Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1888-06-29
MURDER Will OUT.
The Engineers visiO In the Hem
lock Forests of Kane.
A MURDERER CONVICTED BY sU.
PERNATURAL HEANS--5PIRITS
REHEARSE THE CRIhE AND
LEAD TO THE DETECTION OF
THE GUILTY MAN.
From the Chicago Herald.

you know haYe happened and are
still reluctant to tell about be-
cause you know you'll be laughed
at and pooh.poored for your pains,
and this vision was one of that
kind. Bill Sandusky was an en-.
gineer on the Philadelphia & Erie
Railway, and is yet, think, and
lives in Erie. A better engineer
never handled the throttle. About
ten years ago young fellow named
George Watkins went to work on
the Philadelphia & Erie as brake
man. He was a stranger, and no
one knew where he came from. He
was twenty.one or twenty-five years
old, but he had much older look.
He had a very dark complexion,
and he was tall and lean. His eyes
we're intensely black and deep.
sunken.
at was plain from the bearing
of Watkins that he was either the
victim of some great trouble or.
haunted by unpleasant recollec,
tions, and also that he was man
of education and intelligence. He
performed the hard work of a
brakeman with faithfulness, and
early attracted the attention of the
superintendent. Watkins had been
on the road almost three months
when Jimmy Green, Bill Sandus'
ky's fireman, was killed while saw.
ing the life of a little child that
was playing on the track. The
train was dashing along at the
rate of forty miles an hour when
the child was discovered by Bill
and his fireman 200 or 800 yards
ahead as the train rounded curve.
Bill whistled for brakes and revers.
ed his engine, but there was no pos
sible chance of stopping the train
before it reached the child, which
did not seem to be aware Of its
danger. Quick as cat, Jimmy
Green drew himself through the
cab window and ran out along the
guard rail to the pilot. He drop
ped down fiat, and, leaning over
as far as be could, seized the child
as the engine dashed OH the spot
where it sat. Ho caught the little
one and scooped it clear Of the track.
The child was saved, but the brave
fireman lost his hold in making the
effort, and fell across the rail and
WAS CUT TO PIECES.
George Watkins was taken from
the brake wheel and promoted to
the place which jimmy Green's
death made vacant. He got along
with the work from the very start
as handily as If he had been at the
job all his life, but Bill Sandusky
said that the atmosphere of the
cab changed the minute Watkins
set his foot in it. He declared,
after the first trip with the new
fireman, that Watkins would hoo
doc him sure.
"'I feel 80 queer when he turns
those sunken eyes of his on me-
Bill used to say, that l darsn't
stand still under his gaze. If |
should stand STILL Bill said, Il be-.
lieve I'd let my engine push right
on, no matter what might happen,
if that fireman said the word
"Bilps uneaslness under the mys-
terious influence of the fireman wss
such that be at last told the super.
intendent that he was sure some
thing would happen some day an
less the fireman was taken off,
The superintendent laughed at
what he called Bill's foolishness
and Watkins stayed on the engine.
lie had fired for Bill a month or
so, and then the engineer went to
the superintendent and told him
positively that he must remove
Watkins. He couldn't give any
reason that had weight with the
boss and he said that the fireman
must stay. Then Bill told him
that his next trip would be his
last. He said he would not run
another trip with George Watkins
"The Philadelphia e. Erie road
runs through some very wild coun'
try in Northwestern Pennsylvania.
One of the widest spots was just
west of Kane, IN Mexican county,
The woods are deep and unbroken
for miles, aud a fellow passing
through them feels as If he were
out of the world. From the first
trip that Watkins made with hin
Bill noticed that in going through
that wild stretch the fireman seem
ed TO be seized with terror, and al
times he would turn pale, and Bill
frequently saw him crOuching al
the side Of the cab and glarinf
wildly, and his strange eyes seem
ed to be gazing into vacancy. Or
the trip that Bill had declared wai
to be his last with the new fireman
the engineer had not been paying
any attention to Watkins until the.
had entered the wild piece Of wood
near Kane and had run some dis
, tance through it. Then Bill hap
pened to turn his eyes toward th,
I fireman. Watkins stood sgains
the side of the cab. His eyes wer