Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-07-31
ACME OF DEyILISHNESS
THE ADDICTION OF Il LADY FROM Il
NEW YORK CENTRAL TRAIN.


Tho Most Dastardly Crime Ever Perpe-
srated--Two Villains Allege that Lady
Passenger is Insane, and the Conductor
Allows Them to Take Her by Force from
the Train--Her Husband Finds Her After
She Has Been Chloroformed, Outraged,
Robbed and Nearly Killed---Treatment
Compared with Which Murder Would
Have Been Kindness.
The telegraph has furnished brief details
of an outrage which occurred on the New
York Central railroad some time ago, but
which has only just been made public. The
following is the full story as told in the New
York Times of Sunday, July 28th.
Omitting names from considerations of
delicacy, the particulars of the crime sub
stantially as follows: A newly married woman
"a native and resident of Boston-possessed
OF many attractions of person, mind, and man
ner5, and occupying eminent social posi-
ton in that city had been visit to some
friends in one OF the central counties of the
State. Her visit finished, she started home by
the New York Central railway, expecting to
reach Albany at night, where her husband,
having business there, had agreed to
meet her. Toward evening she changed cars at
Rome, il remember and noticed that two
men who got on the train with her seated them
selves near her, and, by their glances and ges-
lures, seemed ia have her under discussion.
This made her somewhat uneasy, but she
was drawing-room car, and could appeal
to the conductor, il need be, she felt compare
lively safe, and the knowledge that her hus-
band would he awaiting her at Albany-morc
than 100 miles distant-gave her. by some in
scrutable process OF feminine logic q sense of
additional security. There was nothing UMPIRE
possessing suspicious i'll the appearance of
the mem. They middle aged neatly and
soberly dressed, and had air of respectable
ity. She would not have been the least
disturbed had they not so evidently directed
their looks and attention to her. Very soon the
conductor Of the drawing-room came through
and she was on the point of paying the extra
price, (she had secured her through ticket)
when one Of the two men said quietly, ''Do
not take that lady's fare; she is in our charge;
we'll pay for her." She turned in surprise
and indignation, not unmixed with fear, and
said, II do not know these men; they must not
pay my fare; they are nothing to me; I have
never seen them b.fore." One of them then
whispered to the railway official, who inquired
of the lady, What is your name, please?'
'Mrs.--," was the answer. And where do
you live?" ''In Boston," she replied 81 told
you SO" remarked the elder of the couple, who
appeared to be spokesman. you will find
what have told You strictly true. We have
no wish to annoy the lady. We are acting I'M
der the direction of her friends"
The conductor then took the money from the
speaker, and, to the vehement protest of the
lady, remarked, ''You must pardon me, madam,
but these gentlemen tell me you insane, and
that they have been engaged to take YOU to the
State asylum at Utica. They had given me
your name and place of residence before you
had mentioned them" II insanc?" she echoed
Il to go to the State asylum? Oh, heavens!
What dreadful mystery is this? What horrid
plan have they formed against me?'' and she
pressed her hands to her head; her eyes, and,
indeed, her whole face bJazed with an intensity
of feeling and she evinced degree of dread
and agony that went far toward corroborating
the charge of arrangement. ''You per-
ceive.' said of her assumed Gus
todians loud tone, the con-
ditior of the poor lady. She is ordinarily gen
tie and tractable enough; but when her disorder
is referred to she becomes wild, as you see her
now" Great Godn' exclaimed she. ''can any
one believe this fearful story? am as sane as
anybody; but fear shall be mad unless am
delivered from these dreadful men. What do
they want; what do they intend? They want
to abduct me to rob me. | assure you Ito the
conductor) l call heaven to witness that | am
not insane | do not know, | have never before
laid eyes on, these men,"
But they are acquainted with your name
they assume. Pray do not be alarmed. Pm
sure they are your friends. They will do you
no HARM.
20, do not leave me alone with them! They
are not my friends. do not know them.
can't imagine how they learned my name. 1
appeal to you, to any gentleman, for protec-
ton
The conductor somewhat moved in spite
of himself. Her youth, her beauty, her great
anguish, appealed to him strongly, and yet she
certainly acted like person bereft of reason.
While he hesitated as to his course, the elder of
Der pretended guardians said Poor creature
she is often thus 1t is the effect of my speak
ing of her condition. 1t is very pitiable case,
very" and he heaved a sigh of sympathy
Her friends are greatly distressed at her state,
but they hope that she can be cured, and have
determined, therefore. to send her to Utica
These words convinced the conductor of their
truth, and ether passengers in the car, who had
become deeply interested, felt as he did 'But
somebody may know you, Madam he re-
sumed. Let take you through the train.
If anybody whom you recognize will corrobo-
rate your story, | will protect you. Will you
come with me, please?"
1--WE will accompany her" observed the elder
custodian. 1--WE have strict orders not to let
her out of our sight. She may destroy herself;
she is often desperate, and her friends CON
stantly fear suicide when she is in of her
moods. One of their objects in sending her to
sanity watched, and can do no harm to herself
We will accompany you, MIR. -" and he
stepped to her side and took her
She recoiled as if she had been stung and ex-
claimed. with blazing eye aud pallid face, and
in the greatest agitation, For Gods sake, do
not let that man touch me!'
Let it be me, then, Mrs. -" remarked
the younger of the couple, advancing toward
her. Again she started away, shuddering
with the words, ''You are no better than he
You are both in league against me. You have
some dreadful plot of which am the innocent
victim. Oh, God oh, God! these men will
kill mer'
She allowed the conductor to lead her through
the train. her customers following and speak
ing to the passengers as they went along, ex-
pressing pity for her, explaining the nature of
the case and the painful duty they had to per-
form. Their statements were universally cred
tied. Everybody thought the lady insane, and
for their thinking so. ''Poor thing;'' "Poor
LADY, Unhappy case;' "How wild she
looks" were heard as she passed. But nobody
knew her; nor could she find single face that
not strange to her. She looked eagerly
on both sides of the aisle, and in the last car
said, in Misunderstanding tones, mo one know;
not face have seen before-not one What
will become of me?" And then she sank into
the silence of despair. Her face had the ap-
peal ance of mad woman's, ard everybody on
the train believed her mad. AS the conductor
rather drew than accompanied her back to her
car, she moved mechanically, as if half uncon-
scious and in dream.
Having taken her seat, she burst into hyster-
ical tears, sobbing bitterly, and exciting the
commiseration of her fellow passengers. Then
she grew comparatively calm. and scarcely
moved muscle conveying the impression that
she was about to swoon. She did not however.
She sat upright in her seat, pale as marble; her
features working and her limbs twitching as
though she were suffering from epilepsy:
All this had been done in less time than 1T
has taken to tell it. She had not been long in
her seat before the whistle sounded for Utica