The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1913-06-06
ATTEMPT MADE TO
WRECK The TWO
SLEtPERS
Accused Men In Court at Rut-
land Today
ARE HELD FOR GRAND JURY
Effort to Wreck Sleepers Failed But
North Bound Mail Off Track
at WaIIingford.

the lookup awaiting hearing this
morning asa result of an attempt to
wreck both the north and south
bound sleepers out of this city on the
Rutland railroad yesterday morning
early. The men were taken up at diff
ferent times since the attempted
wrecks, and some of them, at least,
will have to produce very good alibis
to overcome the strong evidence
against them. All the, men are strang-
ers, and two are Polanders.
The south-bound sleeper. due to
leave Rutland at 1855 o'clock struck
a pile of wooden railroad ties thrown
on the track about two miles south of
the city, on the Bennington division,
near some woods which constitute a
'panhandlers' refuge" and have been
used for camping grounds by tramps
for some time. There were five ties
in the pile. Little or no damage was
done to the train, and the passengers
were unhurt.
The alarm had scarcely been given
by the suspicious trainmen when
word was received at the station that
at point not far distant from the
first attempt a second attempt had
been made, this time on the north
bound sleeper due in Rutland at 2.30
o'clock. A handcar had been taken
from the car house a mile and a half
this side of the place, run south and
left on the track. 1t was heavily load
ed with tools. The handcar was de-
molished, but again the passengers es
capped injury, and the train was un-
damaged.
AS soon as the alarm was given
Special Railroad Policeman John Bris
lin went to the place. Two Polanders
were found in field near where the
| crime had been attempted, and were
/ taken into custody.
The men were not intoxicated, but
had a bottle of liquor with them.
They claimed to come from some
where in Massachusetts, but were not
closely questioned, as they speak Eng
fish imperfectly. Officer Brislin
found half pint bottle near the
scene of the attempted crime, which
does not so to clear the Poles, who
also from their own stories must have
seen the criminals preparing death
for the train passengers, if they them
selves are not guilty. A young Eng
lishman who was seen about the place
I and could not give a satisfactory ac-
count OF himself was later taken into
custody by a circus detective, on a
description furnished him by Officer
Brislin, who had seen the man.
The man gave the name of Albert
Taylor, and said he came here a day
or two ago from Berlin, n. Y
Yesterday morning Special Police
man Peter Pagan arrested still an.
other suspect in connection with the
case. The ties used by the would-be
wreckers in the first instance were
left near the track by section men
who had been working there. Nc
motive can be imagined except the
wanton one of destruction. The men
will probably all be in City court to
day.
The New York train due in this
city at 1910 o'clock left the rails al
Wallingford yesterday morning. anC
the track was not cleared again unit
o'clock last night, the south-bounC
milk train being about an hour late
The wreck crew from this city wa.
on the ground at noon. The engin,
north-bound, was hauling five cars
one car extra for the visitors to tn,
Wild West show in this city. All tn,
cars but the engine we're derailed
They ran over a bridge and some dis
lance beyond. but no one was hurt.
The crew in charge consisted o
Conductor John Lee and Enginee
Sidney A. Baker of this city, and tn
! passengers give the engineer credi
Tor averting any serious consequence
es. Spreading of the rails is believe
to have been the cause of the wreck