Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1888-06-22

How the Railroad Attorney Settled
with an Orphan.
Toronto World.

Five conductors, delegates to the
grand convention, now in session.
we're in the private Office OF the
Queens telling their experiences. The
Worlds railroad reporter was with
them Their variations were all In
teresting, but the one that caught the
ear of the party was the following /
told by Conductor Tom Punchwater.
now of the Chicago and Alton:
'I was a baggageman then, fourteen |
years ago, on the Lake Shore / ran /
on the through express from Buffalo
to Chicago. One night, a cold night
in early March, we left Chicago with five
coaches, filed with passengers, most
OF them ezcursionists. In my car
there was little baggage, but amongst
it q corpse checked to Buffalo. AS
we raJtled along, the night
dark and stormy without. my
car dimly lighted within.
didn't feel any too comfortable
with q coffin in my car. Some bag
/ gagemen that I've known have sp-
/ peared Indifferent to the presence OF
! a corpse in their car; but must con-
/ Tess that one in my car always I'M
] settled me and made me sleep little Tor
/ the two or three nights that followed.
/ And this night especially / felt partlc-
/ ularlv uncomfortable I knew some
thug dreadful would happen. And 1t
! did In the dim morning light, when
we were within twenty miles or so
from Buffalo, we cOllided with q freight
| train. Both were running at a fright
/ full speed. Our train was completely
IL E,=II
sixty yards or more from the smash.
/ How I got there never knew. But 1
was unhurt save a few scratches, Fire
broke out and some Of the cars blaz-
ed up. But q heavy rainstOrm came
on and soon the flames were eEtln-
guished. The people who escaped did
their best to relieve the unfOrtunates.
By 8 O'Clock in the morning we were
pretty we'll Strengthened up. The kill
ed outright numbered seven; the
wounded twenty. Before 8 O'Clock
q train load of doctors and railroad
officials were on the scene. They
had come from Buffalo.
''ShOrtlv after the accident 1 had
been attracted by the piteOus cries
of a a young woman, one OF the pas
sengers. She was beWaillng her father.
Her cries were piercing. %, where Is
dad? o, where is my dear dadY We
: learned from her bewailments thai
she had lost her father in the wreck
t We searched as we'll as we could, ana
soon after the arrival of the doctors
o officials we found the body under my
S car. 1t was down the enbankment
u where three cars were piled one abOv
" the other An old railway lawyer
!! counsel for the road, spoke soothing
Y " to the girl. /, too, seemed to hav
n / nc at W
10 got her calmed. But every now an
= then she broke out into parOXyism
OF grief. The old lawyer spoke to he
?, about accidep is, that they could no
5. be helped, that some were doomed {
die in bgd and some at sea and som
is by the collisions; that the raiirOa
officials were sorry and ready to max
reparatiOn to the best Oftheir ability
or The old fellow succeeded so well tha
he at last got her quiet. But l cOul
hardly restrain my indignation whe
~ I saw him produce pen and ink an
got the the young woman to sign
Id paper right there in the wet, for
ID was now drilling. 1 knew what tha
meant. I had seen 1t done before an
d. I've seen it done since. He &C
D? her signature however, and she sc
ID from him a check, OF / afterwaI
learned. for 81. 500. He also got fro
5h her two railway tickets, first clat
ag ones. that she had in her purse for he
self and father. But her grief did III
end easily. The body of the old me
Id was put in a temporary coffin an
IN placed on the relief train. The your
woman went with it crying all Il
way. The old lawyer ordered me to a
er company her to Buffalo. I did as
told me. need not spin the va
it. much longer, but six weeks aft
? I that was married to the girl, and S
weeks still later I was made co
oh ductor through the help OF the o
of lawyer. MY wife and 1 lived hap
ms until her death three years ago. {
no her death-bed she made a cOntessiO
Tom she said, do you remember L
- night of the dreadful collision? 1 to
wv her yes. Well, do you know the corp
YOU had in your car that night "
An dad, and that he had been killed by
~. street car in Chicago the day beiO1
ne and that in the smasnup he W
thrown out of his coffin and aW
ot- from it? As I remembered the corr
an 1 recalled how peaceful he looked
lie we got him out from below the ca
to You bet never told the old lswy
IN and I never think of my wife but
Inc so think of the way the old lawy
he chuckled, as he said to the genel
an manager after he got the girl to sis
he That's a cheap settlement, in g. col
nd / we'd have to pay SO. 600 1 81
ne. think he was not so smart as he
lot agined. I think my vile was doV
right smart woman, like all Won
that come from Chicago"