Pocahontas star herald., 1923-01-26
HARRISON RULED
BY ARMED FORCES

DtpItudllOns, WDlCn nave Oetu
committed on the M. x N. A. rail
road since the strike on that road
about 2 years ago, broke out good
and proper a few days ago when SIX
bridges on the line were burned
According to j. q. Murray, wee
president and general manager of
tue re-organlzed railroad, the latest
depredatIons started with the recent
burning of a bridge near Eureka
Springs Mr.. Murray then recount
ed succeeding depredations as fol-
follows: ednesdsy, jan. 10, a
hrldge near Everton, 1873 feet long,
was about half destroyed by ire
The same night a small bridge south
of henseIt was partly burned. The
next night bridge at Letona was
burned and another structure south
OF Searcy destroyed Friday night
another small bridge was consumed
by flames Mr.. Murray says indlca.
tions are that all of the fires were
OF lncendiary origin. ave no
sooner would get one of the burned
bridges repaired or rebuilt until su.
other would be damaged or destroy
ed, he said.
Because of the continued outrages
committed along the M. d N. a.
railroad, citizens from all sections
of the country served by the road
gathered at Harrison last Monday,
not so much TO take the law In their
own hands, hut to make a thorough
investigation that the law might
better serve Its Jurse. The crowd
numbered several hundred ard the
biggest potion of them were armed,
but they were very orderly. A
"Citizens Committee" was organ
ized and begun work about | o'clock
that afternoon. The "CItlzens Com
mittee" met IN closed walls and The
alleged strikers were sought and
brought before the committee by
squads of armed cit zens, where
they were given very rigid exsmi-
nation by the committee. The com.
mItlee was in active session until
late that evening and all day Tues.
day, before whom large number
OF the alleged strikers aud strIkeI
sympathlzeTs were brought and ex-
amined.
The evidence gathered by the
committee is being kept secretly un
Ill the investigation Is completed,
and then the evidence gathered by
it will be turned over TO the grand
Jury which Is now IN session at Rar
risou.
A number Of the homes of the
strikers were searched by a squad
of cltizens and emery dust, a large
amount Of ammunition and several
guns were found, together with a
number Of letters.
The action of the committee has
been highly endorsed by everyone
and il Is the general opinion that
this will pu. a damper on the depre-
dations on the road.
The body of G. Q. Gregor was
found hanging to a bridge at Harrl-
son Tuesday morning by a railroad
guard. Gregor, who bad been very
hostile to the Citizens Committee,
had been placed under guard for the
night. In what manner or by whom
he was removed it Is not known,
but 1t is believed by some that he
was hanged by his own men to pre-
vent his coniessiug. Of course this
is all guess work. The grand Jury
Is probing the lynchlng but so far
have found nothing d,hnite.
"Red" Orr and Luther Wise,
former EMPLOYEES of the NJ. " N. A.
railroad, who were arrested last
week for the alleged burning of a
bridge between Harrison and Leslie,
pleaded guilty Wednesday morning
and were sentenced to the peniten-
usry for seven years each. It's re-
ported that % more indictments
connecting the bridge burning we're
made by the grand jury at Harrison
Wednesday