The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1867-06-08
But there was sure death ahead, if we

did not stop. Only fifteen miles ahead
was the town Of Schwartz, on the Wis.
tula, and at the rate We were going we
should be there in few minutes, foi
each minute carried us over q mile
Above the crash Of rails, and more
terrific than all else rose the demoniac
yells of the mad engineer.
"Merciful heavens~ gasped the
guardsman, ''there's not q moment to
lose. Schwartz is close by. But hold,
he added, "let's shoot him."
At that moment tall, stout German
student came over the platform where
we stood, and we saw the madman had
his heavy pistol aimed at US. He grasp,
ed heavy stick Of wood, and with a
steadiness of nerve which / could not
have commanded, he hurled it with
such force and precision, that he knock
ed the pistol from the maniac's hand.
l saw the movement, and on the instant
that the pistol fell, / sprans forward,
and the German followed me. grasped
the man by ths arm, but should have
been nothing in his mad power, had l
been alone. He would have hurled me
from the platform, had not the stu
dent at that moment struck him upon
the head with q stick of wood, which
he caught as he came over the ten
der.. n u -
Kroller settled down like o dead man,
and on the next minute shut off the
steam, and opened the valve, the freed
steam shrieked and hOwled in its es-
cape, the speed began to decrease, and
in few minutes more the danger was
passed. As 1 settled back, entirely over
come at the wild emotions that had
ragged within me, we began to turn the
river, and, before I was fairly recovered.
the fireman had stopped the train in the
station house at Schwartz.
Martin Kroller, still ipsensible, was
taken from the platform; and as We
carried him to the guard-house, one of
the guard recognized him, and told us
that he had been there about two weeks
before.
she came" said the guard, "and swore
that an engine which stood near here
was his. He said it was one he had
made to 60 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 shudder, 81
wish he had approaced me in the same
way; but heiwas moro cautious at Dant-
zig.
At Schwartz we found an engineer to
run the engine to Bromberg; and hav-
ing taken out the western mail for
the next northern train to take along,
we saw that Kroller would be properly
attended to, and then started on.
The rest of the trip We ran in safety,
though l could see that the passengers
were not wholly at ease, and could not
he until they were entirely clear of the
railway. A heavy purse was made by
them for the German student, and he
accepted it with much gratitude and /
was glad of it; for the current, Of graft
tude to him may have prevented far
different current, which might have
poured upon my head, for having
engaged q madman to run q railroad
train.
But this is not the end. Martin Krol-
ler remained insensible from the effects
of that blow upon the head nearly two
weeks; and when he recovered from
that, he was sound again-his insanity
was all gone. l saw him about three
weeks afterwards, but he had no recol-
lection of me. He remembered nothing
of the past year, not even his mad freak
on my engine.
But remembered. it, and remember
it still; and the people need never
fear that shall be imposed upon again
by q crazy engineer.