Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-09-10
WORK OF DYNAMITERS
r. WRECKS A., B. & A. TRAIN
AND KILLS ENGINEER


way six miles out of Atlanta We'd
nesday night, wrecked q southbound
freight train, killing Engineer John
T. Morris. of Fitzgerald, injuring
three negroes and blowing the loco
motive and thirteen cars from the
rails.
Rewards of $500 including $4,000
announced by Col. B. L. Bugg, re-
ceiver for the road, and $500 by
governor Hardwick, have been offer
ed for the arrest of the wreckers.
According to Receiver Bugg, We'd
nesday's tragedy stands as the thirty
third wreck experienced by the Az
B. & A. since the employees of the
road went on strike early in March.
On Thursday j. M. Larlsey, vice
president of the Order of Railway
Conductors, and a leader of the
strike, issued a statement denying
that dynamite caused the wreck. He
charged that rundown and faulty
equipment were responsible. Col.
Bugg ridiculed the trainn1an's as
sertions.
Governor Hardwick offered the re-
ward at the close of a conference
with Colonel B. L. Bugg, receiver of
the road, who presented him list of
thirty-thre wrecks, or attempted
wrecks, since the commencement OK
the strike on March 5, and who asked
protection in the operation of the
road.
Immediately after his conference
with the governor, Colonel Bugg an
nounced the offer of a $4,000 reward
for evidence sufficient to convict
the person or persons guilty of caus-
ing the death of Engineer j. T. Nor
ris Wednesday night by. dynamiting
freight train just outside the city
limits of Atlanta. The reward is .
payable on final conviction for MUIR
der.
In connection with the d,
Governor Hordwick stated that he
was prepared to use the power and
authority of the state to the last re-
source ito prevent outrages of this
kind and to punish to the limit or
the law the perpetrators of such out
RACES"
Governors Statement
The governor further said:
II am fully satisfied that the peo-
pie of Georgia are not prepared to
submit to dynamiting outrages Of
this character, and that they will
support the governor and other state
authorities in using every effort pos
Sible to prevent such outrages and to
punish the perpetrators The law
must be maintained. l hope the re-
sponsible leaders of labor in this
state will do all in their power to
second me in this effort.
Il hope the county and municipal
authorities in every section OF Geor-
gia where troubles of this sort oc-
cur will exert every power in their
law and order and protect life and
property. 1t is my purpose to sup
port these authorities to the fullest
extent with the military forces in
every case where they are unable to
preserve law and order and protect
life and property"
Engineer John T. Morris, of Fitz.
gerald, was instantly killed in the
wreck Wednesday night, and thres
ousy inure de The e engine wIe left the
rails and turned over and thirteen
freight cars were piled up in the
wreck. The force Of the explosion
blew wheel of the engine fifty feet.
Houses mile away are said to have
been shaken by the blast. The wreck
occurred where the Fairburn road
crosses the railroad on an overhead
bridge, and the force of the explo-
sion blew the bridge to pieces.
These attacks on life and prop
morning, ARE an attack on the life
and property of every inhabitant of
the state. We have decided to ask
the protection of the government OF
Georgia in our efforts to operate this
az Wreck Attenpts
The wreck Wednesday night, he
further stated, makes a total of
thirty-three wrecks or attempted
wrecks which have occurred since
In some of these attempts, dynamite
Or other explosive was used. In
others, a rail was loosened or a
switch turned or a spike inserted be-
tempts, Colonel Bugg said, would
have wrecked train if the vigilance
cred the obstruction in time.
Engineer Morris, he said. makes
the second engineer killed, the other
being Engineer Reed, who was shot
in the cab Of his engine at Fitzgerald
some weeks ago.
The explosion, which occurred at
Sis o'clock, just thirty minutes
yards for Fitzgerald, shook the coun-
tryside for hundreds of yards
in all directions. The explosive
had been placed on the tracks
a few feet below the Fairburn
bridge, located short distance from
shattered and collapsed on top Of
derailed and telescope cars beneath
it. The big engine, after blowing
along more than fifteen feet, plung-
ed down a dep .embankment, pinning
Engineer Morris and his firemen
under the cab An hours hard work
was required to dig them out.
One of the big engine wheels was
blown into a field more than fifty
feet away. Freight cars. were, torn
across the track, and some Of them
were piled three high under the
bridge, which was a highway over
pass.
The injured negroes are:
"Son" Powell, seriously scalded:
Frank Smith, cuts and bruises; ADAM
Wilson, scalds and internal injuries.
All of the negroes live in Fitzger-
aid.
Engineer Morris lived in Fitzger-
ald and had wife and three small
children He was a veteran engineer
and had been with the road since its
construction, officials said. Since
the strike on the road began seven
months ago, he had been in five
wrecks, each of which officials said
were attempts of wreckers to pre-
vent the operation of trains.
Conductor w. M. Ross, of .Fitzger-
aid, and his flagman, c. w. Morgan,
were in the caboose when the train
ran into the bed of explosives. Ross
said the train was making less than
twenty miles an hour at the time.
The terrific impact brought a doz-
en- or more farmers residing in the
vicinity to the scene within a short
time, and the work of removing En-
gineer Morris and the negroes from
the debris was started. Escaping
steam made this work difficult.
Assistant superintendent Huddle-
ston said he gave orders at 7:4S