The Sully County watchman. (Clifton, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1894, 1888-10-20
BEHIND A CRACK ENGINE.
shut'Up in an English Railroad Car with r
Manman.


shut'Up In an English Railroad Car with n
Madman.
On my way from Wales TO London I
met with one of the most exciting scenes
[ ever witnessed. We were in rail-
way train going at q terrific velocity.
There are two or three locomotives in
England celebrated for speed. One they
call the Flying Dutchman. Another they
named the Yorkshire devil. We were fy-
ing behind one of these locomotives sixty
miles an hour. There were five of us
four gentlemen and a lady-in an English
car, which is n different thing, as most
people know, from the American car, the
English car holding comfortably only
about eight persons, four of them occu-
pying one seat facing four on the other.
We halted at the depot.
A gentleman came to tho door, and
stood moment, as il not knowing
whether 10 come in or stay out. Ths
conductor compelling him to decide i'm.
mediately, he got in. He was finely
gloved and every way we'll dressed.
Seated, he took out his knife and began
the attem pit of splitting sheet OF paper
edcewisa, and at this sat intently engaged
for perhaps an hour. The suspicion of
all in the car was aroused in reaard to
him, when suddenly he arose and locke
around at his fellow passengers, and the
fact was revealed by his eye and manner
that he was made a maniac. The lady in
the car (she was unaccompaniedl became
frenzied with fright and rushed to the
door as if to jump out. Planting my
feet against the door, made that death
leap impossible.
A look of horror was on all the faces,
and the question with each was: "What
will the msdman do next?" A mailman
unarmed is alarming, but madman with
an open knife is terrific. In the demon;ac
strength that comes - such a one, he
might make sad havoc in that flying rail
way train, or he might spring ont of the
door, as once or twice he attempted. 1t
was a question between retaining the
foaming fury in our company, or letting
him dash his life out on the rocks. Also
it might be a question between his life
and the life of one or more i'll the train.
Our own safety said, Let him 60" Our
humanity said, "Keep him back from
instant DEATH" and humanity triumphed.
The bell rope reaching to the locomotive
in English railway trains is outside the
car, near the roof and difficult TO get at.
I gave it two or three stout pulls, but
there was no slackening of speed.
Another passenger repeated The at
tempt without getting any recognition.
We might as we'll have tiled TO stop n
whirlwind by pulling boys kite string,
When an English engineer starts his
engine he stops for nothing short OF q
collision, and the bell rope OF the outside
edges of car is only to make passengers
feel comfortable at the idea that they
can stopthe train If they want tn and as it
is not once in thousand times anyone
is willing to risk his arm and reach cut
of the window long enough to work the
rope, the delusion is seldom broken. To
rid ourselves of our dangerous associate
seemed impossible. Then there came a
struggle as to Who should have supre-
macy Of that car, right reason or demen-
tia. The maniac moved arcune the rar,
as if il belonged TO him ard all the res.
of us were intruders. Then he dropped
in commissions across the lap OF one of
the passengers.
At this moment, when We thought the
horror had characterized, the tragedy was
intensified. We plunged into the mid
night darkness of Que of those long tun-
ne!s for which English railway travel is
celebrated. Minutes seemed hours. Can
you imagine worse position than to be
fastered ina railway carriage, eight feet
by six, in tunnel of complete darkness
with maniac. May the occurrence
never be repeated! We knew not what
moment he might dash upon us or whh'
way. We waited for the light, and waited
while the hair lifted from the scalp apo
the blood ran cold. When at last th'
light looked in through the windows, We
found the afflicted man lying helplessiy
across one of the passengers. When th'
train halted il did not take Us long after
handing over the poor unfortunate TO,
medical treatment, to disembark anc
move into another car.-Pittsburg Dis
patch.