Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1886-02-25
IN A FREIGHT CAR.
NEARLY FROZEN AND STARV-
ED TO DEATH.
A Youth Locked in at Dayton-Some One
at Columbus Refused to Open
the Car.

~'NN''N'N '"A HBNh q iNllN ldlNl ub
Londonderry, o., but it was where he had
toled to raise his family and give them
such comfort and education as his glen-
der purse afforded He took special pride
in his eldest son William, who was fine
bright boy and gave early promise Vt
making his mark. The old man tried to
make everything pleasant and to raise his
children up to do right and be honest.
But as William grew up to early manhood
and the stories Of the wonders of the
world outside of the little hamlet where
his life had been spent were brought to
his notice by an occasional traveller in
Londonderry and in the papers, among
which were many tales of the adventures
of boys, he lost his affection for the hum
BILE home of his father, He decided fl.
nally to shake the dust of Londonderry
rom his feet, He had just passed his
nineteenth birthday when he babe his
old home good,by and neglected to tell
any one where he was going. He saw
considerable of the world. He had lit
tie money with him, that lasted only a
few weeks. He was an economical boy.
and managed by riding upon wagons
with farmers and walking to get many
miles from Londonderry before his
money was gone. Then he had to depend
upon the charity of the people he came
in contact with for food and shelter. He
got situations in several stores but being
without business experience he was not
able to keep them. Through the summer
he worked for farmers in different places
He had to work so hard that he came to
the conclusion that Londonderry was a
pretty good place after all Since winter
set in William has had hard struggle
for existence. The kind of places that
were open for him to sleep in during
warm weather were all closed and there
was little work that he could do for his
food. He was scantily clothed and on
many nights he kept himself from freez-
ing by walking all the time on deserted
highways or in the shelter of buildings.
He was sick and worn out when he an.
piled to farmer Moses Gilman, at Balm
bridge, Ross county, Ohio for work about
six weeks ago. The farmer took pity on
the boy and though there was little to do
he kept him for three weeks, and.then
told him that he had no further use for
him. He left the farmers house to go,
he knew not whittier. While in despair
and thinking about the hard time he was
having and of suicide the little, humble
home at Londonderry came in comforting
way to his mind, and forgetting his
pride, that had kept him away so long he
started with courage for his fathers
house, some two hundred miles away.
! There was nothing but hardship staring
him in the face on the journey, and he
suffered greatly from exposure. In about
two weeks or on Friday last he got TO
Dayton. Then from the reports he heard
of the condition of the roads he deter
ludl HC HOb Wulh any lDUHtI
and made up his mind to steal a ride to
| Columbus on freight train. He found
a car door partly open 1t was about
nightfall and he stealthily entered the
car and going TO one corner of it he lay
down upon the floor and in few mo
ments was sound asleep He was awak-
ened by something being sbowered in
upon him, but did not stir He found
that the car was being loaded with corn,
and after it was partly filed the door was
closed and locked. The air was intensely
cold and he kept awake by walking
across little vacant spot in the car un.
til the train reached Columbus Then he
shouted, kicked and pounded the car
door until in about two hours the atten-
tion of some one on the outside was at
tracted Whoever it was told him that
the car was sealed and that ii could not
be opened without violating the law I'M
, til the Journey end. Where this was
the boy could not find out
The train started in little while The
wind blew strongly through the cracks
in the Car where the boy shivered, He
was hungry, having eaten nothing for
twenty-four hours. He tried to eat the
corn but it was so hard that he could not
crack it with his teeth He tried to warm
himself by burrowing into the corn and
, covering himself over with it, but the
5 corn pressed so hard into his flesh that
he could not bear it and got out into the
q vacant place again and began to walk.
i. The air grew colder and the wind whist
a led louder The boy struggled along fol
I hours Then he lost all sense of cold
@ and the air seemed to have become
}. balmy and warm. A pleasant glow came
' slowly over his body, and even when he
seemed to have regained strength and tC
be walking rapidly, his legs gave out and
n he fell to the car floor and in a second
had forgotten everything. He had become
) benumbed by the cold, and his body was
r completely exhausted When he awokt
!. from sleep that was filled with pleasant
r dreams he was stiff and could not move
: 1t was dark still. 1t seemed weeks before
:, the sunshine came through the cracks
/ The car became little warmer and tht
1 boy thawed out enough to be able tt
, stand.
l. This process of freezing and thawin;
g was kept up until the train arrived yes
d terday morning in the New York Contra
d freight yard in this city, and the suffer
+ ings of the boy alone in the car were ter
IS rible. When the car was opened at Sixty
f fifth street and Twelfth ave. the boy wa
C groaning piteously. He was helped ou
It of the car to store at Seventy second st
), There an officer summoned an ambulance
d and the sufferer was taken to the Ninety
,e ninth Street Hospital His condition wa
'e terrible. Both his feet were frozen an,
1t will probably be amputated. They wer
l. greatly swollen and the pain was so SC
e we're when he was brought into warn
es room that he was placed ia the summe
,e tent that is still up in the yard, His pal
lg face was haggard and drawn and hi
he whole body was sore The full extent O
ID his injuries could not be ascertained un
st til he is thawed out His desire for foo
d was gone and he had an idea that h
4 l. L 4 Al