“William Lenhart, of Dauphin, was on Tuesday sentenced by Judge Kunkel to two years’ solitary confinement at hard labor in the Eastern Penitentiary, at Philadelphia, and to pay costs and $500 fine, for attempting to wreck trains above D Tower, Dauphin, October 22, 1905.” [From the Lykens Standard, February 16, 1906].
An attempt to wreck trains traveling between Dauphin Borough and Millersburg, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, was made in the early morning hours of October 22, 1905, by someone placing scrap iron on the rails and in the switches on the two main sets of tracks. The attempt was unsuccessful in wrecking any trains, but there was damage to railroad property, and the judge, in sentencing the perpetrator, stated, “The traveling public must be secured from acts such as that of which the prisoner is convicted.”
The story is told below through articles from the Harrisburg newspapers.
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From the Harrisburg Daily Independent, October 23, 1905:
ATTEMPT TO WRECK TRAIN
Obstructions Placed on Both Tracks
Dauphin, October 23 [1905] — A dastardly attempt was made last night to wreck the early morning passenger trains by some unknown persons who placed a lot of iron on both the north and south bound tracks. A southbound freight train, however, was the first to strike the obstruction and got though safely. The passenger train, due here at 4 o’clock, hit the obstruction while running at a rapid rate, and the minute the engine struck the iron the engineer brought his train to a standstill and and backed his train. The crew removed the obstruction which blocked both tracks. The engine was damaged slightly. The matter was reported at Harrisburg and a detective immediately went to Dauphin to investigate.
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From the Harrisburg Telegraph, October 28, 1905:
CAN PROVE ALIBI
WILLIAM LENHART SAYS HE SPENT NIGHT IN TOWER
Man Arrested for Attempting to Wreck Train at Dauphin May Be Innocent
William Lenhart, of Dauphin, was arrested yesterday two miles that town charged with placing obstructions on the Northern Central Railroad track early last Sunday morning for the purpose of wrecking the train. Most of the people of Dauphin believe him to be innocent, basing their belief on Lenhart’s past and the statement of the operator at Dauphin Tower to the effect that Lenhart spent the entire night in the office, thus establishing an alibi.
Officer George Vernes, of Williamsport, and Special Officer H. G. Bethearst, of Dauphin, made the arrest. It is alleged that Lenhart placed pieces of iron on the track and in the frogs near the signal towed in the west end of Dauphin. An eastbound freight train early in the morning ran over the obstructions but was not derailed. Subsequently, Erie Mail, east, passed over them, and the conductor, noticing something wrong, made an investigation and found the iron on the track. Pieces of iron were also found on the north track, and all were removed.
Later, just before the Buffalo Express passed Dauphin, pieces of iron were found on the east track, having evidently been replaced by the miscreant, who was determined to wreck a train. The officers made a complete investigation and decided that Lenhart had given cause for suspicion that he was the man who should be arrested, and he was taken into custody and brought here yesterday afternoon. He will be given a hearing on Thursday before Alderman Hoverter.
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From the Harrisburg Daily Independent, November 2, 1905:
LENHART HELD FOR ATTEMPTED WRECK
Unable to Give $3,000 Bond, He Goes to Jail
PLACED SCRAP ON TRACK
First Removed by a Boy — Lenhart Piled More on the Rails
The hearing of William Lenhart upon the charge of willfully and maliciously placing and putting iron across the tracks and in the switches of the Northern Central Railroad at D Tower, near Dauphin, early on Sunday morning, October 22 [1905], was heard before Alderman Hoverter this morning at 9:30 o’clock. At the close of the hearing at noon the defendant was held for January court in default of $3,000 bail.
The testimony of the witnesses was to the effect that several pieces of iron had been placed on the tracks and between the points of one of the switches and that an oblong piece of iron was wedged in so tightly that a trackwalker was compelled to use a bar to get it out. The piece of iron that received the most attention was about four inches wide and about two and a half to three feet in length. This was bent and marked by six trains which passed over safely and was identified by several of the railroaders and a boy of 15 years of age.
Boy the Chief Testimony
This boy, Charles Douglas, who lives above Dauphin, was the star witness. He had spent the night in the tower in the company of Lenhart and the operator, F. S. Kline, as had been his habit for some time on Saturday nights. His testimony was strong, but in some places forgetfulness was apparent.
It was some time after midnight that Douglas had left the tower to go to one of the outhouses and while there was joined by Lenhart. Douglas said that Lenhart proposed that they cause a wreck and he refused and that then Lenhart went and placed iron on the tracks which Douglas removed.
