NP, TD 12/27/1861

From the New Orleans True Delta
 
December 27, 1861
 
A Fiendish Act
   A man named Cashens, living near Crew lake, on the Vicksburg, Shreveport & Texas railroad perpetrated one of the most atrocious deeds, on Saturday last, that we have ever been called upon to record. Cashens, it seems, was a sub-contractor on the road, but having done his work very badly, was not settled with in full by Fannin, Grant & Co., the contractors. Since the road passed into the hands of the company, he has demanded pay from them, but they refused to pay him, having nothing to do with the contract between him and Fannin, Grant & Co. A week or so ago he threatened to tear that portion of the road up which he built, and on Saturday last he put his threat into execution, by digging away about thirty feet of the embankment, leaving only sufficient dirt to keep the iron from falling through. Fortunately, a freight train came along in the afternoon and discovered it in time to stop before being precipitated over the embankment. A force was collected and the track temporarily braced up with logs, so as to enable the passenger train, which came along after dark, to pass over. Had it not been for the freight train coming down in the afternoon, the passenger train would have been smashed to atoms, and many persons killed. We are glad to learn steps have been taken to have Cashens arrested. He certainly deserves to be severely punished.
Vicksburg Whig, 24th

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