Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1870-04-14
A DRAMA ON WHEELS.
A Woman Abandons her Infant ON
hoard hallway Train-The Con-
duetor Procures her Arrest-How
she Cfrcumvented his Vigilance.

c A Woman Abandons her Infant O,
e a"s,or nosrd a. h.iiw:y Train.Ths Con
she Circumvented his Vigilance.
FL Chicago Tribune. 18th.
4 On Friday last an episode of an irregula
character occnrred oua Michigan Southern
Railroad train coming west, which furnish
} cd food for gossip and speculation anon,
, the passengers. There came aboard Tia
train at, Adrian q well dressed, though
modest little woman, bearing in her armsss
eherub some three months of age. Th,
woman with her child took seat in the Ia
dies Car. Soon the conductor came alons
to collect the fares. Whom he arrived a
the seat occupied by the little woman. h,
tappeared slightly confused, but regaininf
his equilibrium, asked to see her ticket
She replied that she was not possessed O
the desired piece of pasteboard, neither
had she the whcrewith to purchase thelar
tlcle. Some conversation in a low tone
then occurred between the conductor and
his impecunious passenger, when he turned
about and going to the gentlemen oc.
Feupying the coach, told them that the
woman was a deserving creature, who
had met with misfortune through the
machlnations of some "double-dyed vii
lain, ETC., and whom he desired to help.
~ AAC piOPOotu W ucdQ SunSCIlDtlOQ IN lcr
behalf with a, V; would not the liberal
hearted passengers assist him OF course
they would. Who could resist such a
tempting offer In less time than it re-
quires to write these lines, purse of con-
siderable magnitude was collected and
handed to the little woman ia black. who
returned her thanks with tears, which
spoke more eloquently than could words
While what Is above related is occurring,
the train was speeding on Its westward way
station after station being passed in quick
succession. When Hudson" was called,
the little woman in black started to her
feet, and rushed for the door CT the car,
| forgetting In her haste TO take along the
"blessed baby" which was left in the seat
lately occupied by its mother. In minute
the train was again under headway. and
was soon beyond the suburbs of the charm
j ing village. As it sped along toward the
setting sun, the jostling awoke the offspring
OF the''woman in black" the late recipi
ent of aims, and then, for the first time
we're the occupants Of the coach made awar
that the woman had abandoned her babe.
The poor innocent was at snce kindly cared
for by some gentle ladies, and the conduct
or notified Of what had occurred.
AT Pittsford, the next station, the con-
ductor stopped the train, gave the waif into
the keeping Of the agent, and, calling the
telegraph into requisition, sent dispatch
to Hudson, requesting the arrest of the
woman IN black, and giving his reasons
for making the request. ats-e
a lapse of twenty-four hours must now
| occur, as they say in the play bills, before
We can commence the second act of our
little drama, the curtain having descended
on the first at the telegraph office at Pitts
ford. $50 sifrfr'.T rEt--
On Saturday our conductor was again ON
the road, this time journeying eastward,
bound for Toledo. When he reached Pitts
ford he again took aboard the abandoned
child, intending to deliver it to its mother
at Hudson: Upon reaching the latter sta
ton he ahghted with the cherubim in his
arms, and Immediately set about searching
for the mother or some one into whose pos
session he could give the babe. But no
one could be found to accept the charge. =
Not they. mot for Joseph" They knew
aatrick worth two of that They had been
posted They had been present at the iex-
animation Of the little woman before JUS
tice of the Peace, and heard the testimony.
sOh, no, MIR. Conductor, keep your oao,.
child; don't try 70 turn it over to us to bring
up; pretty father are you to act so shame.
".
Such were the responses our noble con-
ductor received from the people of Hudson,
whose population he was SO anxious to In
crease to the extent of one soul. -e
OF course he was mystifed, not to say
dumbfounded What did all this non
sense mean? Would they explain? Would
they come out from behind their masks
and inform him who he was? sAnd all
that sort of thing"
An explanation followed. 1t appeared
that when the woman was taken into Gus
tody, in response to the Pittsford telegram
OF the day before, she demanded an instant
examination before competent judicial
tribunal. This was accorded her. and the
telegram was offered as the chief witness
for the prosecution. Though little irrep-
ular, it was admitted to testify, and had its
due weight upon the mind of His Honor"
Then came the defence. The little wo-
man paeceeded. 7. SIZE admitted that she
had abandoned her child, but contended
she had done nothing wrong. Only half
Of the infant belonged to her. and she was
willing TO give up even that share. To its
father belonged the remainder. Into the
possession OF its father had she delivered
the child. The conductor, the author of
the dispatch which led to her arrest, was
also the author OF its being, and he must
look to lts welfare in the future. She had
done for it all she was going to, ''and that's
the end ont" z~oAr
The learned magistrate took the tAstimo-
ny Hnder adyisement few minutes, and
then rendered Judgment in favor of de-
fendant, in other words, ordered that the
woman be released from custody and be
permitted to-depart- And she did depart,
right soon, to parts unknown
Inc conductor--upon hearing this rcvel-
alton, was almost distracted; he paced
frantically up and down the platform, one
moment cursing the crowd, which had by
this time grown TO considerable magnitude.
and the next imploring some one to relieve
him from his unpleasant predicament and
take the accused baby" off his hands.
BE said he was married man, with wife
and children of his own to support, and
he did not want to add to his flock any
stray lambs. '~iisft1-
Finally he succeeded in convincing an
old lady in the crowd that they had been
imposed upon by the mysterious woman
and she, consented. to take the :nnocent
cause OF all his troubles under he protect
ing wing. --------
ton, and our conductor is the happiest
man on earth. lsr
And so ends the drama of the IN ysteri-
ous Woman; or. the Abandoned Baby and
Dist facted Cenductors
/. Tbs above facts were given our reporter
| by a gentleman who obtained them directly
from our friend. the conductor. :. -
:: RI su,.,subterranesn Lakes. .tli:
!, In connection vith,a notice of the sub
serranean pohd supposed TO exist at Wor-
cester, the Lawfencec American makes the
annexed statement; -.
- In Stockton, California, and Immediately
around it, an abundant supply Of good wa
ter can be had anywhere by boring down a
dozen feet with o common ,auger with q
long handle. Picnic parties carry pump
and stand, lead pipe and an auger as pait
Of the required articles forthe day. But q
very short time is expended in obtainhg
water The fire reservoirs have no bottoms,
and require ne filing, the water coming in
i freely 7as soon as they .sre dug. 2 It
was necessary to change theplses Of burial
t6ut selected in the. town, the water pene-
tratipo the oraves And partia1ly filing Them