Waterbury evening Democrat., 1892-12-22
A STRANGE VOICE.
Why Two Railroad Men Broke
 Open a Trunk.

Between the stories of Conductor Tom Pope and Sandy McTougal backed by Sandy McTougars friends, one gets a pretty good idea of Sandy's remarkable adventure with a voice. or, as Sandy terms it, with the devil in a box.
 Tom Pope is conductor and Nc Tougal is baggagemaster on the Air line, which runs from the Atlantic ocean to the middle of next week."
 Most astonishing thing, that hunt of Sandy's for a voice." said the con- ductor the other night.
 Then Tom narrates, and very pret- tily, too, how he and Sandy were trans ferred to night runs in August last, and how lonely the baggageman became because he was cut off from fellows to listen to his stories and offer him cigars.
 You alters smoked 'em, Tom," in- terrupted Sandy. Il don't smoke, ye know"
 "I did get good many puffs that way, I'll admit" said the conductor. "Tlley were about the only thing Sandy ever gave that I could get any light out | of"
 Are you telling this story?" asks McTougal. "If so, tell it"
 Sandy was lonely and miserable" continued his friend. Nobody talked to him or gave him a quarter for not smashing their baggage, so he took to | brown studies and maps between sta tions. The night of his voice busi- | ness"
 Devil, tell you" cries Sandy abruptly.
 | Was a crowded one," continues | Pope, without noticing the iuterrup- | tion. "IIis car was jam full of luggage.
 And the more trunks Sandy has on | board the crosscr he gets. There was camp meeting on a switch-off track, and at the junction picked up lot of hobby passengers who were leaving for other places of amusement, and there was no end of trunks.
 "McTougal got things into shape about eleven o'clock, reckon, and as there's part of the run where it's a good hour between stations, he got ready for a snooze.
 file picked out the softest truck in the pile on which to pillow his head, tilted back his chair with his feet on the rounds, pulled his hat over his face and went to sleep. How's that, Mac?'
 Quite llecrect," responds the bag gagemaster.
 "Very well; then you tell it for awhile. wasn't there, you know"
 Ut didn't seem 'sif I'd been asleer more'n a minute," begins Sandy, "wher there was lively jump of the car an sort of come to life with a jerk. At the same time l heerd, as if way off, 6 noise like some one a-talking.
 But I thought twas a brakeman outside, an was jes' a-dozin' off agair when right at my ear, in thin, sharI voice, su'thin' said: Oh, LordI
 II aint no fool, I ain't," Sandy as serts, throwing back his head, defiant ly, "an' when that tin whisper come! into my ear jest half opened my eyes 'spectin' to see some of the boys around But not livin' thing was visible.
 'So l said to myself: I snored; that . what's the natter an off I goes a noddin' an dreamin'. o "Then agin 1 hears that voice. says, quite distinctly: I want to ge out!'
 "Now I want a bit mistaken thi time. l heard it; but fore could ge > my wits together there was vel n soundin' way off.
 "'That's my death-call.' says I to my } self, instantly calling to mind fellow who had heard like sounds an wer ' dead in less'n a week. Then I says t myself: 'San6y, don't be a fool!' ar jumps to my feet as wide awake as am now.
 Ut was woman's squawk, and n could have sworn to it. Then it sun out in tin-trumpet style:
 "'Help! help!
 'I hauled over the tool-chest an tn water barrel, and the cupboard in tn corner, an looked out on the platforms e. an did everythin' man could do ur '' der the circumstances to find out wha Ds was a-makin' of that fuss.
 "I went to the side door to cool my self, an was a-fannin' my face wher blame me, if didn't hear a corne 'n start off with the 'Rogue's March, an a gruff voice foller it with:
 "In the midst of life we are death.'
 n "I yanked my head round, an didn see nothin' that wasn't there befor, That threw me off my pins