The Arkansaw traveler., 1888-05-05
It Stole Rides. Denver News.

DenVer News.
 The trainmen on the Denver Pacific railroad have been reporting a strange manifestation. MT. W. H. Smith, 6 conductor on this road, running be- tween this city and Cheyenne, is the authority for curious story concern ing an apparition which has showr itself to several trainmen during the last two months. The story is sub- stantially as follows:
 Conductor Smiths train, freight left Chyenne in the evening about two weeks ago. The sky was clear, and the moon was shining. About fifteen minutes this side of Cheyenne, at the foot of the hill, is the point known as Big Springs. The conductor was in his caboose, seated in the lookout.
 The train was running somewhat more rapidly than the schedule time, and MT. Smith gave the signal to the engineer for whistle for brakes. The whistle was given, and just at that moment the conductor saw, about three car lengths ahead, seated on a brakewheel, a man whom he mistook for one of his brakemen. The figure did not move at the whistle, and the conductor climbed down to ascertain the reason of such apparent neglect of duty.
 As he stepped out of the caboose door he discovered his rear brakeman busily twisting the wheel, and further up the train, beyond the figure, was the other brakeman also at work. The conductor called the attention of the rear brakeman to the figure, and together they started toward it.
 When they were within car and a half's length the man deliberately rose to standing posture and stepped off the side of the car. There was no movement as if the man had lost his balance and fallen off, but he appar- entlE walked off just as man would step from curbstone into the street. The watching trainmen were mortified because they could realize no other effect from such an apparently sui cidal movement than the death of the man dashed against the ground many feet below. There was, however, no such result; nor, in fact, could the man be seen at all. He had vanished.
 Several trainmen, on MT. Smith re- lating his experience, stated that they had heard something much like the same experience occurring to others at the same point on the road. One brakeman, named Malone, who said that not more than a week previous to MT. Smiths curious experience he had turned around as he was going forward on his train setting the brakes and beheld man sitting on a wheel three cars behind him.
 He was not startled until he went ahead three cars more, and, looking back, saw the fellow sitting on the brakewheel at the place where he had stood himself when he first saw him. The specter or man, or whatever it was, kept just three car lengths behind him all the way until he reached the engine. He called the attention of the fireman to the apparition, and they turned back to see what it was. The figure, as had been the case in Mir. Smiths instance, rose from the wheel and deliberately walked off the end of the car. No crushed or mangled re- mains of an unfortunate could be found, nor could any one be seen. The man had vanished in thin air.
 Neither of the railroad men who tell this peculiar story is a bit super stitious, and both were in their sober est senses when this peculiar appari- tion appeared to them. No accident has occurred at Big Springs within four years. About that time freight train went to pieces on account of broken rail and a brakeman was killed. There is something funny about the affair.