, 1886-12-28

| clerk some instructions in a low tone and
handed me n pass key ! slyly went TO mr
room.
The house was stiIl, suddenly tlcre
rlng ont an alarm Of fire. Soon coniu
sipn rcigncd. Guests were rudely awul.
cncd. They hurried out of window; g.
down the stairs. In few minutes every
body returned, pale, trembling and merry
oui The fire had been put out with not
vc-y heavy damage, strange to il..
Nobody, fortunately, was hurt. Evcrs
b9ly congratulated everybody on narrow
cs'apes. To this day there are, ! under
stand, only three persons who have known
the origin Of that fire alarm.
To any outsider would it not havc been
surprising that the occupants of rooms
adjoining mine were more dressed than
an others Of the fleeing guests Further
rl,r-, my neighbors had scarcely disap-
pgarcd for downstairs till my pass key,
furnished by the proprietor, was used. II
ever an intrusion was justiiiable that
w. for n quick glance before u hnsty
cst showed me n lighted bulls eye Ian
torn set on the carpet and near it an open
valisc That yalise held an electric bat
It's wires led to another valisc
wAica contained n reel from which led II
vine running through II space beneath
the partially raised lower sash out nto
the darkness toward the railway bridge.
Scarcely had the fire alarm commOtion
suhsldtd when there came n rumhling and
a rom Ia the quiet night. The New York
night express was nearing Watkins Gleh
station. The bridge Waterman came from
his shunty and signaled Go ahead To
what The ponderous train crept over
the bridge. | shuddered, thinking OF
what might have happened.
It.. ,naYfrn tor war. 1ttaha1 annlI
imagine one, whose room gave him u view
of the bridge, peering out a%nxiously rs
the trains lights flashed on 10 the doomed
bridge. Did any remorse seize him for
the dn,tardly deed of trying 10 hurl that
unwarned train to certain death and RUM
He seized the reel with one hand to quick
~ draw in the evidence Of his crime.
With he other he pressed the electric
hutton and sped the fatal spark to tho
cnu Of the wire. The devilish contrlv
ance did not work. Before the fiend could
recover from his astonishment the train
had passed safely across the bridge.
With an oath the villain turned rs the
door was lung open and rcvolvcrs held
him prisoner. The tarantula when cor
nered stings itself. The trainwrecker
pushed his right hand into II side pocket
and withdrew II, not holding II revolver
but something which lie swallowed. He
staggered and fcll-dcad. Prussic acid,
carried for years, had rescued hin from
earthly punishment. His partner, next
door, was captured by surprise. He too
was fully dressed but stoutly denied his
completely in any crime.
The electric apparatus, wire, Internal
machine and my testimony convicted him.
lie is now visiting Auburn to he enter
tanned by the state for ten years. lie
turnci traitor to the rest Of the gang and
tried to turn states evidence. number
of rascals had planned to wreck that train.
Several stationed themselves in the glen
below to plumber the debris and the
bodies.
My good luck in frustrating the muir
derous design commended me to the rail
way company and | was given n lucrative
position as some OF my reward for pre-
venting what would have proven II
calamity almost unparalleled in the his
to- Of railroads. The cuff box is kept
arioug the archives of the company.
Come out north of here tomorrow and
III show You n hole like a cellar dug by
the explosion of its contents. 1t con
tdncd enough dynamite and chloride of
nitrogen to nave more than accom-
plished its villainous purpose. II. q. La
| Noble in The Current,