The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1874-08-31
A FEARFUL RIDE.
Nobody but Half-Idiot Would Attsmpt

Not long since THE ARGUS published ar
account Of one John Kelly who rode from
Omaha to Davenport on bar connected
with one of the trucks of car, and unde,
the car When he was discovered at the
depot, in front of the Burtis House, he
presentated a sad plight, covered with dust
almost half and inch thick. 1t was a won.
der to the by ISLANDERS how he could have
lived through such ride. Tie soon dis
appeared, and is now heard of in Albany,
n. Y he having crawled into freight car
at Davenport, which.was loaded with oats.
He was found in freight car by some
tramps who entered the car at Schenect-
ady, Sunday night, for the purpose of
stealing a ride to Albany They heard the
groans Of an apparently dying man, and
at first we're alarmed, but on investigation
Kelly was discovered. One of the tramps
poured some liquor down Kelly's throat,
and on the arrival of the train at West
Albany they procured a couple of sand
wicbes for him. These he devoured rapidly.
He was helped from the car, when it was
found that he could not walk, for he fell
to the earth insensible. He was picked
up and placed on cart and taken to the
station-house, as stated, from whence he
was carried on a stretcher to st. Peter s.
Hospital. Under the care Of DIR. Hart he
was speedily restored to consciousness.
As soon as he was able to speak he said
his name was John Kelly, was regular
soldier, having enlisted three years ago
and was discharged some five weeks since
at Camp Douglas, in Utah from that
place he went to Omaha, where he fell in
with gamblers and lost all his money, and
as he could get nothing to do there, he
started for Davenport, walking part Of
the way, and stealing ride when he
could From Davenport to Albany, we
let him tell his own story: II arrived at
Davenport on the 10Th inst, "wednesday
aud could get nothing to do or to eat ear
" Thursday morning entered the car in
which was found, before it was locked,
having noticed the day before that it was
bound east | secreted myself in the oats,
and soon after the cars started the dust
rom the oats, owing to the motion of the |
tdT, SUUn illicu NY cars. upSC anu IuOulU
20 that could not breathe While con
incd in the car | made two attempts to
,pen the door, but was unable to do SO.
became insensible and knew nothing more
anti last night, when was aroused by
racket outside the car door, and soon after
he door opened and three or four fellows
entered. They were making noise, and
[ endeayored to tell them to stop, when
they discovered me, and dragged me out
IF the oats. l had had nothing to eat or
drink from Wednesday noon until this
when the fellows who came into
The car gave me something. My folks live
n Philadelphia, and my father is proprie
or of the York House, near the Pennsy- |
gania Central depot.
Kelly, who appears to be a stout, ath-
letic young man, seemed while later but
little the worse tor this terrible ride of a
miles, and will undoubtedly re-
cover, although considerable care must be
taken. But for his opportune discovery
by the tramps he would have continued on
to New York, and in all probability been
taken out dead, as he could not survive
many hours longer in the condition in
which he was found All the food he ate
on w Wednesday before starting from Daven-
port was two pears.