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i I'l I ! . I VOL, 1. NO. 186. The Atlanta Georgian. ATLANTA, GA., THURSDAY. NOVEMBER 29, 1900. PPirm*.' In Atlanta TWO CENTS, i. Xl/JeUL. on Trains FIVE CH.VI> SAMUEL SPENCER AND 9 OTHERS KILLED IN A WRECK ON SOUTHERN; MANY INJURED; COACHES BURNED Rear ■ End Collision Occurred About 6:30 A. M. at Lawyers, Va., No. 33, On Which Was the Officers’ Car, Being Struck by No. 37 Which Had Been Allowed to Enter Block Within Which No. 33 Had Stopped for Repairs. WRECK CA TCHES EIRE AND BURNS; VICTIMS ESCAPE CREMA TION President’s Car was on Rear of No. 33, Which Had Left Washington Late Because of Congested Holiday Traf fic. Philip Scuyler and Tel. Supt. Davis Killed. All Cars on No. 33 Burned. Injured Passengers Taken to Lynchburg, Va.—Pres. Spencer’s Body Badly Burned—Operator’s Neg ligence Cause of Wreck. Lynchburg, Va., Nov. 29.—Samuel Spencer, pres ident of the Southern railway, with his home at 29 West 73d street, New York, was killed today with nine other persons, including Philip Schuyler, of the old New York Schuylers, in a crashing rear-end col lision on his own road at Lawyers, Va., 10 miles south of liertl Mr. Spencer’s privatecar containing Mr. Schuyler, a director of the Baltimore and Ohio road, and a num ber of prominent and wealthy men, was attached to train No. 33, and bore the full brunt of the fearful smash when the fast vestibuled express’Nb. 37 dashed into it. y Fifteen people, most of them passengers in the last two regular cars of the passenger train .to which tlie Spencer private car was attached, were so serious ly injured thnt it is feared some of them will die. THE DEAD. Among the known dead are: Samuel Spencer, president of the Southern. Philip Schuyler, of New York. D. W. Davis, manager of Telegraph of the South ern Railway. Charles D. Fisher, of Baltimore, Md., member of the commission house of GUI & Fisher. W. A. Berry, engineer. Redmond, of Baltimore. Samuel Cox, cook in car *100. William Pollard, porter in ear 100. Gilland Thomas, colored, passenger. THE INJURED. Will J. Winston, colored, seriously injured. (’ora Logan, colored, seriously injured. I mere tin Allen, colored, seriously injured. Preston Bane, colored, seriously injured. Nearly all who were in the wreck were pinioned in the burning train, but some were rescued. Both trains were running behind time. Spencer’s coach was tilled with friends. When President Spencer's body was taken out of the wreckage, it w as so blackened and charred that it could not. be recognized by bis friends, he having been practically cremated. OPERATOR HAS DISAPPEARED. The operator," to whom is laid the blame for the wreck, is named Mattox, and was stationed at Lynch burg. As soon as he learned of the accident, Mattox disappeared and lias not yet been found. President Spencer leaves a widow and two sons, one of whom is the sixth vice president of the South ern railway. CRASH WITH THE BLOCK. ’’rain No. A! carried Mr. Spencer and his party in JUDGE ROAN ROASTS JURY FOR CRUTCHFIELD VERDICT Crutchfield Acquitted Qp Theory of * Accident. COURT DISPLEASED AT JURY’S ACTION Acquittal Surprise to Every body yixcept Defendant and Jury, Private Car No. 100. In that car were also Watt Da vis, manager of telegraph; E. A. Merrill, secretary to President Spencer, and Samu'el Cox, William Poilard and Gilland Thomas, the colored crew. The train had just passed the block station at Lawyers. It had stopped to make a slight repair in a coup ling. While it stood, train No. 37, which leaves Wash- j»gton 55 minutes after No. 33, crashed into it fro?j * the rear. A dub car, No. 37, and a passenger coach, as well as Mr. Spencer’s ear, were all burned. In the passenger car the persons, all negroes, were injured. The injured were brought to Lynchburg. WRECK TRAINS RUSH TO SCENE. The bright glare of the burning ear in the center of the two trains further alarmed the ' passengers. The lire was fanned up by the wind and had so much headway when the railroad men grasped the situation, that they were powerless to do anything other than drag burning pieces of wood away so that the flames would die out that much quicker. Wreck trains were hurried from Lynchburg as soon as the disaster was heard of. Some of the more seriously injured passengers and the bodies of others were brought to Lynchburg. Lawyers is a very small station and has limited telegraph facilities and no telephones. Because of these handicaps it was difficult to obtain names or much accurate information. Washington, I). C,, Nov. 29.