The Placer herald., 1857-01-17

minutes for each minute carried us over q
mile. The shreks of the passengers now
rose above the crash of the rails and more
terrific than all else, arose the demoniac yells
of the engineer.
'Merciful heaven gasped the guardsman.
There's not moment to be lost Schwetz
is close! If you dare not 90, I'll 90 my
self But hold he added, let's shoot him,'
At that moment tall, stout German stu
dent came over to the platform where we
stood, and we saw that the madman had his
heavy pistol aimed at us. He grasped a
heavy stick Of wood from the tender, and
with steadiness of nerve which could not
have commanded, he hurled it with such
force and precision that he knocked the pis-
tol from the maniac's grasp.
saw the movement, and on the instant
that the pistol fell l sprang forward, and
the German followed me. grasped the
man by the arm, but should have been a
mere infant in his mad power had / been
'aone lie would have hurled me from the
platform, had not the student at that moment
struck him on the head with a stick Of wood
which he threw over the tender.
Kroller settled down like a dead man, and
on the next instant shut off the steam and
opened the safety-vale. As the freed steam
shrieked and howled in its escape, the speed
of the train began TO decrease, and in 4 few
moments the danger was passed; and as
settled back entirely overcome by the wild
emotions that had ragged within me, we be-
can to turn the curve by the river, and be
fore was fully recovered, the fireman had
stopped the train in the station house at
Schwetz,
Martin Kroler, still insensble, was taken
from the platform, and as we carried him in
to the guard room, one Of the guards rec
ognzed him and told us that he had been
there about two weeks before.
He came said the guard, 'and swore that
an engine which stood here was hs.-ile
said it was one he bad made to 90 to the
moon in. and that it had been stolen from
him. We sent for more help to arrest him
and he fed
Well replied with a shudder, 4 wish
he had approached me in the same way.
But be was more cautious at Dant.
zig.
At Schwetz we found an engineer to run
the engine TO ivoiNDefg, ana having taken
out the western mail, for the next north
ern train to take along, we saw Kroller would
be properly attended to, ond then started
on.
The rest ofthe trip we runsin safety, though
could see that the passengers were not
wholly at ease, and would not be unit they
were entirely clear of the railway.
a heavy purse was made up by them for
the German student, and he accepted it with
much gratitudo-and was glad Of il, for
the current of their gratitude to him may
have prevented far different current which
might have poured upon my head for having
engaged a madman to run railway train.
But this is not the end. Martin Kroller
remained insensible from the effects of that
blow upon the head nearly two weeks and
when he recovered from that he was sound
in mind again. His insanity was all gone.
| saw him about three weeks afterwards
but he had no recollection Of me. He re-
membered nothing Of the past ycar-not
not even his mad freak on my engine.
But | remembered it, and ! remember it
still; and people need never fear that shall
be imposed on again by crazy engineer.