A quick-reacting engineer brought a morning passenger train to a halt on April 1928 near Woodside Station on the Lykens Valley Railroad, just barely averting the derailment of the locomotive which would have resulted in a wreck and serious injury or death to the 30 to 40 passengers aboard. It was later learned that three young men had placed a dozen large bolts or spikes on the rails. About a month later, the young men, who had admitted that they had done the deed, claimed that they didn’t realize the seriousness of their act, and were sentenced to parole.
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From the Elizabethville Echo, April 5, 1928:
TRAIN WRECK AVERTED
A near disaster was averted Monday morning when the Lykens Valley Accommodation was stopped before striking ten bolts placed on the track. Three youths have confessed, but because of a plant breakdown, the Echo is unable to furnish full details.
The bolts had been placed on the tracks near Woodside Station.
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From the Lykens Standard, April 6, 1928:
ARREST 3 LADS FOR ATTEMPTED TRAIN WRECK
An attempt to wreck the morning passenger train No. 8510 leaving Lykens at 7:15 in the morning, Which occurred on Monday, March 26th at what is known as Good’s Curve, east of Woodside Station, on the Lykens Valley Junction, resulted yesterday in the arrest of three Fisherville youths, who, when questioned of the action, plead guilty to the charge of placing ten splice bolts on the track. The bolts are five inches in length and one inch thick.
The bolts according to the story of the youths were placed on Sunday, March 25th [1928}, and the first train over the junction the next morning run over three before the engineer Harry Keiper was able to bring his train to a stop. Fortunately, the train held to the track, but the act might have caused the death of more than thirty people who were passengers.
Lieutenant Chief Burnmeister of the Pennsylvania railroad Detective Bureau started investigation which took place more than a week and finally ended in Fisherville, eight miles over a mountain, where Webster Dieter, 16, John Shultz, 15, and Clyde Bordner, 16, acknowledged the act.
They were brought to Millersburg and given a hearing before Justice of the Peace Newton High, and all plead guilty to the charge. Shultz was placed in charge of the county probation officer for Juvenile Court, May 8th [1928] and Dieter and Bordner will go before the next session of criminal court for sentence.
Lt. Bermeister has issue a warning throughout this section that the company will be very strict in the future on trespassers, and the law will be enforced.
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From Harrisburg Telegraph, April 6, 1928:
TRAIN PLOT FOILED; THREE YOUTHS HELD
Millersburg, April 6 [1928] — Three Fisherville youths who attempted to wreck a Pennsylvania passenger train near Lykens Valley Junction by placing bolts on the rails had hearings before Justice of the Peace Newton High here.
The youngest, John Schultz, 15, was placed in the care of the county probation officer, while the others, Webster Dieter and Clyde Bordner, each pleaded guilty and were held for criminal court.
The first train to pass the place where the boys laid the bolts was a passenger carrying from thirty to forty persons. Harry Keiger, the engineer, brought the train to a stop after running over three of the bolts and the locomotive did not leave the tracks.
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From the Elizabethville Echo, May 3, 1928:
TO APPEAR BEFORE COURT MONDAY
On Monday, May 7 [1928], Clyde Bordner, 16; Webster Keiter, 16; and John Schultz, aged 14; all of Fisherville, will be brought before the Dauphin County Court for hearings on charges brought against them by Lieutenant Burmeister, Millersburg railroad officer.
When apprehended, the three youths confessed to placing nearly a dozen bolts on the tracks of the Lykens Valley Branch near Woodside Station, Sunday, March 25 [1928], and nearly causing a wreck of the Lykens Valley Accommodation to Harrisburg about 7:45 Monday morning. They will be heard and sentenced on these charges.
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From the Harrisburg Telegraph, May 3, 1928:
HALIFAX BOYS IN COURT
Webster Keiter, Clyde Bordner, and John Schutz, a minor, all of Halifax Township, will plead guilty on Monday to charges of malicious mischief to railroads. They were arrested for placing spikes on railroad tracks near Millersburg.
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From the Harrisburg Evening News, May 7, 1928:
PAROLE 3 BOYS WHO PUT SPIKES ON R. R. TRACKS
Judge Wickersham in the Dauphin County Court today placed on probation Webster Keiter, Clyde Bordner and John Schultz, the three Armstrong Valley youths who on March 25 [1928] placed ten large spikes on the tracks of the Summit Branch of the Pennsylvania Railroad near Millersburg. A passenger train passed over the spikes but was not derailed.
The boys admitted placing the spikes on the rails, but denied any intent to cause a wreck. They said they did not realize the seriousness of their act. Because he is under 16 years of age, the Shultz boy was given a hearing in juvenile court.
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