[PRCo] Sturgeon Railroad Crash Solved

[Fred Schneider]

WONDER IF THIS WAS AN UNSPOKEN EXAMPLE OF YOU FIRE ME AND I'LL HAVE MY REVENGE?  ALSO NOTE THAT NOT ONLY DO THE DIGITAL AND ACTUAL PAGES NOT ALWAYS NOT LINE UP BUT THE ISSUE DATES ARE OFTEN NOT THE SAME.   


http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=fgAdAAAAIBAJ&sjid=ZY4EAAAAIBAJ&pg=1690%2C2897032

 

(Link leads to correct page but not to correct story.)

 

Pittsburgh Press, January 10, 1935, page 17  (Digital Jan 9 page 23)

 

TWO CONFESS PENNSY CRASH

 

Sturgeon Men Face Charges of Murder, Malicious Destruction

 

   A drunken impulse for a thrill brought death to one, placed another in the hospital for weeks and injured 15 others.

    This was the solution to the crash of Extra No. 66, part of the crack St. Louis – New York Flyer, Oct. 21, near Sturgeon [near Noblestown].

    As a result, charges of murder and malicious destruction of property probably will be placed against two Sturgeon men today.   They were lodged in jail last night.

    The men, Robert Edwards, 43, for 12 years a trackman for the Pennsylania Railroad, until discharged Nov. 11, 1933, and Alfred Vanshuren, 21, confessed yesterday to raising the rails that caused the wreck.

 

Men Were Drinking

 

   The men said they went to a Sturgeon drinking spot after attending a football game.  After as they walked along the tracks, Edwards is alleged to have said: “Let’s wreck a train”

    “Why?” asked his companion?

    Edwards, according to the confession elaborated on the thrill the big crash would bring.   The pair then broke open a tool box, pulled out spikes and raised the rail holding it up on wooden blocks. 

    When the train roared into the stretch of damaged track the men were back in Sturgeon waiting for the excitement.

    The locomotives rolled over, smashed into a siding of freight cars, splintered them into kindling wood.  Luckily, seven coaches containing 154 passengers remained upright.

 Engineer Died

    Engineer Robert Black, of Carnegie, died two days later, while George A. Stock, fireman, won a two months fight with death in the hospital.

    At the corner’s inquest, the verdict was murder by person or persons unknown.

   The investigation brought State Police, railroad detectives and county detectives together for nearly two months and a half piecing together facts.

     County Detective Frank Malone, former railroad engineer, Captain J. W. Shumaker, of Pennsylvania Railroad police and Corporatal J. J. Conwell of the State Police arrested Edwards and Vanshuren at their homes Saturday, lodging them in Carnegie jail.   With their confession yesterday, the officers announced the case was completed.

   The arrests vindicated Kenneth Smith, 24, Negro, of McKeesport, who confessed to wrecking the train but was later declared insane.   It also ended the first theory that the train was wrecked by a gang for loot.