Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1890-03-06

soon as the counter-weight was low
cred again, no trace would remain OF
the signal having been touched. By
adopting this mode OF lowering the
signal, the objection Of his last men,
toned plan would be done away with.
The onlv danger would be that the
pointsmsn might notice that the sig
nal was down; but that was not likely,
as the lifting of the counter weight
would not affect the lever in the sig
nal box, and it was improbable that
the signal-man's eyes would be drawn
towards the sigma when he was not
either lowering 1t or pulling it up.
This plan would enable Armstrong to
get some distance away, and so pre-
vent suspicion fastening upon MIN;
and the fact of the signal being found
all right afterwards would preclude
all possibility Of a suspicion of the
signal having been tampered with.
Armstrong had begun his specula-
tions with view only of discovering
how he could be avenged on Duffy, if
he wished to avenge himself. The
successful issue OF them in plan Sc
curing at once death of his rival and
immunity from detection to himself
was his resolving to 90 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
be proposed to use for his dreadful
purpose. The signal stood at about
the deepest part Of long rock cut
ting, and was planted on the slope of
small embankment above the cut
ting. An examination of the place
satisfied Armstrog that the best plan
to adopt would be to attach long
cord to the counter. weight. and, TAX
ing the cord in his hand, to climb the
sigma post, so as to command q long
stretch OF the line and be able to low
er the signal-arm atthe right moment;
for to be q moment too soon or too
late would be fatal to his plan.
His plan was now matured, but
long period of waiting elapsed before
an opportunity for carrying it into ef-
feet presented itself. With the pa
tience and perseverance OF wild ami
NAL waiting for its prey he betook
himself evening after evening to the
signal by various roundabout routes, SO
as to insure that no one would know
that he went to the same place every
day-afixed his cord to the counter
weight, and waited-only to see the
passenger train dash past without
slackening speed and pass the distance
signal without 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, a thrill of pleasure shot through
him for he noticed that it was slack
ening speed. Taking the cord in his
hand, he climbed rapidly up the sig
nal-post, and was overjoyed to find
the passenger train stopping just on
the station side of the distance-signal.
Trembling with excitement, he turned
in the direction whence the goods train
would come, and anxiously waited the
sound of its approach. Several Sec
onds, which to him, seemed hours
elapsed before there was any sign of
the approach Of the goods train. The
passenger train, however, still stood
at the distance-signal, throwing up
long obllque lines of light in the misty
air. At length, with fluttering heart,
he caught the faint sound of Duffey's
train approaching, and soon the head
lights, over-shadowed by cloud of
steam, golden with the furnace light,
began to twinkle dimly, like stars at
twilight, in the distance.
'Now or never thought Arm
strong, taking two or three turns of
the cord round his hand. He then
tugged Justify at the cord; but the
counter weight would not rise. With
an oath, he twisted his legs round the
signal-post, passed the cord through
the lattice-work little above him, so
as to obtain better purchase, selzed
the cord with both hands and pulled
with all his might. The weight yield
ed to this violent effort; the signal
arm descended. Armstrong; wild
laugh of joy at the accomplishment of
nefarious purpose was almost imme-
diately stifed BY cry of terror and
pain. In his excitement he had for
gotten that his head was Immediately
below the signal-alarm, and his savage
tug at the counter weight had brought
the signal. alarm, down upon his head
with terrible and fatal force. His
nerveless limbs loosened from the
signal, and falling with q thud upon
the sloplng embankment, he was
shot over the edge Of the sheer preci-
pice that formed one side of the rock,
cutting and landed upon the opposite
line.
Meantime the goods train had en-
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