The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-06-25
Tt Was Crooked and | Wanted to Sec if Wheels Would Straighten It." He Tells Age-Herald Cor respondent at Jasper
ARRESTED AT SCENE OF WRECK 9 HOURS
 AFTER TT HAPPENED
Talks Freely of Wreck and Shows Little Emotion in Telling Details-Says He Will Plead Guilty and Ask Mercy

W III fiedu Nuiily ana ASK
 Mercy
 Jasper, June 24.-(Spe- cial. ) Speaking casually and without the least ap- parent realization of what he had done, William Green Davis, 23-year-old farmers son, tonight, in the county jail here, confessed to the correspondent of The Age Herald that he caused the wreck of the Seminole Linn ited, the crack Illinois Gen. tral train, near Nauvoo yes terday afternoon at $50 o'clock.
 The arrest of Davis will probably stand as a record for expedition on the part of railroad officers in the experiencing of persons responsible for wrecks. Davis was arrested at the scene of the wreck early this afternoon by R. F. Perry, special agent of the Northern of Ala bama; G. s. Scarlett of the Southern and T, K. Trigg of the Illinois Cen tral.
 He was brought to Jasper this aft- ernoon and lodged in the county Jail at ! o'clock News of Davis arrest spread repidly and caused somewhat of a sen sation on account of the prominent connections of the Davis family in Jas per. That someone had been arrested occasioned little stir as it was known that detectives had been on the scens since a short time after the wreck.
 Makes Confession l Davis confessed to the detectives that he placed the spike on the rail which caused the wreck while at tho scene of the derailment He declared that he did it for fun. and had no idea of injuring anyone.
 ''I put the spike the track,'' Davis told the officers. .I did It
 just for fun, and didn't think H
 would hurt the train. | wanted to
 see the spike smashed. Nobody else
 knew Of IL. did it by myself.
 haven't got nnything against the
 raiIrond and have never worked
 for it."
 Davis Is man of g years of age. and, according to physicians who have examined him. of only average intel ligence He has lived with his father and mother, MT and Mrs. W. T. Da- Vls, near Nauvoo all of his life with the exception of four years spent in the west He has two brothers and five sisters. He went 10 school up to the sixth grade.
 The correspondent of The Age Her aid had little trouble in getting Davis to talk of the wreck. He told in detail of his movements immediately before the wreck up until the time he was arrested by railroad detectives and confessed to them.
 Nerves Little Affected
 His nerves seem little affected and he manifested no emotion while talk Ing to The Age-lIerald correspondent. He was asked if he realized what wrecking train meant and replied in the negative. He didn't know now many years In the penitentary he could be given for it. He told The Age Herald correspond ent that he intended to plead guilty m EaI iha mo, iI,.. court. Davis statement at times is in- } coherent but on the main points of his story he Is clear
 His story of his actions yesterday and today follow
 "Yesterday afternoon was
 blowing in a field through which the railroad track runs. l stopped by crossing and started for drink of water. l picked up a spike , on the right of way and laid 1t
 on the outside rail of the curve. : Before going for the water I | plowed two more rows.
 Then | stopped and crossed the
 track where the spike was laid and went to an old house and got
 drink of water. About 1s min ! utes before I placed the spike on . the track a Southern freight train | passed, going south ,, While l was getting the water my father came up to where l was
 blowing and he plowed two rows. We were talking about the plow- | ing when the Seminole Limited i was coming north and hit the spike.
 q saw 1t when It struck the spike and left the track. I also saw it when it went through the trestle. I believe if the engine had | gone 50 feet further on the trestle | good many would have been | killed. | do not remember wheth- CT I placed the spike toward the oncoming train or not. No Intent to Wreck q had no idea of wreckinR the II train The spike was crooked and