Evening Republican, Volume 19, Number 279, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 November 1915 — YOUNG MAN ACCUSED OF TRAIN WRECKING [ARTICLE]

YOUNG MAN ACCUSED OF TRAIN WRECKING

Dan O’Connor Believed Responsible For Near-Tragedy to Monon Flyer—Diamond Dick Protege. Dan O'Connor, 22 years of age, is in jail at Hammond, charged with an attempt to wreck Monon passenger train No. 35 early Tuesday morning. O’Connor, who is the son of Tom O’Connor, who for a number of years Tived in this, city and who is now a resident of Kentland. The boy has not been living with his father for a number of years, it is understood. He stays at Dyer and it was at that town the wreck was undertaken. The train is due in Rensselaer at 1:38 and makes no stops between Hammond and this city. It was running about 40 miles an hour when it hit an open switch and crashed down the siding. Engineer George Miller had the presence of mind to apply the emergency brakes and thus brought the train to a stop before it reached the end of'the siding. No one was injured and the only damage the train suffered was a twisted pony truck under the engine pilot. The siding on which the train was run had been cleared of a string of box cars only a few minutes before the accident.

Investigation Showed that the switch lock had been battered open and the switch thrown in an effort o wreck the train. Suspicion was directed to O’Connor, who came rushing up to the train and asking excitedly about the wreck. It was found that the shoes he had on his feet matched perfectly the imprints in the light snow at the switch. It was also found that he had been in an automobile with other young men until 20 minutes before the accident.

The footprints in the snow led from the switch !o the flour mill, which was discovered on fire and still another fire at the base of the railroad interlocking tower was charged to O’Connor. The train consisted of a mail coach, a baggage coach, combined baggage and day oach, a. day coach and four Pullman sleepers. Had the stmig of box cars been on the track or the engineer failed to apply the emergency brakes <lie wreck would have been a very serious one.