Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1877-05-09

Sing 1t, o funeral song,
With voice that Is full of tears
And say that the broken faith
4 Wrought all this ruin and scathe,
In the Year OF Hundred Years.
| |MlscfnMg:
THE MIDNIGHT TRAIN.
A Story Of Life on the Track.
The night which will dwell in my
memory with vivid distinctness while
life and reason are left me, was in
October, a long while ago. was q,
that time telegraph operator, station
ed upon the Grand Trunk Line OF
railroad.
Mine was by no means model
place of residence. There were beer
gardens, drinking saloons and gamb.
ling houses out of all proportion to
the more respectable shops and resi-
dences we had two arrests Of coun-
terfeiters, and there was scarcely a
day passed that there was not brawl
among the ruffians around us. Still
there was school and timid blue
eyed woman had come to teach there.
How long an unprotected woman
might have lived there l can only
guess, for Alice Holt had been there
but three months when she consented
to walk into church with me one day
and walk out my wife. This was in
July, and we had occupied pretty
cottage nearly quarter of mile
from the telegraph Office since our
marriage.
Being the only man employed at the
telegraph business in town, was
obliged to remain constantly at the
office, and part of the evening, and
Alice herself brought me my dinner
and supper.
There was small room next nv
Office, with window, but only one
door communicated with the larger
room. Here Alice had fitted up a
dressing table, and mirror, washstand.
and some pepper salt and pickles for
my office repasts. The two rooms
were on the second floor of u building
that stood alone.
With this necessary Introduction
come to the story Of that October
night and the part my blue-eyed Alice
only eighteen and afraid Of her own
shadow, played in it. / was in my
office at about 80 o'clock, when one
of the railway officials came in, all
tlurried, saying:
"Stirling, have you been over to the
embankment on the road to-day 2"
The embankment was not a quarter
of mile from the Office, on the East
side.
"No; I have not"
at was a special providence took
me there then. One of the great
masses of rock had rolled down di.
rectly across the track. 1t will be
dark as VOLTS mouth tonight, and
if the midnight up train comes with.
out warning, there will be horrible
smash mp"
at must stop at Postville, then" ]
replied, ~ will send message"
"Yes. That is what / stopped In
for. The down track is clear, so you
need not stop that train"
"All right, sir.
/ was standing at the door, seeing
my caller down the rickety staircase
when Alice came up with my supper
1t was hot, and cold, so drew up q
table, and opening can and basket, sal
down to enjoy it. Time enough fol
business l thought afterwards. AS
ate we chatted.
"Any message to-day ?" my wife
asked.
| "One from John Martini"
! John Martin? 2" Alice cried 'stht
greatest ruffian in the neighborhood
What was the train p
"Midnight train"
"Was that all p
"That was all. Mr.. Hill has ius
been here to tell me there was hug.
rock across the track at the embank.
ment, so shall stop the midnight
train at Postville. The passenger,
must wait few hours there, and
come on in the morning after tht
track is cleared"
"Have you sent the message, Rob.
ert?"
"Not yet. There is plenty of time
That train does net reach Postville
till half past eleven, and it is not We,
eight. Yes, it is just striking
"Better send 1t, Robert. If there
should be an accident you would nev.
or forgive yourself. Send it while
put some clean towels in the wasl
room, and then will come and 81
with you till you can come home"
She went into the dressing room al
she spoke, taking no light, but de
pending on the candles burning in tn,
office. | was rising from my sea
to send the telegram when the door
opened, and four Of the worst char
acters in the town, led by John Mar
tin, entered the room. Before could
speak, two threw me back in m,
chair, one held revolver to my heai
and John Martin spoke:
sMr. Hill was here to stop tho vi
train. You will not send the message
Listen. The rock is there to stop tina
train-put there for that purpose
There is $4,000 in gold on the train
Do yo" understand r.
i "You would risk all the lives in tn,
train to rob it?' l cried, horror
lstruck.
Exactly !" was the cool reply. "On,
fifth is yours if you keep back th,
message. The money has beer
watched all the way along"
saw the whole disbolical schem,
at once. 1t the train came it woult
be thrown off the embankment Will,
the men could easily lie in wait there
"Come," Martin said, "will yo,
join us z"
"Nevcr" cried, Indignantly,
trembled for Alice. If only M
life were at stake l could have born
, it better. But even if we were botl
murdered l could not take the bloc,
of the passengers in the train upol
my head. Not sound came from
the little room as was tied hand an,
foot to my chair, bound 80 severely
, that could not move. 1t was pro
posed to gag me, but they conclude,
that my cries, if l made any, conlt
not he heard, and handkerchief wa
, bound over my mouth.
!, The door of the wash room wa
closed and locked. Alice stood un
discovered. Then the light wa
: blown out, and the rufiians left me
locking the door after them.
There was a long silence. Outsid
| could hear the step Of one of tn
men pacing up and down, watching
rubbed my head against the wal
behind me, and succeeded in gettin,
the handkerchief on my mouth to fal
around my mock,
l had scaroly accomplished thi
when there was tap on the inne
, door.
"Robertw Alice said.
aYes, love! Speak low, there is