Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1893-03-31
ON DEATHS BRINK
Concluded from nrst pageJ

me over the trestle. must have fallen
eighteen or twenty feet. Then scram-
bIed up the sides Of the ravine and
here / sm.n
"How far Is it2" Maybe q mile and
half, I don't know. walked ways
but my head felt as though It was the
biggest part Of my body, and ] crawled
the rest.V
LOOKING INTO THE STORY.
Notwithstanding the incredudlity Of
most Of the bearers Of this strange mar
rative, Conductor Wilson called for
volunteers with firearms 10 90 out with
him and look into the matter. Ofcourse
everyone jumped to the conclusion that
robbery of the express car and passeD-
gers was the main object Of such an at
tempt and from the express car and
the possession Of passengers shotgun
and dozen revolvers were furnished
These borne by az many resolute men
IL was felt would be match for any
ordinary gang Of trsin-wreckers.
The forward engine was detached;
the armed men clambered Into the cab
and tender; and with the order to "go
ahead slow, and keep bright lookout"
the engineer opened the throttle. But
instead of a mile and a-half a.. poor
wounded Richardson had said, the
trestle the first ahead, being mistaken
for the second, was reached ut mid
ding smart space. The pilot struck
the misplaced rail, and slowed IL around
close to,snd parallel with the fixed one.
The driving wheels went bump
ing over the ties. and the engine
stopped ut the north end of the struct-
ure with the forward, leftband driver
outside the guard-rail, and hanging
over the ravine. 44
II, at the speed Of thirty miles an
hour, those two engines, four freight
cars, and nine passenger coaches had
struck the denuded trestle, the whole
train would have shot out into space,
fallen clear thirty or forty feet, and
then rolled over and over down Q hun
dred more. The stoves were aglow with
bnrning coal, and the lamps al, lighted,
that fire would have finished what the
fall had left In ruins.
CARING FOR THE SAVIOR.
In the meantime Richardson had
been lifted into the smoking Car, where
willing hands miEistered to his COM
fort. A surgeon was found In the rear
sleeper, and, with the limited means at
his command sponeed the confused
Of the head, and bathed and |
Dandaged the knife wounds. At first |
i was thought, from his dazed condi-
Ion and rambling speech that the
nan who had saved two hundred and |
ifty lives, and scores Of thousands of
iollars worth Of property, had been
liquor; but to all urging to
take drop Of whiskey or brandy" he
imply replied:
"Nol thanks, / never touch it."
Examlnation or his wounds showed
hat he had been beaten 30 nearly out
4 his senses, that fracture OF the skull
vas feared; but the surgeon thought II
vas only temporary arrangement.
rhe stabs are more serious. The up
'er one is In the left breast, alongside
he nipple and does not seem to have
'enetrated further than the rib. The
over one In In the abdomen below the
diaphragm. aud II 1t has punctured the
is almost absolutely NOR
III. Bes,des these, his back, sides and
rms are badly bruised, and caused
Inn much suffering.
THE DERAILED ENGINE.
There was no such thing rs moving
ither way across the trestle until the
pgine was Tetracked, and the torn-up
all replaced. The gangs Of Chinese
ection hands who work along the
rack In the neighborhood Of RIce's
I'LL were routed ont aud put to work,
nd they proved poor lot; aud had Il
OF been for the exertions OF the train
len aud some willing passenger 4
ands, IL would have been long after
"a O'Clock In the morning when the
elcome intelligs nee was passed that
he train might 60 ahead. As 1t was,
little over i've hours were spent at
'e scene Of the attempted horrible +,
agedy, and but little time had been
ade up when the overland reached
llem.
QUESTION or aRArIrupE.
The few passengers In the day coach
I'd the smoker contributed twenty y
ollars, and the occupants Of the three
urists and four Pullman sleeper~
relied the sum TO ninety -iive dollars, d
ID a Mr. Mann of Portland asked all a
ho could afford it 10 send him for y
chardson checks aud sums Of money,
hiea would promptly reach the brave :
low.
The railroad owes him money debt