The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1864-12-09

4
! were dashlng along at speed never before trav-
eled on that road Posts, fences, rocks and
trees few by in an uudistinguished mass, and
the carriages now swayed fearfully | started
to my feet and met passenger on the platform.
| He was one of tile caief owners of our road,
and was just on his way TO Berlin He was
pale and excited,
'SSir," he gasped, lis Martin Kroller on the
engine p st
''Yos,' / told him.
Holy Virgin didn't you know him 7"
"Kuow?" | repeated, somewhat puzzled
"What do you mean He told me his name
was Kroller, and that he was an engineer We
bad no one to run on the engine, and
you took hiaa ~ interrupted the man. "Good.
heavens, Sir, he is as crazy as man can be
he turned his brain over new plan for ap
plying steam power / saw him at the station,
but did not fully recognize him, as | was in
hurry. just low one Of your passengers told
me that your engineers were all gone this morn
ing and that you found one who a stran-
ger TO you. Then knew the man whom / had
seen was Martin Kroller. He had escaped from
the hospital at Stettn You must get him off
somehow.
The whole fearful truth was now opened to
me- The speed of the train was increasing
every moment, and / knew that a few more
miles per hour would launch us all into destruc-
ticu. / called to the guard, and then made nay
way forward rs quick as possible, [ reached
the after platform Of the after tender and there
stood Kroller upon The enginc-board, his hat
and coat off. his long black hair floating Wild
y in the wind, his shirt unbuttoned at his
throat, his sleeves rolled up, with a pistol in
his teeth, and thus glaring upon the !iremen,
who lay motionless upon the fuel. The fur
mace was stuffed till the very latch Of the door
was red hot and the whole engine was quiv-
ering and swaying though It would shiyer in
pieces,
.'Kro!ler! Kroller!@ 1 cried at top of nay
voice
Tie crazy engineer started and caught the
pistol in his hand Oh! how those great black
eyes glared, and how ghastly and frightful the
face looked.
''IIa! la! ha - he yelled de,noniacalIy, gla- +
ring upon me like reused lior.
''They swore that | could not make it = 4
But see see See my new powerl See my
new engine [ made it, ard they ara Jealous
of me made it and when il was done they
stole it from me. But have found IL For
years have been wandering in search Of my
great engine, and they swore it was not made
bhL tlA We tOuiiA ~ httSN II Lt4LS HiOLiitil
when | saw it at Dantzic, and was determin-
ed to have it. And Eve got it Ho no ho!
we're on the way 10 the moon, | say By the
Virgin Mother, we'll be in the moon in four
and-twenty hours. Down, down. villain II
you move I'll shoot you" +
This was spoken to the fireman, who at Chat
moment attempted to rise, and tho frightened
man sank back again.
81 I haGoras Cd
out one Of tie guard. But even as he spoke
the buildings were at hand. A sickening SEN
sation settled upon my heart, for | supposed
that we were now gone. The houses flew by
like lightning / knew if the officers here had
turned the switch as usual we should be hurled
into eternity in one fearful crash. ] saw a
fash-it was another engine closed my eyes
but still we thundered on The officers had seen
our speed, and knowing that we would not head
up in that distance, they had changed the switch
SO that we went forward.
But there was sure death ahead, if we did
not stop. Only fifteen miles from was the
town of Schwartz, on the Vistula, and at the
rate we were going we should be there in few
minutes, for each minute carried us over mile
The shrieks of the passengers now rose above /
the crash of the rails, and more terrific than all
else arose the dcmoniac yells Of the mad eng- (
neer.
''Mercful heavens" gaspcd the guardsman
"there's not a moment to lose; Schwartz is /
close by. But hold" be added, ''lets shoot !
him" /
At that moment tall stout German student +
came over the platform where we stood, and
we saw that the madnan had his heavy pistol /
aimed at us. He grasped huge stick of wood
and with q steadiness Of nerve WHICH | could
pot have Commanded, he hurled it with such I.
force and precision, that he knocked the pistol
from the maniac's hand. / saw the movement
and on The instant that the pistol fell sprang
forward, and tie Gerpan followed me. grasp
cd the man by the arm, but should have been !
nothing in his mad power had been alone. /
He would have hurled me from the platform,
had not the student at that moment slruci, hn (,
upon the head with stick of wood which lie
caught as he came over the tender.
Kroller settled down ike dead man, and
on the next instant shut off the steam and !
opened the valve. As the freed steam shrieked
aud howled in its escape, the speed began TO de-
crease, and la few minutes more the danger
was past As settled back, entirely overcome
Mt :he wild emotions that had ragged within me,
We began to turn the river, and before was
fairly recovered, the fireman bad stepped the
train in the station house at Schwartz
Martin Kroller, still insensible, was taken
from the platform; and, as we carried him to
The guard room, one of the guard recognized
him, and told US that he had been there about
two weeks before.
t'He came" said the guard, "and swore that
an engine which stood near by was his. lie
said it was one be had made to 60 to the moon
in, aud that it had been stolen from him. We
sent for moro heIp to srrest him and he fed"