The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1921-09-08
TRIED TO WRECK TRAIN.
Negro Bound Over.-Spite Against a
Train Crew Cause.

Spencer Oliver, negro, was placed
in Jail Friday afternoon following a
preliminary hearing before Magis-
trate Blackmon, charged with at
tempting to place crosstie on the
Atlantic Coast Line tracks near the
coal chute just across the Edisto river
Thursday night with the intention OF
wrecking one of the Atlantic Coast
Line trains, presuma bly,, railroad de-
tectives say, passenger train No. SO
from Augusta to Florence, which
passes Orangeburg about $50 o'clock
a. m.
Officials express the belief that this
arrest clears the mystery of three or
four former attempts to wreck train
carrying a certain crew, all of which
attempts, it is alleged, were made
within two, hundred yards of the
point where Oliver is charged with
attempting to place the crosstie
Thursday night. On one of these oc-
casions, it is reported, the train ran
into the crosstie but a wreck was pre-
vented because the train was slowing
up for the coal chute.
The arrest of Oliver follows sew
eral weeks of tedious watching by
railroad detectives. Becoming per-
turbed at the attempts to wreck
trains, the railroad authorities three
weeks ago put Detectives S. o. Sims
and C. R. Hewitt on the job to fer
ret out the case and these detectives
placed themselves in bushes in the
vicinity of the coal chute and COM
menced watchful waiting, which cul-
minated in the arrest Of Oliver who,
the detectives state, they saw carry
ing the crosstie on his shoulder. This
was about 11:45 o'clock Thursday
night, they state. They state that
Oliver, the man with the crosstie,
ran when they hailed him. They gave
chase and captured him and turned
him over to the county authorities.
They reported the arrest to Chief
Detective J. A. Dorsey, of this divis-
ion, of Sumter, at las a. m. and the
latter was here within a few hours.
The detectives appeared at the pre-
liminary trial and told the story here
related. Oliver said that he is in
nocent of the charge He stated that
he is from Barnwell and that he
was walking to that town when taken
by the detectives.
Railroad officials are of he opin-
ion that Oliver was a former en-
ployee of the Atlantic Coast Line at
Sumter. His appearance, it was stat
ed, indicated his former employment
with the company, it was stated. He
was bound over to the higher court
by Magistrate Blackmon.
For some time it has appeared that
someone was trying to "get' a GER
tain railroad man or crew, according
to reports of repeated attempts to
wreck A. C. l.. trains in this section
and this incident is considered by
railroad officials as almost conclusive
evidence of such an idea as circum-
stances appear to indicate. 1t was
said that the attempt to place. the
crosstie on the tracks Thursday night
was made shortly after passenger
train No. 81, from Florence to Au-
gusta had passed that point and the
belief is that the idea was to "get'
passenger train No. 3S, from Augusta
to Florence, which passes that point
about 5 O'Clock in the morning. Fur
ther reason for the belief that some
one desired to "get" an employee of
the crew of No. 3S, it is stated, is
that this train carried the identical
crew which manned the trains against
which the former three or four at
tempts to wreck we're made.
It will be recalled that some weeks
ago train No. SO was wrecked near
the river in the vicinity of Augusta
and Engineer Joe Temple, one Of the
best known engineers on the A. C. L.,
was killed.
The penalty for conviction for at
tempt to wreck a train is one to 80
years. Should death occur as the
result of such a wreck, the guilty
party or parties are subject to indict-
ment for murder.---Orangeburg Times
and Democrat.