—The Southern Rail way officials say regarding the death of President Samuel Spencer and the railroad wreck in which lie was killed: “Southern Railway Passenger train No. ,'J3 left Washington last night late by reason of congested hol iday traffic. About 6:30 a. in. today at lawyers, Va., on a portion of the road protected by block system, the train was stopped for slight repairs to a coupling. Passenger train No. 37, following No, ;!:} and be ing given a clear block, ran into flic rear of No. 33, resulting iu a serious wreck. “Our present advices in regard to the collision say that, it was probably due to the negligence of the operator iu allowing No. 37 iu the block. “President Samuel Spencer, of the Southern Railway compauv, and a party of friends were in an officer’s car at the rear of No. 33, and the reports are that President Spencer is killed and several of the party seriously injured.” “I can’t nee how you Jurymen In this Crutchfleld catce reached your verdict,” declared Judge Koan in the criminal branch of the superior court Thursday morning, when the verdict of acquittal of J. If. Crutchfleld was read. “I don't think 1 would be doing my duty without giving you some expres sion of my opinion. “Jt Is a mystery to me how you reached your conclusion, when the prisoner picked up and left his wife, without finding how badly he hud hurt her and without even getting u physi cian. j "I think I know on what ground you • put your verdict. 1 think yob put It on • the ground that the Wife did not want to prosecute: that you reached you*- i filrem t mtr rrr symffStntr^trt twirfnr < Imistake. Hympathy should not flgurn In the case. Trouble in Future. “Am a result of your verdict, I am afraid tljero will lie considerable trou ble In the future. Persons will con clude to shoot their wives and they will then *chiln4 It Is an accident. The country will suffer In consequence and crime will be multiplied. “The only way to purify society Is fQT the Jury to measure up to the re quirements of the law. The courts cannot undertake to enforce the law by themselves. They have to have the assistance of the Jury. It all de pends on how the Jury fulfills the re quirements. “The only way to suppress crime to enforce the law." Somewhat of a sensation was sprung hi (he criminal branch * if the superior ourt. Thursday morning when Judge Roun roasted the Jury tti the case of J. H. Crutchfield, charged with assault wfth Intent to murder his wife, Mrs. Sal lie I,. Orutcluleld. on account of the vardlct which they rendered In the case. Judge Roan spoke his mind pluinty, and when lie had Mulshed II. F. Me* Connell, foreman of the Jury, secured the Moor. Foreman of Jury. Mr. McConnell deduced that the court was mistaken; that the Jury )\iid found their verdict entirely on the ac cident theory. They had Tiof reached theJr conclusion, he said, out of sym pathy. Judge Roan said he hojanl the Jury would not misunderstand him. That he thought they were honest men, but did not see how they came to their conclu sion. Colonel Hill, solicitor general, stuted- It seemed to him thnt the Jury was one which wus easily and profoundly MR8. 8ALLIE CRUTCHFIELD, Who kisssd htr husband at Grady hospital Wednesday night and saya aha has forgiven him# SKETCH OF THE LIFE •OF PRESIDENT SPENCER Hamuel Spencer, since 1884 president of the Southern railway, the head of the Morgan system of Railways, and one of the most eminent railway men In America, was a Georgian by birth and education. He was born at Columbus, (iu., March 2. 1817. He was the son of Lambert SA W MOON THROUGH BARS; CRUTCHFIELD SA YS LUCKY OMEN BROUGHT HIM HOPE mentioned in the argument ot the enso Wednesday, thut the Jury, If It did not And the defendant guilty, ought to tuck its head under its wings like a turkey and get away. .fudge Roan stopped Mr. Hatcltelor, and. turning to Crutchfield, declared: •Crutc hfield, you are a free man.” Judge Roan called the Jury Into court thin morning at !» o’clock to render their verdict In the case. H. F. Me- »’mmeJI, the foreman, handed the in dictment to Colonel Hill, who read the verdict, “Not guilty.” Judge Roan then delivered his “roast." Judge Roan's Roast. "I am not blood-thirsty,” he said. ”1 undertake to give every man a fall’ trial. I have no desire to Impose a pen alty on Crutchfleld. Hut ! can’t see how you reached your verdict. I don't think I would he doing my duty with out giving smiie expression of my opin ion. I do not see how the diootlng can have been an accident, when Crutch- i ju*a picked up and left bis wife w ithout finding how- badly she was hurt nd without calling a physician. "Mr. Crutchfleld Is a free man now by your verdict. No doubt you reached your conclusion on what you thought was a reasonable theory. You must have reached that conclusion on the accident theory, for I don’t see on w hat other ground ft could have been Justly made.” Foreman McConnell arose at thin point and said that the Jury made their verdict on the theory that the shooting was an accident. They Old not consider sympathy for any one. ”1 hope the Jury will not misunder stand me,” said Judge Roan. “Of yoursc If you believed the statement of the prisoner, you had a tight to come to J. H. CRUTCHFIELD, Who waa acquitted of attempt at murdor in trial Tucoday. An old railroad superstition, In* which J. II. Crutchfleld P’Jt implicit confidence while working for seven yearo as a locmcHivo engineer, lightened his heart a few night ago and caused him, he kb.vs, to feel that ho would, beyond any doubt, be acquit*ed of the charge of uitrimqliiK to muriltr his wife, ” Whenever 1 see the now moon enough wlr»* or lion work of any kind ! know this means good luck,” said Crutchfleld at the Tower Thursday morning Ju*l before Ids release, *’Hev- eral nights ago, while looking out of h* window In the jail, I saw' the new niisin through.the bars and I was sat isfied then I would Ik? turned loose. The^ _ night was cloudy, but therd was on£ for them. 4- % ilttle clear spot and through -this, thw moon was shining. As 1 gaged through the barred window at tho moon I knew , then what the verdict of the Jury i would be,and J i’eJt o*rferfjy safe.” Crutchfleld stated that’when runrlnk' an engine the sight of-the new moon through the telegraph wires ulongsld * tm* railroad was,always an*InfuUlblt slgn that lie would inaka a safe trip. .• "I always out great confidence In this Hlgn,” said Crutchfleld. “I always lielleved that If l srw tin now moon through the wires I' would have .i safe trip. 8avsd from Accident. “F have a vivid recollect lou of one Incident in which this superstition figured and w’hlch gteatly strengthein-d my faith In It. I was on ufty engine on- night uml as It sped along the rails 1 happened to glance tip through* Uu- telegraph wires. A».I dkl so I saw; th*‘ new moon. I smiled to npyself, iu» I felt that I'would make the run, un harmed. About half an hour later, as we were going along at rapid clip, my engine left the I'blls'and completely overturned, being smashed to pieces. Things were tom up generally and It tens tho next day before they found my vest and watch. Hut I escaped from tho accident without a scratch. WJien I realised! I was unlnjuied, I remem bered I had seen the new moon through the telegraph wires.” Crutcnfle Thanksgiving day tii* him. "I have much to be thankful tor," ho said. "Till* I* truly a dry of thtinhs- irlvinit for me." Crutchfleld -aid he Intended to v,*- muln in Atlanta olid oontlnu.' hi. Ini-- ine** n* n machinery broker. he left the Tower he called a dray and hud hi* trunk, phonograph and other cflewtH tuken to l*la office In the Peo ple’* hulldlnir, at Marietta end Forayth street*. A* toon n» he waa formally re- loaned lie went direct to hie office and resumed hi* bualneaa. He declared that his wife and two little boy* should naver want for any thin* a* Ion* na lie la able to provide Continued on Page THrte. Continued on Page Three. ooooooo c ooooooooooo ooc 0000 O OOV. TERRELL TO PRESIDE O AT THE JOINT DEBATE. O O Special to The 1 If or* Ian. O O Macon. Ha., Nov. S».—Governor O O Joseph M. Terrell 1* in Macon to- O O day, and tonight will preside at O S the Mercer and Wake Forest de- O bate In the auditorium. This aft- O O erjioon the governor will lend hi* O O presence at the fotboll game and O O eheer Georgia on to victory. O O 009000000OOOOOOOOOCOOOO000 0 O 0 MOTHER OF ACTRESS O 0 DOESN’T WANT FLOWERS O 0 ’ & O O New York. Nov. Ji o 0 Yeoman*, the aetres.. who he- O O been III for Home tine- died !»-• O 0 night, Her .mother. Mi- Ann, • o 0 Yeuniun*. sold she Wanted ■nnh O 0 money a* might be spent t.,i il.n.ii o O Offerlnw- hy friend* "f u... f„„ m o O given to hospitals . , pe..|d.,o 0 00000000090000000000000009 pOOOOpoOOOOOOnOOOOOOOOOOOO