The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-07-11
srxTY NILES An HOUR.
How an Insane Engineer Terrified His
Passengers.

e~9oCAAG
Scranton (Pa.3 Republican.
James Street whose residence Is on Sanderson
avenue, was, until last Thursday. locomotive en-
gineer ON the Lehigh & Susquehanna division
of the Philadelphia a Reading Railroad Com
pany For many years he was in the employ Of
the New Jersey Central Railroad Company. He
ran the fastest train on the road, and was
considered to he one of the very best engineers
he had always been exceedingly careful, and
accidents to his train were uncommon. For
several months past Street is said to have had
his mind on some sort of an inEention pertain
ing to railroading and it is supposed that he has
lost his mental equilibrium in consequence.
Last Thursday he started from Easton for
Green Ridge with his passenger train. He ran
it as well and as carefully as usual until he APP
preached the Maueh Chunk station. Then he
put on a full head Of steam, and shot past the
station at frighttul rate Of speed, rounding the
sharp curves and soaring the passengers. A
number of persons who had bought tickets for
Mauch Chunk were on the train and on the
station platform stood a score or more of
people who desired to take the train for the
north. They were almost dpmbfounded to see
the train fly past the station. It's speed seemed
to increase as the distance between it and the
station increased. The waiting passengers had
never witnessed such assight before and they
wondered at the popularity of the experience,
while the people on the train behind the insane
engineer became more and more frightened as
they flew over the iron highway. Among the
watchers on the platform of the Maueh Chunk
SbablOl Was DIe local Supef1nL6QQ6nb OIL the rail-
road. He surmised that something was wrong
with Engineer Street, for he had never known
that hitherto faithful employee to disobey any
| rule of the road.
After the train had gone q mile or two past
Mauch Chunk, the conductor pulled the bell
| cord and stopped the train. Then he went to
the engine and saw that Engineer Streets eyes
looked Wild and that he appeared to be nervous
and excited. He took particular care not to
say or do anything that wouid annoy him, and
he was careful not to let Mr.. Street think that
he suspected his action in running past the
station was induced by insanity. Neither did
he reproach him for what he had done, but in a
| quiet and gentle way ordered him to back-up to
the Mauch Chunk station.
| The train had been run over bridges and
/ around sharp curves at the rate of sixty miles
an hour, and the cars had swayed SO much from
4 one side to the other of the track that the
women and children passengers were pale from
4 fright Engineer Street obeyed the command
and backed the train down to Maueh Chunk It
/ was found that the boiler was nearly dry, and
! the wonder was that it did not explode The
superintendent had Street taken to the police
4 station, and placed another man on his engine
/ Street was not at all pleased at the change
/ which had taken place in such brief space, and
i he most Strenuonsiy objected to being forced to
! Street was well taken care Of however, and his
/ treatment was gentle and kind. On the follow
ing day he was brought to this city and taken to
/ his home at Green Ridge. Mrs Street did
/ his mind from wandering. For time he APP
peared to be contented He sat out in the yard
and seemed to enjoy himself during the greater
part of Saturday
On Saturday evening he came down to the
! city and began to throw money around with ex
cessive prodigality He represented himself to
be q millionaire, and said that he was abundant
! ly able to buy out either the Laekawanna Iron
and Steel Company or the Dickson Manufactur
4 ing Company. He said that money was no OBJ
ject to him whatever; he had millions of it, and
why should he not spend it, was question
which he put to the tradesmen whom he dealt
with. They were pleased to meet so wealthy
and withal 80 liberal customer, and the goods
which he purchased were paid for at once. He
bought set Of furniture in one place for $II5
! and counted out the money. At other stores he
purchased presents for his friends and ordered
the dealers to send them to his friends resi-
dences. In this way he managed to expend
nearly $500. Yesterday his brother went around
and recovered the money which the deranged
engineer had got rid Of 50 quickly. Nothing
very peculiar or strage IN Streets conduct oce
Cured on Sunday. He remained at home and
4 was uncommonay quiet.
Yesterday he frightened his wife and neighbors
] by fringa gun off promiscuously about the neigh
borhood He said he wanted to kill few people
before he went down to Easton and murdered a
railroader there against whom he had grudge.
Street said further that he intended to start for
Easton on one of the afternoon trains. Police
men were placed at the Isehigh and Susquehan-
ma stations to watch for him, but he did not at
tempt to leave the city
Streets neighbors watched him with extreme
caution, and did nothing to cause him to sus-
pect that they were making preparations to take
him to the insane asylum. Yesterday afternoon
! the proper papers were made out, and arrange
ments were made for J. w. Boyce and Constable
Bates to take him to a Philadelphia private in
sane asylum. The mode Of obtaining his con
sent to accompany them was to make him be.
leve that they were interested in his inventions,
and that they were going there in order to assist
him in procuring patents on them