The mountain Democrat., 1865-04-15
ch hood of GaiusbOrOugb, G where, it seemed

hood of GaiusbOrOugh, where, it seemed
: he resided.
I've seen somewhere, it's forty shil
lings for getting into carriage while tn
!, trains moving, said my companion. III
give the guard two pounds willingly, anC
end it, pulling out his purse to be ready
} for the train was stopping for the collcc
tion Of tickets at Peterborough. by jim
60, there it goesi She's finished some
body 7 and the money ratified to the bot
tom of the carriage, as leAped to my
feet, for the sharp crack of a pistol was
heard from the adjoining compartment
All was commotion instantly. The train
stopped. and every window was crowded
with heads; the women shrieked, and the
men shouted. | opened our door, for
was horrified to see man in railway uni
form stretched on the ticket platform.
Is be a ticket collector | thought
he was a ruffian, uttered my aunt's rough
and nom agonized tones, as she leaned out
Of the next window, with the revolver in
her hand. Then, long, loud scream es.
Gaping from her, she loosed the deadly
weapon, which ratified down among the
wheels, and closing her eyes, she grew
very pale, and subsided in swoon.
A number Of US hurried to the man in
the railway uniform, who still lay on the
/ platform quite motionless. Upon raising
him, he was seen to be wounded on the
upper part Of the forehead. A rivulet Of
blood trickled down, and the front locks
of hair were singed and frizzled | be.
lieved, for the moment. that my aunt had
reloaded the pi stol, and startling visions
of trials for murder fitted before nv ewes.
But the man almost instantly rallied, and
a surgeon, who was among the passengers,
pronounced that the wound was only a
skin Craze from the wadding. The col.
lector, in answer to the fifty and one in
quiries made at once, explained that as
the train was stopping he put his hand
on the carriage door TO ask for the lady'S
ticket, when she instantly lifted her arm
and shot him! Aunt TAB, amidst all the
hurly-burly which prevailed, was lifted
out of the carriage, and carried down to
the station, where she was conveyed to
the station. masters room, fortunately re-
naming unconscious the while. got my
! GainSborough friend (who in tive interval
had coDtrived to secure his stick to &C.
company me to the head official, and re-
late what he had observed Of the ladv's
demeanor, urging this in corroboration of
my own account of the craze my aunt had
been encouraged in by that ridiculous
Mrs. Leeson.
From my unlucky relatives own story,
when she had little come round, it ap.
peared that she had been lying back in
the carriage, with her eyes shut, rumina-
ting on the narrow escape she had had
from unheardof peril by the forced flight
of cowardly assailant at Huntingdon,
and as the train slackened for Peterbo.
rough she opened her eyes to find man.
face at the window, ,whereupon she raised
the pistol and pulled the trigger instantly
1t was very fortunate for the man that
had extracted the original charge, and as
no bullets were found in the other barrels,
the charges of which were at once drawn,
| represented that my aunt's only object
was to raise an alarm. The wounded man,
however, intimatcd that it was no part of
his ordinary duties to be shot at by lady
passengers even with blank cartridges
and my aunt, overjoycd to see him alive,
wished to present to him her portmonaie.
| took care that he was handsomely com.
pcnsated ; and, indeed, We parted on such
friendly footing, that, winking shrewdly
from underneath a great Pa1lin "vif stiick-
ibg.plaster, he said that he would not
mind being shot at again upon the same
terms. After some two hours delay, du.
ring which time my aunt was examined
mentally by three local doctors, it was
graciously decided Tot to call in m1giste
rial interference, on the condition that |
at once conveyed my relative back to
London, and pledged myself to place her
under proper medical control.
had the crushed lady accordingly re-
turned to town by the next up train in Il
state Of mind on her part which shall
not attempt to describe. She has not
paid the visit into Lincolnshire, and do
not expect she ever will. Aunt Tab has
never asked for any explanation of how
come to be so opportunely at hand at Pc
terboroush, but most likely she learned
it all from Mrs. LeeSon, with whom held
a boistcrous conversation Immediately af,
ter she had recovered from the surprise of
my aunt's unexpected return.