Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-06-03
QUEER WESTERN STORIES.
ADVENTURES ON THE RAIL RE
CALLED BY OLD TRAIN MEN.

PUEBLO, Col, May 25.-At the Rail-
road House last evening Con Ferguson,
an old brakeman, took his turn as a
story-teller in a crowd Of railroad men as
follows:
you've all heard Of Tom Farrelly, who
used to run on the Rio Grande. Well he
told me yarn one night about month
before he was Killed that ! viii remem-
her as long as live. He was on freight
Going west. and when about ten miles the
other side of Wagner he went on top OF
the train to set some brakes for the grade
there. The night was dark and chilly.
but he ran along the cars until finally, in
the middle of one of them, he stumbled
over something and came very near fall
ing of the train. Gathering himself up
as quickly as possible, he leaned over and
found Il human body, still warm, but evil
IDENTITY dead. He had no lantern with him,
but, running back to the cabOOse, he got a
light, and, calling on the other boys to
follow, he led the way back again, almost
breathless with alarm. When he got 10
the car where he had seen the body he
stopped, looked Vacantly around, exam
lned one or two cars ahead, came back
again, and in reply TO the incredulous re-
marks of his companions protested that
he had seen and felt body, but that 1t
was now gone. Nobody could explain
the mystery, and FarTelly said he could
see that they thought he was little of.
When he got back to the caboose he told
them all about the matter, and the next
morning they examined the cars and
found half dozen blood stains on the car
designated. ON the way back the boys all
kept lookout when they passed the place
where the body had disappeared, but
nothing was to be seen. About three
miles this side Of that point fellow sig
nailed the train and was taken on. He
had little to say, and on arriving at the
switch at Wagner he got OF and walked
away.
"Two nights later, on their next trip
down the road. Tom went out again as
usual at the grade, and just as he was
setting a brake be saw on ;he-next car
ahead OF him dark figure crOuching over
something lying on the roof Tom was
scared, hut his experience of few even
ings before had made him ugly, and,
drawing a revolver quickly, he yelled
out:
"'Who are your What have you got
thereY
"Quicker than l can tell it, something
shot of the side Of the car, and the man
whOhad been bending low breathed a curse
between his set teeth and jumped from
the train, which was then going at very
moderate rate. Tom ran back, firing his
revolver as he did so, until every chamber
was empty, being responded TO once or
twice by the figure that had been left be-
mind. The conductor stopped the train at
the foot Of the grade, but as he had TO
make time il was deemed impossible to
institute a search.
's.After that Farrelly got all sorts of
ideas and notions, and for a long time he
would not take his run. He tried in vari-
Gus ways to get change of, but, failing
in this, he told me the whole story one
night, and said he was going back on his
old run, and that1if anything happened
TO him could have some sort Of an idea
what it was. l did not hear anything
from HIM after that until l was told that
he had been killed, and then / thought OF
his story.
"'Where did it happenT l asked.
"'Down on the grade the other side Of
- was the reply.
ffsGHowY
AHstNobody knows, except it is supposed
that he slipped while setting the brake,
and fell between the cars
q made up my mind that l would look
into the matter, and / telegraphed them
to hold his body until got there. | found
poor Tom sadly cut up, but on examining
the remains found "A small red mark in
his back Just under the left shoulder
blade, and | pointed it out with the re-
mark that that was a bullet wound. But
the relatives would not believe il. We
didn't have every facility tor detecting
crime in those days that we have now,
and, though nothing was done about it,
knew that Farrelly had been murdered.
"Ihree months after that we got party
OF officers TO take the job, but, though
they discovered some suspicious signs in
the vicinity Of the grade, nothing ever
came OF it. My own theory is that Tom
caught some chap, probably a Greaser.
WHO was making of with a couple of his
victims, and that 10 was the mans inten.
lion to get them out on the road ways
and bury them in the sand or gravel some
where. ! found out that the train stood
on the siding the other side of Wagner
Tor while, and that it would be COM
paratlvely easy for man TO carry any,
thing 20 the top before the train started.
and then jump of when the grade was
reached. We looked over the ground pretty
well, but it was impossible to tell one
spot from another. The earth was so drv
and soft everywhere that 100 men might
have been buried there, and with the earth
smoothed over a little the place would
have looked natural enough. / never
doubted that Farrelly was murdered
but couldn't make anybody else be-
lieye it,"
Ed Gillian, who has been on the road
since IL was frst opened, said; 81 never
had any experience with murderers on
Top ol "A train, but I've had lots To do with
Otoer folks. When the road was first put
ln operation | used TO say that il would
never pay, even for the renewals OF the
Tee because 1t seemed 10 me that every
body out here then wanted to get away,
ana about three out Of five didn't have
money enough TO ride "A mile. The times
were hard then. Lots Of fellows had got
out here IN the Southwest in one way or
another, and AS there was little doing
here and not much money being invested,
an those who were not wei fixed when
they started soon came TO want. As soon
as the trains got 10 running you ought 90
have seen those poyerty-stricken fellows
try % get acquainted with as and en-
deayor IN one way or another To make ar
ran0ements for "a ride east. II made me
tired more than once. They'd come with
tears IN their eyes and beg even for a lift
of 100 or 300 miles.
When a train got ready TO pull out for
the east IL was always necessary 10 20
through II and examine every truck aud
car 70 see II there were any stOwRways,
but even tnat did not always work. They
would go down the track aud wait til the
night train came along, aud then board IL,
hanging ON 20 the haud-ralls at the ends OF
the cars, on lying Tat on the roofs. We
used % gei sick of lighting tbput and moat