The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1857-04-11

q
"an be He turned bis brain over a new
plan for applying steam power. saw him
at the station, but did not recognize him, as
l was in hurry. Just now one OF your pas
sensers told me that your engineers were
all gone this morning, and that You found
one that was \ stranger to you-then I
knew that the man whom bad seen was
Martin kroler. He had escaped from the
hospital at Stettin. You must ge. him off
somehow"
| The whole fearful truth was now omen to
me. The speed of the train was increasing
every moment, ,&f knew that few more miles
per hour. would launch US all into des,ruc-
ton, called to the guard and then made nv
way forward as quick as possible. reach
ed the after platform of the after tender. and
there stood Kroller upon the engine board,
his hat and coat off, his long black hair float
tHttSatd xta Hgg hHngt efR the wind biz sh;-. Up.
with pistol :" MS teeth, and thus glar;ng
up.r, sh- fireman, who lay mot;oness upon
the fuel. The furnace was stuffed till the
very latch of the door was red hot, and the
whole engine was qnivering and swaying as
though it would shiver in pieces.
Krollcr! Krollcr !" | cried at the ton
of my voice.
The crazy engineer started, and ca1ght
the pistol in his hand U, how those great
black eyes elared. and how Shastly and fright
ful the face looked.
"IIa ha ! ha!" he yelled, Economically
claring upon me like reused lion.
They swore that could not make it -
But see see See my new power! See
my new engine made it, and they are
Jealous Of me! ] made it. and when it was
done they stole it from me. But have found
it. For years ] have been wandering in
search of my great engine, and they svore i,
was not made. But l have found it,
knew it this morning when saw it at Dant
zic, and was determined to have it. And
I've got it! Ilo. no. ho!-we're on the
moon. say! BY the Virgin Mother, well
be in the moon in four and twenty hours
Down, down villain ! if you move Ill shoo
Won ~
: This was spoken to the poor fireman, who
at that moment attempted to rise; aud the
; frightened man sunk back again.
"Herc's Ll;,le Osrue right at hand =" cried
} one of the guard. But even as he spoke tht
bindings were at hand. A sirkenins sensa
ton settled upon INV heart for supposed We
were gone now. The houses flew BY like
lightning. knew if the officers here had
turned the switch a, usual we should be hurl
ed into eternity IN one fearful crash. | saw
; a ilash-it was an other engine-l closed my
! eyes; but still we thundercd on! The OIL
GERS had seen our speed. and knew that We
conld not head up in that distance. they had
changed the switch, so that we went on.
. Bu, there was sure death ahead If we did
not stop. Only fifteen miles ahead was the
town Of Schwartz, on the Vestula, and at the
rate We were goin. We should be there in q
few minutes, for each minute carried us over
mile. The shrieks of the passengers nov
arose above the crash Of the rails. and more
terrifi: than all else arose the demoniac yell:
OF the r,ad engineer.
"Merciul heavens" gaspeh the guards
man, there's not a moment of time to lose
Schwartz is close by. But hold" he added
LETS shoot him"
At that moment tall, stout German stu.
dent came over the platform where we stood
and We saw that the mad man had his heavy
pistol aimed at US. lie gra,ped heavy stick
of wood, and. with steaLiness Of nerve
which could not have commended, he hurl
ed it with such force and precision, that he
knocked the pistol from the maniac's hand
. saw the movement, and on the instant thai
the pistol fell. sprans forward, and the Ger
man followed me. 1 srasped the man by tn,
arm. but should have been nothing in his ma,
power had been alone. lie would hav,
hurled me from the platform, had not tn,
student at that moment struck him upon tn.
head with stick Of wool which he caugE
As he came over the tender.
: Kroler settled down like dead man, an,
: on the next instant shut of the steam an,
opened the valve. As the freed steam shrek
Ell and howled in its escape, the speed be:al
, to decrease. and in few minutes more tn
danger was passed. As settled back, en-
, tirely overcome at the wild emotions that ha
ragged within me, we began to turn the river
4 and before | was fairly recovered. the fire
, man had stopped the train in the station
house at Schwartz.
Martin kroler still insensible, was take
J. from the platform; and as we carried him {
j the gnard-room. one Of the guard recoc
] nzed him. and told us that be had been ther
e about two weeks before.
i ale came" said the guard, "and swor
a that an engine which stood near here was hi
| lie said it was one he had made to 90 to tn
e moon in. and that it had been stolen frol
j. him. We sent for more help to arrest hin
= and he fled"
" "We:I," I replied, with .hudder, " wis
he had approached me in the same way; bu
/. he was more cautious at Dantzic."
t AT Schwartz we found an engineer to ru
: the engine to Bromberg; and having take
out the western mail for the next norther
l train to take along.w We saw that kroller voul
J. be properly attended to and then started OF
d The rest of the trip was ran in saf.t,
, though | could see that the passengers wer
not wholly at ease, and would not be unit
e they were entirely clear of the railway.
heavy purse was made up by them COR tn
l German student, and he accepted it Wit
: much gratitude, and was glad Of it for th
current of gratitude to him may have pre-
y vented fsr different current, which mich
have poured upon my head, for having en-
s gagged a madman to run railroad train.
But this is not the end. Martin Kroller re
NAMED insensiblc from the effects of tha
blow upon the head nearly two weeks, an
5 when he recovered from that he was sound ,
gain-his insanity was all gone. saw hiu
, about three weeks afterwards but he had n
recollection of me. He remembered nothin
of the past year, not even bis mad freak o.
nv engine