The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-05-21
THE CONDUCTORS STORY.
How the Railroad Attorney Settled
with an Orphan.
From the Toronto World.

From the Toronto WOrtd,
Five conductors. delegates to the grand
convention, now in session, were in the
private Office of the Queen last night tell
ing their experiences. The Worlds rail-
road reporter was with them Their mar
rations were all interesting, but the one
that caught the ear of the party was the
following, told by Conductor Tom Punch
water, now of the Chicago and Alton:
Il was a baggageman then, fourteen
years ago, on the Lake Shore ran on the
through express from Buffalo to Chicago
One night, cold night in early March, we
left Chicago with five coaches filed with
passengers most of them excursionists In
my car there was little baggage, but
amongst it a corpse checked to Buffalo. As
we ratified along, the night dark and stormy
without, my car dimly lighted within,
didu't feel any too comfortable with a
coffin in my car. Some baggagemen that
I've known have appeared indifferent to the
presence of corpse in their car but must
confess that one in my car always UNSET
tied me, and made me sleep little for the
two or three nights that followed. And
this night especially felt particularly I'M
comfortable. | knew something dread
full would happen. And sure enough it
did. In the dim morning light, when we
were within twenty miles or SO of Baffalo,
we collided with a freight train. Both
were running at frightful speed. Our
train was completely wrecked | found
myself in field sixty yards or more from
the smash. How got there | never knew
But was unhurt save a few scratches. Fire
broke cut and some of the cars blazed up.
But heavy rainstorm came on and soon
the flames were extinguished. The people
who escaped did their best to relieve the
unfortunates BY o'clock in the morning
we were pretty we'll Strengthened up. The
killed outright numered seven; the wounded
twenty. Before 9 o'clock train load of
doctors and railroad officials were on the
scene. They had come from Buffalo.
Shortly after the accident | had been
attracted by the pteous cries of young
woman, one of the passengers She was
bewailing her father. Her cries were
piercing. 'Oh! whore is dad9 obi where is
my dear dadF We learned from her be-
wailments that she had lost her father in
the wreck. We searched as well us we
could, and soon after the arrival of the
doctors and head officials we found the
body under my car. 1t was down the en-
bankment, where three cars were piled one
above the other. An old railway law
yer, counsel for the road, spoke soothingly
to the girl. /, too, seemed to have an in
fluence over her, and at last we got her
calmod. But every now and thon she
broke out in paroxysms of grief The
old lawyer spoke to her about
accidents, that they could not be
helped. that some were doomed to die in bed
and some at sea, and some by collisions;
that the railroad officials were sorry and
ready to make reparation to the best of
their ability. The old fellow succeeded so
well that he at last got her quiet But
could hardly restrain my indignation when
! saw him produce a pen aud ink and get
the young woman TO sign a paper right
there in the wet, for it was now drilling
| knew what that meant. ] had seen it done
before and I've seel it done since. He got
her signature, however, aud she got from
him check, as | afterward learned, for
81 800. He also got from her two railway
tickets, first-class ones that she had in ncr
purse for herself and father. But her
grief did not end easily The body of
the old Inau was put in a temporary coffin
and placed on the relief train. The young
woman went with it, crying all the way.
The old lawyer ordered me to accompany
her to Buffalo. | did as he told me- /
need not spin the yarn much longer, but
six weeks after that | was married to the
girl, and six weeks still later was made
a conductor through the help of the old
lawyer. Ny wife and lived happy until
her death, three years ago. On her death
bed she made a confession: Tom she said,
do you remember the night of the dreadful
collislonF | told her yes. We'll, do YOU
know that the corpse you had in your car
that night was dad, and that he had been
killed by street car in Chicago the day
before, and that in the smashup he was
thrown out of his coffin and away from it p
As remembered the corpse recalled how
peaceful ne looked as we got him out from
below the car. You bet | never told the
old lawyer, and | never think of my wife
but also think Of the way the old lawyer
/ H.. ii 4 A..
after he got the girl to sign: That's a cheap
settlement, in a court we'd nave to pay
$4,000 ! still think he was not so smart
as no imagined. think my wife was a
| downright smart woman, like all the
| women that come from Chicago"