River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1888-06-14


he was on his engine running the ex-
press on the Pennsylvania & Erie rail.
way never left him. but there lac
stood. entirely helpless 10 move hi.
eyes away from Watkins. PRESENTS
the fireman turned and looked off into
the woods. Without power to help it,
Il. II looked in the same direction. He
said that he didn't believe that Wat
kins saw or noticed him. OF
knew that he was held under
that strange influence. The look OF
terror came TO the fireman. eyes as
he gazed. and suddenly the entire
scene WAS changed. as Bill gazed out
upon it. Instead of the deep X ane
woods. the train was gliding through
a delightful valley. On one side wa:
a lofty ridge; on the other a level
stretch Of fertile farm land wa.
bounded by line of low woods.
Presently the tram passed town.
beautiful village with remarkable
growlhs of willows. where the sit,
sloPed down to a river Setting fan
back in terraced grounds was an old
homestead. to which a green lane. OF
either side of which were thick clump.
Of willows. led from the mair
road. Beyond. rising back Of
the trees. was a church spire. As
Bill Sandusky gazed in amazement
Oh This transformation. an elderly
man. a>tride of large horse. rode
down the lane toward the village. A,
Ina was passing a clump of trees a tail
man stepped out from behind a large
willow with gun in his hands ii {
raised the weapon to his shoulder and
fired at the man on the horse. The
old man threw up his hands and tum.
bled to the ground The murderer
fired twice into the PROSTATE body oil
his victim. aud then ran away and
disappeared among the willows along
the river. Bill said he could not dis
tinguish the features of either the
murderer or his victim. but the horror
Of the scene aroused him. He uttered
a scream that startled tho fireman,
who was crOuching down in tho cab.
Bill jumped for his lever. and was about
to reverse aud call for brakes when the
strange scene faded away and the
wild Pennsylvania landscape once
more stretched away on either side
In seconds time the fireman was
himself again. attending to his duty
n cool as ever.
''Was there something on the
track? lac asked. rs the engineer
dropped the signal cord.
1T was some time before Bill could
reply. and then he told Watkins of the
extraordinary vision. A he de-
scribed it his fireman grew paler and
paler. and became greatly agitated.
When Bill came to the scene where
the old man was murdered. Watkins
was a picture of terror. He threw up
his hands.
My Godr he shrieked. There is
no escape.
with these words he sprang from
the cab and Bill saw him tumble out
Of sight in the bushes. The train was
running thirty miles an hour Bill
brought her to stop as soon as he
could. and backed down TO where the
fireman had jumped of. expecting to
find him dead or badly hurt. Not a
trace Of Watkins could be found ex-
cept the broken bushes into which hc
had disappeared. The woods were
searched. but the missing fireman was
not found.
OF course Bits story, the singular
disappearance of Watkins. and the
mysterious circumstances connected
with it. created a great sensation along
the line for some time, but the matter
was at last forgotten A month or sc
afterward Bill Sandusky took a vaea.
ton. He went on a trip through Ohio.
One day he read in Cincinnati paper
that a young man named Walters, who
had appeared IN one of the small
Kentucky towns month before and
confessed to having murdered his uncle
six years before in that villa ge and
gave himself M to justice. was to be
hanged for the crime Bill Sandus ky
could never explain the reason why
at the moment he read the item
his fireman Watkins. the murder
he had seen in his vision,
and the fireman's disappearance. came
into his mind and connected them
selves with this confessed murderer
Walters. Bill found that he could get
to the Kentucky town in few hours
by rail. and he jumped on the ears and
started for the place. A the train
approached the place there was nc
need of the brakeman calling out its
name, so far rs Bill Sandusky was con-
cerned. There was The valley. there
was the river. there stood the hills,
the slopiEg village site. the willows,
the church the old homestead in the
terraced ground. There was the green
lane down which he had seen the old
man riding. and thers was the clump
Of trees where the assassin had APP
peared and fired the fatal shots. Bill
had no trouble in obtaining Il look at
the condemned murderer. Walters, in
his cell and of course Walters was
Walters was his right name. He had
shot his uncle Just rs the engineer had
seen the tragedy in his vision that
memorable day from his cab window.
The murderer had been an entire
stranger ia the Kentucky town. He
had visited his uncle to borrow money
and had been refused. That was the
sole cause of the murder.
Walters said he had struggled for
six years against some strange in
fluence that was constantly drawing
him back TO the scene of his crime and to
confession. but feeling that no human
being knew Of his guilt he had con-
quered the influence. He never passed
through the dark Kane woods while
firing for BIZ Sandusky that the whole
scene of the tragedy did not rise be-
fore him. When that scene was re-
vealed 80 mysteriously to the engi-
neer the murderer believed that the
terrible secret was no longer his own.
He gave up the struggle aud went un.
resisitngiy 10 his fate. He was hanged
three DAYS after Bill visited him. But
how can any one explain that queer
vision Of Bilr p" -Hqrrisbgrg (PaJ
Cor. v J. Times.
Glad stones London House.
NJ Gladstone's L ,ndon House Is
near Buckingham Gate. II i i'm the
oId-uOt the new fanuIed-OueeD Ann