Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1885-06-18
HAUNTED RAILWAY CAR.
what the Boys Say About Car L .oSS
"A Bloody Record and Strange
Voices.
Los Angeles News.


Its the strangest thing I ever
heard Of 1t often starts Off on a
perfectly level track, and we have to
keep the break OF all the while in
order to keep it quiet"
The above remarks were uttered by
Jack Martin, a brakeman on the San
Pedro road Martin was addressing
friend few days ago.
Whats the matter with the car?
asked the person addressed.
81 think it is haunted. At least all
the boys say it is. It may and it may
not be; but it is certain that the car
often moves when no one is near it. ;"
The ear in question was an old one
and stood on a side track. It had just
been brought up from San Pedro and
had been emptied of six tons of iron
for the cable railroad. Continuing,
Martin said: 'That car has a strange
history. No less than three murders
have been committed in it. Three
years ago it was brought out from
Boston loaded with fine furniture for
hotel in Sacramento. Somewhere
IN Nevada the door was broken open
and two tramps entered and closed
the door. They were anxious to get
to Frisco, and being supplied with
food and water they proposed to 60
through without change. No one
knows how the deed was done; but
when the car was opened at SacYa-
mento the body of one of the tramps
was discovered. His throat was cut
and an ugly wound was found on his
right side. The other tramp could
not be found. The car was side
! tracked at Sacramento three months
and then loaded with flour for Stock
ton. While at the depot at the latter
place couple of railroad hands oc-
cupied it one night, and during a
John Dewey stabbed his companion.
He died IN few moments. The trial
was long one and Dewey was SEN
teAced to San Quentin for twenty
years. He claimed he acted in self
| defense. When arrested, however,
ne had about S3S in his possession,
while his dead companion did not
have nickel. That looked rather
suspicious. Well, the next we heard
| OF No. II, 0S6 she was the scene of
another mysterious affair. This was
about a year ago at Ell Paso. During
a strike among a lot of Italian la
borers at that place this car was
boarded by half a dozen of them. A
quarrel ensued over some trifing
matter and one of them was beaten so
badly that he died before medical aid
could be summoned"
Ie
marked Martins companion, who
listened to the story with the closest
attention, ''and I would not sleep in
It for a hundred dollars"
''All the train men say it is" con
tinued Martin, ''and the fact that it
will often move on a level track is
an evidence that something is
wrong"
"Do you ever near any strange
noises around it?" asked the re-
porter.
II fancy sometimes I hear a moan
or some indlstinct mutterings, but it
may be only imagination" replied
the brakeman. 1.-The engineer said
yesterday ne heard human voice in
1t, but, upon locking all around the
car, saw no one. The fact of the
matter is, I do not have much TO do
with the old thing, and [ wish the
company would draw it off," ct
this point in the conversation Mar
tins train pulled up from the new
depot, and he boarded it and was soon
engaged wish the duties attending his
line Of business. Car 11,088 is con-
sidered haunted by nearly all the
railroad boys.