Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1877-06-27

termlneu 10 nave IL. AND I've got
it! Ho! no! ho!-we're off to the
moon, 1 say! BY the Virgin Mother
we'll be in the moon in four-and-twenty
hours! Down! down, villain. If you
move I'll shoot you'll"
This last was spoken to the poor
fireman who at that moment attempted
to rise; and the frightened man sank
back again.
Here's Little Oscue right ahead.'
cried one of the guard.
But even as he spoke, the buildings
were at hand. a sickening sensation
settled upon my heart. for | supposed
we were gone now. The houses dew bv
like lightning-I knew if the officers
here had turned the switch as usual,
we should be hurled into eternity in
one fearful crash! | saw fiash-it
was another engine-I closed my eyes
but still we Numbered on The Of
tice1S had aeen our speed, and knowing
that we could not haul up at that dis
lance, they had changed the switch, so
that we kept on.
But there was sure death ahead if
we did not stop. Only fifteen miles
ahead was the town of Schwez, on
tie Vistula, and at the entrance, near
the bank of the river, was short
curve in the road. AT the rate we
were now going we should be there in
a few minutes, for each minute carried
us over a mile. The shriekS of the
passengers now rose above the crash of
the rails, and more terrific than all
else arose the demoniac yels of the mad
engineer.
Merciful Heaven' gasped the
guardsman, there's not moment
of time to lose Schwelz Is close by!
If you dare not 60, III 90 myself
But hold he added. Lets shoot
him"
AT that moment a tall, stout, Ger
man student came over to the plat
form where we stood, and he saw that
the mailman had his heavy pistol
aimed at us. He grasped "a heavy
stick OF wood from the tender, and
with a steadiness of nerve which |
could not have commanded, he hurled
1t with such force and precision that
he Knocked the pistol from the
maniac's grasp. saw the movement,
and on the instant that the pistol fell
| | sprang forward, and the German
| followed me. | grasped the man by
the arm, butt should have been
mere infant in his mad power had |
| been alone. He would have hurled
me from the platform, had not the
student at that moment struck HIM
upon the head with stick of wood
which he had caught as he came over
the tender.
Kroller settled down like dead
man, and on the next instant | shut
| off the steam and opened the safety
valve. AS the freed steam shrieked
and howled in It's escape the speed of
the train began to decrease, and in few
moments more the danger was passed;
and as | settled back, entirely over
come by the wild emotions that had
ragged within me, we began to turn
the curve by the river, and before |
was fairly recovered the fireman had
stopped the train in the station house
at Schwelz.
Martin Kroller, still insensibe, was
taken from the platform, and, as we
carried him into the guard-room, one
| of the guard recognized him, and told
us that he had been there about two
weeks before.
HE came" said the guard, "and
swore that an engine which stood near
here was his. He said it was one he
had made to go to the moon in, and
that it had been stolen from him. We
sent for more help to arrest him, and
he fled"
"Well," l replied, with a shudder,
81 wish he had approached me in the
same way. But he was more cautious
at DanZig."
At Schwelz we found an engineer
to run the engine to Bromberg, and
having taken out the western mail for
the next northern train to take along,
we saw that kroller would be proper
ly attended to. and then started on.
The rest of the trip was run in safe
ty, though could see that the passen-
gers were not wholly at ease, and
would not be until they were entirely
clear of the railway. A heavy purse
was made up by them for the German
student, and he accepted it with much
gratitude-and | was glad of it, for the
current of their gratitude to him may
have prevented far different current
which might have been poured upon
my head for having engaged a mad
man to run a railway train.
But this is not the end. Martin
kroller remained insensible from the
effects Of the blow upon the head,
nearly two weeks, and when he re-
covered from that, he was sound in
mind again. His insanity was all
gone. | saw him about three weeks
afterward, but he had no recollection
of me. He remembered nothing of