The morning call., 1892-05-30
THB LAST WITNESS.

without the building the wind howled as
mally as it drove the cold rain with cutting
force against the window-panes. was con-
gratulating myself on having so eomIoTta-
bic postioa-lhat Of night telegraph ope-
rator al Lone Tree station on western
raiIroad-when my revery was suddenly In
ierrupted by the entrance into the waiting
room of a stranger. who, after warming
himself and partially drying his garments,
said:
"Mv friend. l have had hard time Of 1t
to-day, and am nearly iamshed. have
had nothing to eat since last night. l am
broke and out Of employment If you can
assist ME TO the extent of q good square
meal God knows l will repay you just as
soon as can secure work.
"How do you happen to be on the rOad?"
Iasked, for the mans appearance and ap-
peal indicated hat he was tramp.
Il had good position not over tnIee
months ago, and through combination OF
circumstances over which l had no control,
lost it," he answered.
His honest look and straightforward man
ner so impressed NE that l concluded be was
no common tramp aud upon the road from
go wish Of his own. that l handed him my
lunch basket and bade him help himself.
After the last scrap Of food had disappeared
he returned The basket, remGT6ing:
L =
youT dinner. sir. but l WIS almost driven TO
desperation by hunger II YOU Will give me
your name and address viii repay you as
soon as l can"
II don't ask paw, neither will l accept 1t
for such tTifc, L reJolned. But Bere IS
my name and address, / added, handing
him card.
At that moment The whistle Of an engine
was h6aud-an overdue freight traln-anQ
simultaneously my visitor left the office and
d disappeared IN the darkness.
The event Lad long since slipped my
memory, and had been promoted to tue
position Of manager Of relay office, or ID
other words, an office where messages are
transferred from one line 10 another; ana
we also did the railroad tel5Rraphlng.
l received one day letter which had
been following me- from place 10 place,
where I had been working extra" which
contained postal note for 81, accompanied
with these words:
"Pjpase accept the Enclosed amount for
your kindness TO NE on that stormy night
in November
There was M signature and nothing TO
indicate The sender's name. The postal note
was issued az X, but further than this l
could ascertain nothing as 10 the sender's
address.
l had barely finished reading the note
when the 90 minutes past l passenger train
arrived. The conductor entered tue Office
aad registered lis train as is usual, after
which IL departed.
Il had been gone, perhaps, four or five
minutes when my call was rapidly sounded
upon the train-dspatcheI's wire. l an
swered and lie inquired:
rs Ne. i theTe?"
I attempted to report No. 14-the pas
sengeT train-tO him. as is customary, when
be interrupted me BY saying:
Has No. i gone ?"
1es, SIT, replied.
why didn't YOU hold her"
because l had no order to do So"
Il sent You order No. % at quarter past
y to hold No. Il, and have yoar signature
TO IL"
As it happened, at the time indicated,
there was no operator Ia the Office other
than myself, the others having gone to din
Der. / was positive no order had been sent
The traln-dispatcheT was now calling the
first station east of me with lightning-lIke
rapidly. BE finally raised the operator
and fairly shTieked over the wire
Hold that eXtTa!'
Cant do it, as it has passed" was tho
answer.
Great God! can't any one stop themP"
cried the dispatcher.
Tie extra freight train and the passenger
train were rushing toward each other, on
the same track, as FAST as the engines could
turn their wheels; here was not one chance
in one thousand Of avoiding collision-and
Il came.
It is useless for me to 20 into the details
follows; The trains met on q reverse curve
In the track, where neither engineer could
see the other engine until the trains were
almost together. Several persons were
killed outright and some % others badly
injured. Thousands Of dollars worth Of
property was destroyed.
The verdict Of the CorOuer's jury fastened
the blame upon me, as the dispatcheTs book
showed that a holding order had been sent
to my Office In time TO prevent the collision.
V iona md u M TFrou
its face. The dispatcher swore that be had
sent It, and received my signature over the
wire, together with my 80. L"
! called every operator along the line, but
could find 10 one who was in his Office at
quarter past u on the day OF the collision.
The man who received the dispatch giving
the extra freight train the right Of track
against No IA had been out Of his Office just
prior to receiving il, and knew nothing
about the holding order
/ was placed under arrest, and in default
Of bail lodged in the County Jail to await the
action Of the Grand Jury. An Indictment
was found against me and the day OF the
trial set.
When my case was called it promised to
be short piece Of work, as | had no wit
nesses. l was pointed out as the careless
operator who was responsible for the wreck.
After the evidence had all been given in.
and the jury had returned a verdict Of
Guilty Of manslaughteT" l seemed
Suddenly there was confusion at the court
room door. A newcomer rushed in and
bTeathlessly inquired:
rs this the case OF the railway wreck ?"
Upon being Informed that 1t was, be said
he desired to have his testimony taken. a
new trial was granted upon the ground of
additional testimony, aud the witness for
the defense began as follows:
Il am at present working as janitor in the
general offices Of the P. and NJ Railroad at
y a 70 nh
having Tor over Is years worked at that
business. was thrown out Of regular en-
ployment through misfortune l knocked
about al first one thing and then an
other, until l finally became a tramp. |
was then ashamed TO acknowledge to any
one that had ever been telegraph oper-
ator. l finally secured my present position
at *. My duties in and about the build
Ing require me to be in the -dispatcher's
office more or less. On the day the wreck
occurred, was there from haf-past IL In
the forenoon until after the accident
noticed that the dispatcher who was on duty
at the time seemed 10 he greatly agitated
after he had sent an order to an extra, giving
10 the right Of track over train a. He paid
no attention TO ME. but after examining his
book closely tore out the leaf upon which
the order he had Just sent was written,
II being at the top of the first side
nf the leaf. Then turning fTOntWard
In the book he tore out the other part
OF tie leaf and threw the pieces into the
stove. He then wrote the holding order,
No. %, In the book and that to the extra
underneath, as the holding order should
nave been sent first to secure the superior
train, which he had intended but failed to
40. The holding order was never sent
The signature was forgery"
AS the train-Order book was In the hands
OF the court 1t was examined, and verified
the testimony Of the last witness. Not be-
ing PACED 1t was an easy matter TO avoid
the detection Of any ''doctoring" unless it
was closely scrutiniZed.
The last witness proved to be the tramp