Further testimony was to the effect that Lenhart took more iron from the scrap pile and placed the long piece across the track and the oblong piece in the switch. There were also car springs placed but these did not figure so prominently in the testimony.
After this had been done, Douglas said, a return to the tower was made and a freight train passed over the obstruction causing sparks to fly. Later No. 3 passenger train going west struck the obstruction and the train was stopped. The conductor, J. F. Poffenberger, made an investigation and discovered the long piece of iron across the track which he removed and threw onto the scrap pile. This was the large piece. The testimony showed that two freight trains and four passenger trains passed over the obstruction between 2:35 and 5:01 o’clock in the morning. It is considered remarkable that none were wrecked.
It was on the return trip to the tower that young Douglas threatened to inform Kline, the operator, of what Lenhart had done when the accused compelled witness to remain quiet under the threat.
Lenhart Threatened Boy
“If you do I’ll settle your hash for it.”
Douglas left the tower near 6 o’clock without saying anything about what had been done and returned home. He went to be without seeing anyone but when he arose about 8 o’clock in the morning, told his mother and in the evening informed Kline about the occurrence. He said at the hearing that Lenhart wanted to remove the iron before on of the passenger trains went by for fear that his grandmother or some relative weas aboard. He neither said he did nor did not remove the obstructions.
District Attorney John Fox Weiss conducted the case of the Commonwealth and Representative E. E. Beidleman looked after the prisoner’s interests. The hearing lasted until 12 o’clock and several tilts occurred between counsel.
Operator Kline was not allowed to answer questions put to him by Mr. Beidleman.
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From the Harrisburg Telegraph, January 13, 1906:
LENHART FOUND GUILTY
William Lenhart, whose trial on the charge of train wrecking on the Northern Central Railway at Dauphin, took up all morning and part of the afternoon in Court No. 1, yesterday, was found guilty by the jury, which recommended the defendant to the mercy of the Court.
On the night of October 22 [1905], trains passing over the switches at D Tower, Dauphin, struck obstructions which were found to be scrap railroad iron stuck in the frogs. Lenhart had been spending the evening in the tower.
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From the Harrisburg Daily Independent, January 15, 1906:
The trial of William Lenhart, of Dauphin, who was found guilty of an attempt at train wrecking in October [1905], attracted quite a number of our citizens to Harrisburg last week. Mark Douglass, sone of Mr. and Mrs. A. M. Douglass, who claimed to be present when the iron was placed upon the track, strongly verified his former statement, and his unwavering testimony found a speedy way out for the jury to determine upon a verdict. The sentence has not as yet been announced. There is some talk of a new trial.
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From the Harrisburg Telegraph, February 13, 1906:
LENHART GETS 2 YEARS
SOLITARY CONFINEMENT FOR MAN WHO TRIED TO WRECK TRAIN
William Lenhart, of Dauphin, was sentenced this morning to two years’ solitary confinement at hard labor in the Eastern Penitentiary, at Philadelphia, and to pay costs and $500 fine, for attempting to wreck trains above D Tower, Dauphin, October 22 [1905]. Lenhart was found guilty January 13 [1906]. Mr. Beidleman this morning said that he had not sufficient grounds to warrant an application for a new trial. Judge Kunkel said:
“We take into consideration the recommendation of the jury, but we cannot overlook the offense. If he had succeeded, and had wrecked the train and killed passengers, it would have been serious. The traveling public must be secured from acts such as that of which the prisoner is convicted.”
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From the Harrisburg Daily Independent, February 13, 1906:
2 YEARS FOR MAN WHO TRIED TO WRECK TRAIN
William Lenhart Sentenced to the Penitentiary By Judge Kunkel
William Lenhart, the young man convicted at the last term of quarter sessions court of attempting to wreck freight and passenger trains near the tower at Dauphin last October, was this morning sentenced to two years solitary confinement in the Eastern Penitentiary by Judge Kunkel.
“Let’s have a wreck,” said Lenhart to a companion at the railroad tower at Dauphin and acting upon these words he placed irons upon all of the rails of the two tracks there, for the purpose of sending trains off the track at that point. The freight train passed the obstruction without the train leaving the tracks but the engine was so badly damaged that it had to be shopped at Sunbury on the trip north. Lenhart was accused of making a second attempt to wreck trains at that point.
In addition to the sentence of imprisonment he was ordered to pay the costs of prosecution and a fine of $5. The sentence of Lenhart had been deferred until this morning owing to the attorney for the defendant having filed notice after the conviction that he would file a motion for a new trial. This morning E. E. Beidleman, Esq., informed the court that he would not press the motion for a new trial.
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