The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1870-10-22

being tired from the labOrS OF the
day, / at once entered q berth. the
professor assisting me in undress-
ing, and saying he would call me
before We arrived at Terre Haute.
He said he should sit up to see his
wife at Greencastle. which was on
the line of the road, and where his
family resided; that he had tele-
graphed to her, to be at the depot
when the train passed, and to bring
his overcoat. just before mid
night he aroused me, and said, "We
will be in Terre Haute in few
minutes" He was very lively,
and said, among other things. 81
have had the advantage of you.
have kissed my wife since you have
kissed yours; she received my dis
patch, and was at the depot wait
ing for me-" At Terre Hauto We
left the car. and entered the spec
ial train which was in waiting to
take US to Evansville, and which
consisted of locomotive and q
single passenger car. The conduc-
tor said we should make very
quick run, for they had telegraph
ed down the road to have the
track clear, and we should only
stop for wood and wafer. We
soon started at q rapid gait, and
the whole party, some nine per
sons in all. were wide awake and
full of fun. The professor pro-
duced a small carpet-bag; from
which he took some lunch, which
was served around, and while we
were discussing it, he told several
stories-of his speech-making tour
the year before in the county of
Sullivan; through which we were
about to pass. and after some
twenty or thirty minutes spent in
this way, the company made their
several dispositions for the ride
The stove had been taken out of
the car, and in the middle, where I
had stood, the seats ran lengthwise
instead of crosswise, in the usual
way. I laid down with my head
to the rear, and my feet forward On
the long side seat, and the profess
sor laid down on tho same seat,
with his head to the front, which
brought our feet together. We
we're soon asleep, and about that
time entered the county of Sullivan,
in which there lived . class of peoe
pie who were disahfected toward
the government. aud sympathized
strongly with the rebellion. and
some OF them carried their opin-
ions to the extent of overt treason.
and had already obtained for the
county q disagreeable notoriety.
We had not been long asleep
when we were awakened by q
shock and crash. I immediately
sprang to my feet, which brought
me to the side Of the Professor,
and felt that the car was still on
the track and moving. The Pro
fessor threw his feet off the seat
upon the floor, raised his head
from the carpet-bag upon which it
was lying, and with his left hand
threw up the window at his side,
and put his head out to see what
was the matter.
It dashed through my mind
that this was dangerous, but there
was no time TO speak; it was all
the work OF q moment At the
instant of putting his head oct of
the window, it was darkened as by
some passing object, and his face
dropped upon the windo v-sill. I
took him by the shoulders, and
laid him back with his head upon
the carpet-bag, and he was already
dead. The blood spurted from the
side of his head in torrents, and
ran across the floor Of the car in a
stream. A portion of the left side
of the skull, as large as the palm Of
my hand, had been knocked out,
and the brain was protruding from
the mortal wound. By this time
the car was stopped, and sill was
still. Never before had so pow
erfully realized the awful pres
ence of death.
Our company stood around and
gazed with horror upon the face
of the dead, and for several min>
utes not word was spoken. A
horrible suspicion entered my
mind that it was not accidental:
that it was murder; that it was in
tended for me. but. by an inscrut-
able dispensation of Providence,
had fallen upon him, and this was
strongly confirmed by subsequent
disclosures.
It was q bright moonlight night;