Woodville Republican. (Woodville, Miss.) 185?-current, 1889-09-28

evening. Shortly before 1t came the
twenty-seven minutes past seven pas
senger train. The device of placing an
obstruction on the line suggested itself,
only to be Immediately set aside. At
this point in his meditations the sound
of signal going down suggested to
him the idea Of tampering with the sig
nails.
He returned home and retired to
rest Tossing restlessly on his bed, he
was revolving in his mind his various
schemes Of revenge, when a diabolical
idea struck him Of plan whereby he
would be able to accomplish his object
without leaving any trace of foul-play,
so that the whole blame of the catas-
trophe would fall upon Duffy, who
would not survive to tell his side OF the
story, or even if he did, and asserted
his innocence, would not be believed
Armstrong noticed that If the counter
weight at the bottom Of the signal-post
were lifted up, it would allow the sig
nal-arm to go down, just as If it had
been lowered by means Of the lever in
the signal-cabin, the wire between the
cabin and the counter-weight remain
ing motionless all the time; while as
soon as the counter-weightw was lowered
again, no trace would remain OF the
signal having been touched. BY adopt
ing this mode of lowering the signal,
the objection to his aforementioned plan
would be done away with. The only
danger would be that the pointsman
might notice that the signal was down;
but that was not likely, as the lifting of
the counter weight would not effect the
lever in the signal-box, and it was i'm
probable that the signal-man's eyes
would be drawn toward the signal when
he was not either lowering it or pull
ing it up. This plan would enable
Armstrong to get some distance away,
and so prevent suspicion fastening upon
him; and the fact of the signal being
found all right afterward would pre-
clude all possibility of a suspicion OF
the signal having been tempered with.
armstrong had begun his specula-
tions with the view only OF discovering
how he could be avenged on Duffy, if
he wished to avenge himself. The sue
cessful issue of them in plan securing
at once death to his rival and immunity
from detection to himself was the
cause of his resolving to go further.
Thus by imperceptible degrees he had
been drawn into plotting TO murder.
In an almost gleesome mood he rose
in the morning and fastened along the
embankment to the signal which he
proposed to use for his dreadful pur-
pose. The signal stood at about the
deepest part OF long rock-cutting, and
was planted on the slope OF small en-
bankment above the cutting. An ex-
animation of the place satisfied Arm
strong that the best plan to adopt
would be to attach long cord to the
counter-weight and, taking the cord
in his hand, to climb the signal-post so
as to command long stretch of the
line and be able to lower the signal
arm at the right moment; for to be a
moment too soon or too late would be
fatal to his plan.
His plan was now matured; but a
long period of waiting elapsed before
an opportunity for carrying it into ef-
feet presented itself. With the patience
and perseverance of a wild animal
waiting for its prey, he betook himself
evening after evening to the signal by
various roundabout routes, so as to en-
sure that no one would know that he
went to the same place every day, af-
fixed his cord to the counter-weight,
and waited-only to see the passenger
train dash past without slackening
speed and pass the distance signal with
out stopping
At length, when the days had crept
in considerably, and thus rendered the
evenings more suitable for the carry.
ing out of his plan, as one evening he
listened anxiously in the dusk to the
sound of the approaching passenger
train, thrill of pleasure shot through
him, for he noticed that it was slacken
ing speed. Taking the cord in his
hand he climbed rapidly up the signal
post, and was overioyed to find the pas
senger train stopping just on the sta
ton side of the distance-signal. Trem
bling with excitement, he turned in the
direction whence the goods-train would
come and anxiously awaited the sount
OF its approach. Several seconds
which to him seemed hours, elapsed
before there was any sign Of the ap
proach of the goods-train. The pas
! senger train. however, still stood a
the distance-signal, throwing up lonl
oblique lines of light into the misty air
At length with futtering heart HI
caught the faint sound OF Duffy's trail
approaching, and soon the headlights
: overshadowed by cloud Of steam
| golden with the furnace-light began tt
= twinkle dimly, like stars at twilight, il
r the distance.
NOW UT hoNeft bnouBHb ArnSUrOuB
: taking tw or three turns Of the core
| round his hand. He then tugged lust
lily at the cord; but the counterweigh
t would not rise. With an oath, HI
t twisted his legs round the signal-post
: passed the cord through the lattice
t work little above him. so as to Obtain
a better purchase, seized the cord will
| both hands and pulled with all hi
might The weight yielded to this vic
} lent effort; tho signal-arm descended
: Armstrong; wild laugh of joy at tn
accomplishment of his neiarious pur
> pose was almost Immediately stihed b