Bozeman avant courier. [volume] (Bozeman, Mont.) 1872-1882, 1879-10-16
MY MURDER.


'es MY MURDER.
" A Thrilling Incident in the Expe,
;, ence Of % Telegraph Operator.
J. After all. we way-station telegraph OPT
@ a'ors are not without our little roman
! occasionally. and think can show II,
i we ara not certainly without a cert,
S amount OF responsibility; but it is seldo
: If ever recognized. unless some of o
\ number by carlessness suddenly plunge
train into destruction by failing TO deliv
or understand orders.
, The time Of which Arite was one plea
ant afternoon in early autumn. on the 2;
day OF September. 1876. and rs the occ,,
renee has made Il deep and vivid imprp
sion on my mind. l cannot forget the da,
which WAS Friday.
At the time had been an AGENT an
!. operator on 'he-railroad Il little Will
over two months. The line was ,lirrctl
through parts of Indiana and Illinois. an
some OF the distance had no Telegram
ofi!,e. consequently the order distance WA
somewhat lengthy. and there was but on
office between mine and Cowans. lively
miles west.
On this day was quietly putting IN
'neerscaum in the large bay window Q
my office. and wishing for something {,
relieve my monotony. when the 0petato
at Cowans called the train dispatcher ant
sald an engine had sprung her throttle
with l4O pounds Of seam. and had eOn,
east. while the fireman had gone to lunch
and the engineer who was oiling round
had no time to get on.
All was Still as death for minute. wflcf
the dispatcher began to call c.. tn,
only office between mine and Cowans TO,
fully five minutes lie called him. using the
signal ''23. which means death. but still
no answer, and still the monotonous click
OF the arInatlle: presently he answered
in tazed. hu. ri d manner. and when
asked about the engine. said it had passed
there at fearful rate of speed at fourteen
minutes past 4; witt, no person visible.
II was only six more miles to me. and
an excursion was on its way west with a
heavy load OF tired picnickers. and had
actually l..!t a station only eight mills east
OF me. the telegraph Office. at two minutes
past 4.
The dispatcher called me filriously. and,
being at hand and expeclant. | ans wered
him Immediately. Then he sail: ..Turn
yonr switch and wreck engine No. II. 90
ing east wi'd.' replied quickly: II
cannot without IN indemnity orler;' and
after hasty consultation with the SUPER
intendent. rs | ;'fterward learned, lie went
ahead with an order. whose usual form
and wording roused nnny a lazy ..brass
from dOze. 1t was like this:
TO OPERATOR: Wreck wild engine No.
II at your eastern switch gate to save col
|ision. Company will defend and uphold
Ou. D.R.R.
Immediately returned my Ia or ..l,n-
lerstanding," received my ''c..rrect at 4:lS
,. III. and returned to look for the engine,
when although the conversation between
Myself and tie dispatcher had consumed
,nt four minutes. saw her coming at the
yrandest rate of speed | ever witnessed.
md. sna'ching my order, ran to the
about $50 feet. and when |
lad unlocked and thrown Tie rail. the
oaring monster was only about 100 feet
way. ! had my watch in my hand. and
topped quickly back out Of harms way,
When. at exactly twenty minutes past 1.
he went over, and such IN unearthly crash
hope may never see or hear again.
The dirt and stones flew fifty feet into
he air. the engine turned clear over and
topped on her side. pushing a splinter of
he cab Oh the whistle valve. and there she
~. seething. Kissing. screeching. mass
rubbish.
But above the din and rattle heard one
lid. despairing shrek for help. and. when
could get close enough to see anything.
found what. had it not been for the face.
ollld never have been recognized as a
IAN. in the crushed and bleeding nlass of
ssh that lay under ore huge driver; bit
'e lace WAS without scar. and by that |
us recognized rs an escaped madn,an,
lio. il seems. had c:imed on the engine
Cowans unobserved, and. pulling the
rottle open. had started on Il wild, awful
lie to the gate Of Heath.
When the excursion train came M, ten
lnutes later. they said they found me
'nding by the engine. gazing alternately
the bloody driver and my written order,
II tightly clasped IN my hand. !
was unconscious OF everything save the ;.
t that | had obeyed orders and had :.
preby taken a life. They say l tainted. .
| Knew nothing from the instant dis !.
tered that white. bloodless facr until !,
ir days after. when | awakened appar- :,
lily out OF dream. My first question .,
s. did the excursion get In safely. :;
fhe coroner held an inquest us soon as n
0nld be examined. and the verdict was :,
fe, the jury tind that Albert Lsrsg came d,
his death By being crushed beneath a "
omotive which was wcccked by j. L. B., a,
operator on the R. H.. according
the order OF ID. Il. B.. his s,perinten- "
It and superior officer. And we find in
ther. that 10 blame can be attached to v.
said J. /. B.. y. X. b.. or-tile said rail- h.
Il company, as the engine was wrecked n,
save = heavily loaded excursion. and m
! Albert Long. being mailman. was
the engine In direct opposition to the be
lpany s orders" in
have that oryler and copy Of the ver- st,
side by side in my diary, where they ah
always remain. wi
tien in my dreams | sse an narecog- IS
lhle mass of shive,ing aesh and br.ken IN
es beneath = huge driver. and white,
CARED face presents itself TO my gaze. It
nil.len shrek win almost craze me. and BY
a often. tempted TO 60 where railroads lie
unknown, where the Kissing and
echiDg cannot reach me. sis