Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1885-05-10
ON A SLEEPING-CAR.


ON A SLEEPING-CAR.
The Peculiar Experiences of u Pullman
Porter on the Panhandle.
"Yes, we do have some peculiar ex-
periences,'' said an intelligent Pull
man car porter on the Pan-Handle
road to Pittsburg Dispatch reporter.
1--WE run up against all sorts of people.
can tell you. / remember one case
which left an impression on my mind
which will not soon leave it. 1t was on
this same train, Panhandle No. 4, and
we had Just run into the station at
Mingo junction. A well-dressed young
man, who looked as if he was sick or
in trouble, came up t. me and wanted
to know if he could get berth. Well,
l had nothing to do with letting him
have berth, for there was but one
parlor car on the train and that was
full. So l told him that every berth
was taken, and that it would be impos-
sible for him to get a place. He turned
around and walked away about fifteen
feet. stopped suddenly and pulled re-
volver from his hip-pocket, and before
any one could stop him shot himself
through the head. He lived a few
minutes. He was out of his mind,
evidently, for he kept meaning: Il
didn't murder him! / didn't murder
himn We found out afterward that his
name was Frank Leighton, and that he
lived in st. Louis, where he had rela-
tiyes of high social standing. He had
become dissipated, and in some club
quarrel man was killed. He was never
charged with the crime, but he got the
idea that suspicion rested on him, and
he disappeared from his home. and his
friends did not know where he had
gone until they heard Of his suicide.
Another case shall remember as
long as / live. A young New York
Hebrew, named Nathan, died in my
car. He was broken down in health
and went south to get well. He spent
the winter down in New Orleans and
Galveston. He didn't get any better,
and in the spring started home. He
knew he was going TO die, and was ter
ribly down-hearted. had TO be with
him most Of the time on the way up. |
made up his berth early in the evening,
and he went to bed. | helped to un-
dress him and tucked him in. Two
hours later, when we got in Pittsburg
here, l looked into his berth, and he
was dead. Well, he was taken out
here, but we didn't know any of his
friends and could not telegraph them.
They were waiting for him, though,
when we got to Jersey City. They
didn't know he was dead. His father,
hi To hair ira1 old -I -.
beautiful girl not more than 1S years
old. were at the depot, and were al
most the first people ] saw when
stepped down from the car. / had an
idea that they were his friends as soon
as saw them, and it made me feel
shaky, can tell you. Is Mr.. Nathan
with you, porter? asked the young
lady, looking kind and anxious. Well,
just looked at her and then al the old
gentleman, and l couldn't say word.
l couldn't bear to tell them that he
was dead, and SO l just said: No,
ma am, he got off at Pittsburg.' She
turned as white as sheet. and said:
Why, was he worse?' The old man
was SO nervous that he just chung TO
I the lady as il he was afraid of falling
4 don't know, ma'am, / managed TO
/ say. just then a young man came up,
who took to be her brother. called
him to one side. i thought it would be
better for him to let them know than
! for me. Well, sir, he was so badly
! broke up that he just blurted out: My
God, brother is dead. 1t was the hard
est thing ever saw | thought the
girl would just 60 wild. They could
hardly get her away to the carriage.
The brother came back to Pittsbnrg
and took the body on home. never
heard from them again.
'One of the funniest cases ! ever ran
across" he continued, occurred this
winter with a newly married couple on
their wedding trip. He was young
army or navy officer, don't know
which. His wife was bashful, blue.
eyed little girl, not day over II years
old. About IL O'Clock at night l saw
her stick her head out Of the curtains
and look up and down the aisle to see
if the coast was clear. She then slid
! out and pottered up to the water-coolel
after drink. When she started back
she forgot her berth, and her bashful-
ness only made 1t worse. She got back
to what she supposed was her berth and
piled in. Well, Iheard swear and q
scream, and then the little woman,
frightened half to death, shot out Of
the curtains and up the aisle to the
state-room, when l met her. Yon see
she had climbed in with an old gentle.
man and lady from down in Texas,
whose berth was next to hers. The old
man was cattle-dealer and rough
old fellow, and his wife was nervous.
fidgety old lady. She just screamed
and yelled thieves, murder till every
passenger in the car had his head out
Of the curtains. The young husband
had been woke up and missed his wife
and he was almost wild, and came
running up the car to where his wife
was crying in the state-room. She jus,
fell in his arms and pretty near tainted
He couldn't understand what haG
happened and wanted to 90 back aftel
his revolver and shoot some one.
i1st locked them In the state-room