Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1917-01-09
J. SHELBY SHELTON
AND TWO OTHERS ARE
DEAD; MANY INJURED
N, Perkner, of Atlanta Among
Those Hurt When Coach On
The Birmingham Special IS
Wrecked
rRr Associated Prsss.l

BIRMINGHAM, Ala, Jan. 6.-An eN-
plosion early tonight in the smoking
commandment of the Birmingham-NeW
York Special, a Southern railway train,
-as il neareG woodlawn, n Birmingham
suburb. believed by railroad men and To-
cal notice to have been the result of an
act committed by a person with suicidal
intent. killed three men and injured
NJ least a dozen. Two Of the dead
,re identified as W. J. Oliver, bust
ness man OF Birmingham. and j. Shelby
shelton. of Atlanta. The body of a
third man mangled beyond recognition
ne head severed. found in the lavatory
nj the coach, is SAID by relatives TO De
that of Lewis ID. Walton, former prom
.nent groceryman of this city.
The injured include.
! c. Lee, 2731 College street, Biz
]. shelby shelton, IS Langhorn street
Atlanta.
Birmingham.
John willis, Sewanee, Tenn.
II Perkner. 231 South Pryor street.
Atlanta.
I'D Russum. birmingham.
RELIEVE EXPLOSION PLANNED.
The polIce say that while it is to be
inferred that the explosion was caused
b, Walton for the purpose of suicide
there still was a possibility that walton
ESCAPED ,lninjured He was under in
dictment for murder. and was known
TO have been on the train.
II is known Walton was on the train
brt the police advance the theory that
he might have used the explosion as a
means to disappear SO he could aNold
facing trial on a charge OF having muir
dered a former business partner IN BIZ
mingham in April 1915. walton was
under bond following mistrlal seNer1i
months ago.
Opinion among the passengers IN the
coach vary as to the cause of the eX-
pIosion. some think ii was nitro-sly-
scrine, others believe dynamite Was
used.
The section of the coach in which the
EXPLOSION occurred was completely de-
molished.
Examination showed that the force
of the explosion was horizontal, win
the lavatory as its center. The police
saw this leaves no doubt that a person
in the lavatory set off an explosive anu
this belief is further confirmed by the
unchanged condition of the railroad
track at the spot
WALTON ON TRAIN.
Walton was tried here several months
ago on a charge Of having killed ms
former business partner, NJ. q. Barton
He was accused Of having killed Barton
In April, 1915. for the latter's life insur-
ance. which IL was alleged was contain
~ \, a Joint policy the two had taken
out. Tonight Walton was seen on the
southern special by several passengers
who knew him. They say they saw
him enter the lavatory near the smoker
and one person. according TO the police
said he believed Walton was in the lava
cory at least twenty minutes before the
axplosion occurred. According 10 the
passengers, he was neatly dressed ano
lAyparentIy wore a new suit or CLONES.
The head had been severed from the
body of the man found in the laVatory
Examination disclosed that the legs were
attired in two pairs of trousers. In the
wreckage the police found note PAD
On the first leaf was written: LOOK tor
important papers in my suitcase. KeI-
,tives identified the handwriting as thai
Of Walton. but an inspection of Walton
suitcase disclosed nothing more than q
package of advertising matter, anc
threw no light on the reasons for the
tragedy.
The police say the legs of the dead
man have an appearance which leaC
them to believe the man might have
been a yeggman. The shoes on the vic
TIM. they point out. are rough, similar
10 brogans. and not the kind usually
worn by a business man i'm city.
Congressman-elect William B. Bank
head. of Jasper Ala, was in the obser'
walton car with Mrs. Bankhead. He
said the explosion was of such force
/ that il could be heard and felt all over
| Woodlawn.