Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1876-03-23

at full gallop, the terrible wag Of q
marquis still following him, and crying
out, Wont you wait for the half SOW:
creign!''
PURLEY'S RAILROAD ACCIDENT.
| Purely was : drummer for New York
hardw are house, who had the nnfortu.
nate habit Of visiting gaming places, and
the consequences was that he was fire.
quently compelled to raise the wind in a
somewhat crooked way. One day, while
riding on the Cleveland and Columbus
Railroad an accident occurred to the train,
and, upon Purloy's arrival in Columbus,
he was furnished by the anxious. com.
pany, together with all the other passcn.
gers, with . free ticket to Cincinnati, al.
though he had not been injured at all.
This stroke Of good luck was not lost up
on Purley, Who resolved to turn it to &C.
count whenever an opportunity present.
cd ITSELF Such was the case few
months afterwa when Mr.. Purley was
again in Cincinnati. There he woke up
one morning ut the Gibson House with.
out penny in his pocket, he having lost
everything the night before at draw.pok.
er. And when he stepped up to the
clerks desk to see whether any letters
had arrived for him, there was handed to
him a telegram from his employers in
New York, ordering him to proceed with.
out delay to Chicago. The poor fellow
was at loss to know how to pay his rail.
road fare thither, and he mechanically
picked up morning paper. Almost the
first article upon which his eyes fell vas an
account of railroad accident which had
occurred at midnight, on thu Indiana Cen.
trail Railroad, to train bound for Chi.
cago, at a short distance from Cincinna i.
Several passengers had been injured,
most Of whom had been sent back to
Cincinnati. Upon reading this, Purley
jumped up with radiant face. "Eure-
ka!' he said to himself, "ihis is almost
providen.i,l." He then went back to his
room, and there bandaged his right arm
| with two handkerchieis and towels, and
put it into black sil6 sling. Then he
wrapped himselfin his overcoat, aid went
out. At neghboring drugstore he
looked in the directory for the private
residence Of the president Of the Indiana
Central Railroad, and found that Dig
nitary at home, it only being
eight O'clock in the morning. Assuming
most dolefal air, he said, Mr.. Prcsi.
dent, am one Of the victims Of the &C.
cident which occurred to the outward
bound train last night. You see I broke
my right arm, and l am afraid have
sustained internal injuries had to
walk all the way back to the city, suffer.
ing intense pain. What was most dis.
trcssing to me was that I had lost in the
confusion my satchel, with all my money
and papers. have 10 be in Chicago to.
morrow morning sure. What am 20 do
to pay my hotcl.bill and farc!' So say.
ing he groand again as if he were in great
pain. The railroad president had had be-
fore some unpleasant experience with
passengers injured on his line, aad so
he thought he would get eff very cheap
if he gave Purley free ride to Chicago
and some money to boot. "Of course
We will furnish you free pass to Chica.
co." he said, "and pay you a reasonable
sum for your expenses. Will fifty dol
lars do Mr.. Purley?' Purley chuckled
inside, bat outwardly consented but
reluctantly being turned off with so beg
carly an amount. Still he finally accept.
ed the offer, and departed from the house
cf the railroad president with an order
on the ticket agent of the line for free
pass to Chicago, and on the treasurer for
fifty dollars in cash. lie received both,
and signed receipt in full with his left
hsnd. Then he went to neighboring
saloon, took big drink, Invested him.
self Of the bandages and sling, paid his
hotel bill, and took the next train for
| Hhsoo~o Ahn,,k <o,> ho,,,., 1aknu ~.
Suggs, hardware dealer, and director
Of the Indiana Central Railroad, went to
the office Of the company to enquire about
the accident. The ticket agent showed
him the list Of casualties, on which was
also the name of James Purley. CONNER.
cial traveller, from New York. Mr..
Suggs was we'll acquainted with Purley,
and so asked what sort of a looking man
he was. The answer to his query fully
satisfied him that the pretended victim Of
the accident was no other than our New
York drummer, which astonished him not
a little, as he had seen Pur!cy an hour
after midnight perfectly we'll 1T = fashion.
able saloon. III order to make things
doubly sure, he went to the Gibson
House, where he ascertained that Purley
had no broken arm there either the night
before nor this morning when no started
for Chicago. Then the fraud which the
drummer had practiced dawned upon him,
and he briefly telegraphed the facts to
Purley's employers in New York. The
next morning Purley was in Chicago, and
called upon the customer that he had
been ordered 10 see. The junior partner
of the house took a walk With him. and,
after repeated drinks. Purley laughingiy
told him how he had got free ride to
and other blisters where unoccupicd
places could be found upon the child.
Well, toward morning the wood gave
out, and my wife wanted me to 60 down
cellar and get some more: ''My dear. it
is laborious job, and the child must be
nearly warm enough with her extra
clothing. Now mightn't we put on an
other layer Of poulticcs and"
I did not finish, because was inter-
ruptcd. ! lugged wood up from below
for some little time, and then turned in
and fell to snoring as only a man can
whose strength is all gone and whose soul
is worn out.
Last, at broad daylight, l felt grip On
my shoulders that brought me to my
senses suddenly. Ny wife was glazing
down on me and gasping. As soon as she
could command her tongue she said, ut
is oil over. All over . The child's. per.
spring! What shall we do 7"
"Mercy. how you terrify me. l don't
know what we ought to do. Maybe if we
scraped her and put her in the draft
again :" 80. $685.. ......
20, idiot There is not moment to
lose. Go for the doctor. Go yourself.
Tell him that he must come, dead or
alive
dragged that poor sick man from his
bed and brought him. He looked at the
Chicago, emitting however, to mention
the fifty dollars. "Ha, ha! What
good joke! quoth his friend. s.They
can afford to give you free ride after oil
the money you have paid them, Purley."
At this moment a telegraph boy entered
the place. ~ was told would find Mr..
Purley from New York here" he said.
''That's my name.'' replied Purley.
'sHere's dispatch for you from New