The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1888-06-23
A MANIAC ENGINEER.
Thrilling Adventure of Northern Pacl6'
Railroad Conductor.

People may well SILVER when they
read of q railroad accident. said a
well-known official on the Northern
Pacific. to q reporter RS he drew his
chair nearer the Office stove. Il will
never forget the narrow escape / had
along with fifty others. 1t was in the
spring of '85. at the time occupied a
position as conductor of passenger
train. with George Robinson, engineer.
We had both been counting Sue Cole
man, one of the prettiest girls on the
line. and had summoned spunk enough
to propose, being accepted. The day
after our engagement was announced,
George, who always was a strange fell
low. acted rather queer. Several times
he complained of severe pains in his
head. but ! laughed it off, and he took
his run as usual. When nearly two
thirds of the journey was completed
we stopped at x. Here a dispatch
was handed me which read:
aside track train for extra is due in
thirty minutes
THE message had been received FIVE
minutes previous, which left me twenty
five minutes in which to switch off.
The fireman. thinking it good oppor-
tunily. had stepped upon the platform
to obtain plug of tobacco Suddenly
the train gave a leap forward (Which
nearly threw me off my feet and upset
several passengers). and began to move
rapidly down the track. sprang to
the bell rope and pulled it violently.
but all in vain; faster and faster we
went could hear the wheels click
over the rails, every inch carrying half
hundred souls to almost certain
death. fastening to the engine, think
ing some accident had happened, /
mounted the tender, and strange
sight met my gaze. There, in the door
of the cab. stood George. an iron bar
used to break coal in his hand.
al knew you would come he said;
you have robbed me of Sue. and are
now waiting to take my life. Come on,
/ am waiting for you;' and he raised
the bar in a threatening attitude. Here.
indeed, was dilemma We were DASH
ing down grade at the rate of forty
miles an hour at the same time the
extra was approaching at an equal
rate of speed on the same track, while
my engine cab was guarded by a
maniac with a dangerous weapon. All
these thoughts passed like lightning
through my mind, and instantly
decided upon a course of action. Throw
ing up my hands and exclaiming with
look of horror l could well assume:
Look! Look there. George!' He turned
his head. and as he did SO l sprang for
ward. my feet striking him full in the
breast He fell against the seats in the
cab and grappled me. We went up
against the boiler. over on the seats,
and finally to the floor. As good luck
would have it / fell on top. Selling
him by the throat in spite of his strug-
giles 1 choked him nearly insensible;
then. springing to my feet opened
the whistle valve and reversed the en-
CINE.
II was none too soon, however. for
rounding curve. saw the train rap
idly approaching. Luckily they had
observed my signals. and the trains
came together with slight jar. doing
no damage. The extra contained sew
eral railroad officials. and Robinson was
placed in their car, while / backed
down to x. Poor George never
recovered; physicians pronounced it
softening of the brain, and last year he
died in the asylum. As for me, we'll.
you see where I am to-day. and this
exhibiting an elegant gold watch. was
given me by the passengers of that
train, but whenever l read of terri
BILE collision. it calls to mind that fear
full ride with the maniac engineer. -
@. II Richardson, in Yankee Blade.
Nat ll~L:~A NssA