Middletown transcript., 1875-07-24
BY J. NJ. BARR.

,
TO tax our farmers and the whole cor
munity without being responsible
any one. Conceding all the good r
suits that have been brought about |
the successful growth Of our railway
it must be admitted by the thinkin
men Of the country, that our railroad
are as much Of danger as conven
i ence; and that unless they are SOC
subjected to some system of regulatio
by which they can be compelled to re,
pect the rights of the people to whol
they owe their existence, they will be
come not only sources Of danger, bu
the most annoying tyfannies that hav
ever cursed our land. Nominally. th
railroads of the United States are actin
under the law Of the land but in re
| atty, they make themselves superior t
it; and when occasion suits them the
do not hesitate to violate and defy it
Their sole object Is to wiring none
from the farmers and others who ar
obliged to use the road I; and the public
for whose convenience the road il sup
posed to have been built is denied th,
simplsst privileges. Scarcely . da]
passes,that seme indiyiduaps rights ar
not violated BY these railroad com
psniss, and If the Injured party ID bolt
enough to carry the matter before th,
courts, be has hard task before bin
to obtsin the simplest justice. He hal
to encounter the immense power Of the
corporation, backed up BY its, wealth,
and the chances are ten to one against
him He will either be beaten By the
money Of the company. or he will be
forced to drag his case along from court
to court at ruinous expense, until, per-
haps, BE abandons it in despair. =
A fair specimen of this tyranny was
recently afforded 10 the sosse Of Mr..
John Coleman. lof Providence. Rhoas
Island This gentleman was shame
fully msltreated and thrown from !
train On the New York 4 New Haven
Railroad, thereby injuring him for life.
merely for demanding to ride over the
road with a ticket be had bought and
paid for some days previous, instead of
purchasing new one. After having
fought bis case for several years through
several courts, in every one Of which
he obtained . verdict. the case was set
tledoip the court Of last resort by YER
dict, Of nearly four thousand dollars, 10
mi. Coleman's favor. During the pro-
,grsss 81 tho case through The courts,
one of the leading railroad officials ar
announced to Mr.. Coleman the
policy of his corporation il such cases.
and The policy il the sane Of each and
every rSilrosd company 10 tho land.
.The company" be said, '.has no ami
mostly 10 you, Nj: Coleman; but you
the public, and ny company
is determined to make il so tsrribls. TO
the public 70 6ghtiit, right or wrong.
that " will stop it.. We are not going
tS be attacked 10 this way.
Two OF three years ago 4 traIp on
the New Jersey Railroad was crossing
Hackensack Meadows. between Newark
and jersey City. It was on very
dark night. One Of the passengers had
lost his ticket: The conductor refused
TO accept his explanation. but demanded
that be pay his fare second time, or
leave the train. He refused to comply
with these conditions, whereupon, be
was hustled from the train on to the
platform, but no attempt was made to
stop the train, which at this moment
'wept on to- the open bridge which
crosses the Hackepsack river. Another
push from the rufians in charge of the
rain and BY it the passenger was thrown
o the aoof Of tie bridge. The momen-
um impaired TO him By the train made
! impossible for him to secure foot
lold upon the bridge He rolled help
essly over the edge Of the bridge and
ell with a splash into the river below
Whose dark waters closed over him,
md he was seen nosmore. No one vas
o blame. No one vas punished The
murdered man had dared to refuse to
,ay twice for his ride. and bis life was
he forfeit to the railway cempsny. In
mother instance 1 man who had en-
'arked Oh train was 90 much intoxi-
ated either to pay his fare or to reply
0 the questions Of the conductor. y The
rain vas stopped and be wap thrust
rom it long way from any station. |
n his helpless condition be staggered
o to the track and fell helpless upon it
b drunken stupor An hour later
o express train came laundering along
an over himsss beilay on the railway
nd mangled bis body almost beyond
In The State of Vermont.
OF long ago. an old lady and her
aught6F. believing that tickets are
ood until used, took passage on train
!, the night time, and securing births
, the sleeping car, made themselves
omiortable until morning. About mid
light they were aroused by the conduc.
". who had discovered that their
ckets were two days old Hespfo-
ouncsd the tickets worthless and de-
landed their fare. They declined to
~ second time; yet. 10 spite Of the
teness Of the hour and heavy rain
lat was falling. the conductor com-
sled these two frail women 70 lssys
le train aud seek shelter from the storm
ID cold Is best they could. But to
me nssrsr home. let ne mention :
sesHhich came before oar courts last
ltnpn. Thea company having Eepq-
ructed il railroad directly .aoress :
'rsou's lawn apd very near tie duells
6 houSs. Sssated BY tie passing lriiBu
daily and nightly danger y.a6d eplA 1
rtain ark and vintry night. without
'ht = other signal 2 train came thup-