The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-06-20

By ALLEN !. KREBs JR.

The greater part of yesterday was spent by Chief Martin Egan and Detectives Eubank and Crenshaw in tracing the tfngled ends of the evidence against Archie Lee, Amos Smith and Shan Henry the three men held by the police on the charge of murder, they being the alleged wreckers of the fast seaboard train No. from New York to Birmingham on the night of June To- Two of the menA Amos Smith and Archie Lee. have made a full confession of their part in the plot to the police and detectives for the Sea- board. Both Lee and Smith name Henry ss their accomplice in the derauing of the train which caused three of the train crew to lose their lives, and a score of passengers to be injured. Their confes- sion was made in the presence of all the detectives who were worKing on the case and several outsiders.
 Visit to Their Homes
 The detectives accompanied, by The. Age Heralds staff photographer and re- porter visited the scene of the wreck and the homes of Amos Smith and Shan Henry yesterday morning. Conditions almost
  writer. The home of Amos Smith con- slsts of log hut of the most primitive type. the chinks between the cracks of the logs are partially stopped up with rough pine boards and the roof consists of few squares of tar paper. The house consists of one room about 10 by 15 feet and houses Smith, his wife and five ehil-. dren. the oldest being a girl of about IS or IT years of age Two beds of antequated style adorn the room. Upon these two beds the entire family sleep. There Is nothing that would indicate that the peo- pie are living in an era of progress and civilization. There was not a sign or a looking glass or brush on the premises. Daylight could be plainly seen through the Assures between the logs. The hut of Smith is about five and one-half feet high in the rear and about 10 feet high in the front.
 Hush Settles Over Room
 As the reporter accompanied by one of the detectives stepped upon the threshold a hush settled over all of those who were in the room. Shan Henry's wife, accom- panied by her aged mother and three chill dren, the youngest being six months old, were scattered about the room. Mrs. Smith lay in the bed i'll, her five children being distributed here and there all over the room. 'sWell, madam, said the re- porter, q suppose you know that Archie Lee and Amos Smith have made a full confession to the police and claim that Shan Henry was the other man who helped them wreck the flyer" The woman in the bed raised up on her elbow and in a calm voice said: Youths air a pint blank Her, my man 'haint had nothing to do with that there wreck"
 Well, madam" continued the reporter, 'I have a copy of The Age Herald here you might see for yourself that am tell ing you the truth. 'raint no use, said Mrs. Smith, there aint none O us that can read or write, and besides if I did read 1t and heared my man say so, too, I wouldn't believe it. Mrs. Heidt, the mother of Shan Henry's wife. interrupted with shrill cry, Youths air lying; 1 got sense to know none of them men has sed Q thing to youths; don't know that l went over to Mitchells with Shan and got the mule and helped him to put the gearing on the morning after the wreck; we went down to the place where we saw the train in the ditch; then Shan hauled up the mule and sed to me- Now ain't that a,w- ful; I am going to see what has hap penedi then he called to Amos Smith, who was back of us with load of char coal in his wagon and sed come on down Amos let's see what has happened, and