The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1880-01-14

er the death of Thomas Starmere &c
q others, killed at Barstow's Siding, Q
Q the nightsof the 22d of February
= met at the switch-house and hear,
the evidence of the persons who wer
, known to have been present at tb
time of the disaster Even the tram
} had been captured. He was see
: prowling in the woods near the line
and had been caught by the section
master and his men. Every one sal,
The tramp did it, but the tramp ha,
il his hand another bar, just like tht
bar found under the train. He ad
mitted having stolen the bar from th,
railroad company. He bad seen th,
disaster from the woods, and had ruI
away lest he be caught. After SOM,
time be had come back to find tn,
bar he had dropped in the woods il
his fight. He had the bar with hin
when caught. He could prove al
this, because the bar was rusty from
lying in the snow.
The reporters % the Centrevillt
papers who were present called Mary
Britton to the telegraph that a mes
sage might be dispatched One ct
them placed paper before her.
"a tramp has been found who ad
mits having stolen the bar, but it is
plain that be did not use it. All the
evidence goes to show that the engin.
eer wrecked the train, out of spite to
the president
These words Mary Britton sent of
by wire to the whole United States,
while her lover sat near, already in
the shadow of advancing calamity.
The operators who read off these
words in distant cities heard everv
word distinctly, little knowing the
terrible trial under which they were
dispatched. Never in after.life did
she forget that message.
Gentlemen" said the corouer,
"this case seems to warrant me in re-
ferring the whole matter to the grand
jury f)r further examination.
Weeks passed, and then the trial
came on at the Court House in Gen.
treville Samson Glider had been
committed on charge of wilfully
wrecking a train.
Mary Britton lived years il those
few weeks
She could not belive that Samson
had committed 20 great a wrong.
Yet everything was against him.
Track-lsyers' bars were abundant
enough. lie could easily have found
one about the place, aud with it have
drawn the spikes from rail Her
mind went backward aud forward
over all this a hundred times in
search OF something to prove him in
nocent She sill attended to her du-
ties at the station, sending and re-
ceiving messages.
One morning, as she was thinking
bitterly Of the sorrow that had invad-
ed her life, her eyes fell upon an old
newspaper fallen under her desk, the
Iron Trade Reuiew. She picked i,
up, opened il, and taened to the Sec
ond page.
All! why had she forgotten those
pictures Strange, black figures,
etchings of iron, nature printed.
Given this slight clew, her mind leap
ed to brave resolve.
She would bring science to loves
rescue how, she could not tell. She
had vague idea of what might be
done, and, asking her father to attend
to the telegraph, she ran hastily out
on the line, aud down the road to-
ward the village
Stopping at certain little house,
she found girl who was good op-
orator, and at once hired her to take
her place at the station.
Before night she had taken every |
dollar she had in the world from the |
savings bank and was on her way to
the city.
The cars seemed to drag too slow
Iy. Why had she fingered so long
and Samson in danger?
The day of the trial came on. All
he testimony that we know, and
much of less importance had been Of
'ered by the prosecution.
The defense set up the previous
good character of the prisoner,
and that seemed all that could be
said.
Mary Britton had given her testi-
nony early in the trial; she had more
20 say, bu: was not yet ready to
speak.
All the morning she had sat in the
Court room, watching the
lock, and waiting for one brave de-
ender 10 come to her assistance. At
he last moment she spoke to the
counsel and asked for slight delay.
There might be yet other witnesses.
rhe defense began to talk against
ime, and messenger vas sent to
hasten the tagging aid.
rbe knight arrived A pale, thin.
aced young man in glasses, appeared
md demanded to give bis testimony.
Behind him came marvellous array
men with strange tools, lanterns of
angular construction, bars, and rods
# iron, and number of gentlemen
Who seemed to be prosperous mer-
bants and manufacturers There
anne also an old German Jew and a
armer from Barstow's.
The young man spoke to Mary
}ritton with the utmost Difference,
md she consulted with him for a mo-
nent and then presented him to Sam
on's counsel.
There was q slight murmur of sur
rise at this demonstration, and then {
samuel Mayer was duly sworn. He
esti6ed that he was an expert in |
metals. He had examined the bar {
ound under the wrecked car, and ,
vas prepared to prove that though {
t was used in wrecking the train, it
vas not the one purchased by Sam
on Glider With the permission of i,
he Court he would like to have the
DOM darkened, and with the aid of q ,
antern be might project some nature
,rinted pictures of the iron used in
making the bar.
The prosecution objected. What
cienti6c jugglery was this? The
I'D lantern dodge familiar in casea of