the habit of put
ting nails on the track, and making
scissors by crossing them.
Special agents of the |. C. took
charge of Avery and brought him
to Central City His father. who
had been at work and knew moth
ing of the connection of his boy
with the wreck until he went to the
house for dinner. was dazed at the
confession and the mother was dis
tracted. Mr.. Avery came To Central
CITY with the boz and also accom-
panied him to Cresnviile, where he
was taken for trial The examining
trial WAS held Tuesday afternoon
before Special Judge w. C. john
con. and the boy was held over to
the September grand jury on a
hord OF $3.50. A. no provision had
been made for the bond, the boy
had to be sent to jail. where he
spent the night weeping and vail