Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1872-11-25
a Train ofIncidenls.

The remarkable adventures which may be en-
c0untered by ladies and gentlemen upon Eng
liSh railway carriages OF the frSt-clasS 'compart-
ment' Style, are newly aud dramatically eNem-
plifed by the recent experience OF a foreign
traveller named Bishenden. Starting on a late
Sunday evening, at ten O'Clock, by an express
train, from Leeds, in Yorkshire, for Lon Ion, this
gcntleman'S attachment Tor one of his retained
bachelor habits induced him to have early re-
course 10 smoking compartment, there to ea-
Joy niCotaic relaxation and retirement At Dom
caster his tellOw-smOkers all left the car, and he
had the compartment to himSet from thence to
Peterborough, where there was q pause Of ten
minutes for refreshments. Awaiting himself Of
the latter Indulgence, the traveller had re-en-
tered his chosen privacy for the remainder OF
the journey, when, to his surprise and Slight in
dignatiOn, he found there gentleman in Il
light coat aud lur cap, intently Studying that
side of his pOrtmanteau upon which was paint
ed his cognomen and address. -" That name
Bshenden!' calculated the nqulsltIYe stranger,
starting no wildly, as he relinquished the bag
aud seated himself opposite the owner. Then,
as the train resumed its journey, he
swiftly drew a pistol from pocket
of his coat and deliberately presented it
at the smokers forehead; observing, in reply to
the immediate remonstrance, that his weapon
was loaded and his intention murder! lmpTiS-
oned as he was in his English compartment car,
with no chance to either escape or obtain out
side help, the Mortified Blshenden at fist
thought himself lost. He might call until he
was dead, without making his voice heard above
the thunder of the train; the signal cord was
disconnected from the forward cars, and the
locked door of the compartment led 10 no saw
ing platform. In an instant he realized all this,
and in the next he was graphing with his mys-
FERROUS enemy and mady wrestling for the fail
The struggle for life so quickly precipitated was
as quickly decided for the time, by the over
throw of the WOuld-be assassin For the time
n ia baHr Lan bn IN
down for nearly ten minutes" writes Mr. Bis
henden to the the Musical World, Only strength
began TO give way under the excitement, and |
thought that it wOud be impossible for me to
hold him thus until he reached London. He
had been quiet for some minutes, and
when, from sheer exhaustion, / finally
released him, made his way to seat
and from thence stared at me in
perfect silence as ! painted before him. By
the light of our lamp managed to hold his eve,
and thus kept him subjective until the train
was entering Holloway station, when with Won
derlul swItness and force he suddenly hurled
himself against the door between US, broke it
open, and fell apparently headlong into the
outer world and darkness At the station
named, and also at the X ng'S Cross terminus,
The astOunded survivor Of this extraordinary
occurrence reported his experience to the sleepy
railway Off 'ials, and suggested search bacK
along the road lor the body of his recent assail
ant Most systematically, however, the said
officials abstalned from evinCing any emotion
at the narrative, or taking any visible measures
for the search suggested, So, concluding that
he had done his own duty in the matter, the
mystifed traveller betook himself at last to his
hotel in London, and has yet to hear the name,
ceebral rank and fate Of gentleman VINO,
whether insane or only mistaken in his man,
could not have secured a more favOring place Of
ambush for any conceivable atrOcity than APP
pears TO be presented always by an English rail-
way carriage OF the first class.