Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1871-05-25
,isfellaneors.
MURDER IN THE TUNNEL
ATALEo FCIRcUMsTANrIAL EVIDENCE

a story from Gray. Now, old fel-
low, out with it. You've got an hour
yet before your train starts, and you
haven't yarned to us in an age. Yes,
yes, a story from Gray i@sti
Such were the eXclamations that met
the individual OF that name as he en-
tered the cozy conductors room of the
l.. d 6. Railroad at -.
well, boys, / am pretty near drain
ed of my adventures said Gray, but,
if / haven't told you it before, / don't
mind letting you hear about an incl
dent that happened to me out West,
before came among you boys here
Did l ever tell you of the murder in
the tunnel? Well, then, here goes, p
and we let him tell it in his own words:
You see, whsin was on the old w.
& V. line in Missouri, ran what was
known as the Drovers' Express, going
west, but which had the name, sup
pose, in contradiction to that title-Of
the gentleman's wagon, coming east
The drovers, whercoming to market
with their cattle, always went with the
beasts on the fleight train, but going
home and westward they went with
me.
One night had unusually rough
crowd aboard. They We're generally
rough enough, but this time they were
worse than usual. l had their car (for
kept them to themselves) placed in
the rear Of the train, and to prevent
their trespassing into the other cars of
my, train, or stepping off the platforms,
Ihad them locked in. "a f. =
= We started about nine o'clock in the
night, and as went through the dry
ers'1car for nay tickets, found mischief
brewing already. Each man had pro-
vided himself witha bottle or two of
whisky, and the carousal had begun in
real earnest, but few if any of the drov-
ers being sober. One or two small
fights had been begun, one in particular
between a tail Kentuckian and short
thick-set Missourian, having threaten
ed to lead to serious consequences, both
men. having drawn their knives. Their
friends had however, separated them,
and had placed them in different parts
OF one car, the Kentuekian sitting in
the first seat near the door, in the iront
of the car, and the Missourian far back
in the rear. The latter, when they
were being parted, had vowed that he
would yet kill the former, but as both
were in hot blood the words were not
thought much of, though they helped
to sentence him to be hung. afterward
> AS took up the ticket, he repeated
to me his threats agai st the life of hi
opponent, and proposed a duel witt
bowies in the baggage car. I managed
however, to silence tie half-maddeneC
man, and a friend sitting in the same
seat with him, and nearest the isle O
the car, promised to see that he shoulC
not leave his seat and attack the Ken
tuckian. | looked in upon them abou
O'Clock, A. NJ, and found them al
asleep in drunken slumber. The. Ken
tuckian sat in the front seat, as L hat
left him, and the MiSsourian away il
the rear, and also in his previous posi-
tion.
There being no more stops to make,
curled myself up in chair in the bag
gage-car for a nap, and dozed comfort
ably TIL awakened by the rattling ofth
beil-rope overhead, and the. whistle Q
the engine calling for the brake to b
put down. Catching up my lantern
opened the car door and looked out, bu
found nothing but darkness the mos
intense. The train havinr stopped
got off and ran to the engine, askin
the engineer in half-asleep manne
where we were and why he had stop
ped? Were in the Grover Tunnel
ne replied, and | stopped because tn
hell-rope was pulled
The Grover Tunnel was about mil
in length, through which we passe
nearly all the way on half speed an,
with the steam shut off from the cylir
ders, there being down grade at tn
entrance, which was sufficient to nearl
give us headway to carry us through
when the engineer saw the light at tn
further end of the tunnel, however, h
was accustomed to put on steam. and
was just at that time, he told me, tha
the bell was pulled, being the signal fo
him to stop. lf ~
BY this time my brakemen had bee
around the outside of the train, an
finding all the couplings right, and nc
discovering anything wrong externally
gave the signal to go ahead, as it wa
dangerous to stay in the tunnel. AS W
came out, the daylight was just breal
ing, and with q brakeman / starte
through the train to find out, if poss
bic, who pulled the bell rope.
-"ooe vi the passengers were aSlecp
the forward cars as we passed through
but sometew awake, who told m
that the pulling of the bell came froI
behind, from some of the rear cars.
made the trip through the entire trai
with the exception of the drovers' ca
and yet the account said the bell wa
pulled still further in the rear. 1t W.
daylight as the brakeman and myse
crossed on to the platform of the La.
car. After unlocking the door, "
is essayed to push 1t open, but some weigl
against it prevented US. With OF