St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-01-15
A TRAMP'S NERVE.
Dragging Himself to a Place
Where His Legs Could be Am
nufatod

Dragging Himself to a Place
Where His Legs Could be AM
putated.
Jeremiah Grosh, an emplOye of the
Ridgway & Clearfield railroad, lives
near the depot in Ridgway. A few
nights ago he was awakened by the
sound of some one calling as if in dis
tress, says Dubois PENN special to
the New York Sun. GrOSh jumped out
Of bed and saw by the dim light of the
gas at the corner man lying on the
ground near the depot. The man strug-
gled to a nearly erect position and then
fell as if in fit. Grosh dressed him.
self and went out to help the man,
but he was nowhere to be seen.
Grosh was up early the next morning,
and on his way to the depot discovered
trail of blood leading away from the
spot where he had seen the man in the
night. The trail led around the depot
and up the railroad track for more than
an eighth of mile, where it left the
track and went in the direction of a
house across the street. 1t led up four
steps to the stoOp of the house, where
there was pool of blood, which had
evidently formed while the person from
whom it streamed had been knocking at
the door for admittance. The bloody
trail came down the steps again, and
stained the sidewalk for block further
| on, where it went up flight of steps
and there ended. These second stairs
led to the entrance of hotel, and Grosh
! went in to learn the cause of the long
track of blood. He found that it had
been made by frightfully injured
| tramp. -"
The unfortunate man had climed to
the bumper of freight car in a train in
the Dubois yard for the purpose of
stealing a ride nOrthward. The car he
was on was the ninth car from the rear
of the train. The night was cold and
stormy. When the train was passing
through Ridgway the tramp had become
so benumbed by exposure that he could
retain his hold on his perilOus perch no
longer, and lie fell off between the cars.
Eight cars passed over his legs, leaving
them hanging in mangled mass of flesh
and broken bones from the knees down.
No one had seen the accident. The
tramp dragged himself to the depot,
distance OF more than 100yards. 1t was
late and no one was about. He called
for help, and tried to raise himself up,
but his mangled stumps refused to bear
him. 1t was at that moment that be
was seen by Grosh.
BY the time the latter had reached
the spot the wounded tramp nad
dragged himself back around the depot,
and was crawling on his terrible jour
ney for aid elsewhere. At the house
where his trail first led he had knocked
and called for help, but could get no
response. AT the hotel lie made him
self heard and was taken in. 1t was
two hours before doctor could be OBJ
tanned. In all that time the suffering
tramp never once lost consciousness or
betrayed his agony by a single moan or
complaint. Two doctors finally ar
rived and both of his legs were ampu-
tated. The injured man refused to take
an anaestheti c, and watched the re-
mOval of the mangled limbs with as
tonishing GOODNESS and without a muir
muir. The doctors who attended him
say there is no record of case of more
wonderful nerve and endurance on the
part of a person so dreadfully wounded
as this tramp was. At last accounts the
man was doing we'll.