Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1893-10-04
a MAD ENGINEER,
Gaauy HAD Gone ON Il Drunk for the m,
Time-Tho Terrible Result

way of bridges, and the forgetfulnes.
OF the dispatcher, all of which is
likely to happen, l may say there is
| no complaint of monotony in run
ming an engine. But the worse snap
l ever struck in the business was a
trip | took one time with a mad
man. Yes, sir, as wild a lunati: as
| you'd find chained and strait-jacketed
III any asylum In the country. Want
the story? Well, here's to it, and a
| straight one it is. 1t was in 1880
that l was serving as fireman under
a man named Grady. lie was a fine
engineer; could do more with an
engine than any one l ever saw, and
! knew his road like a book. I'd been
! with him about year, and we got
/ pretty thick, and he was always show.
ing me his little gals picture and
| talking about her. His wife was
lead and his sister had the child.
'ile was just the lovingest father |
,vcr did see. Never got drunk like
/ other men but this one time / am 90
ing to tell you about. We were to
80 out that night. when l met him
/ on the street Just before Cark and
! saw he had been drinking, but was
in mighty good humor I'll be
there in time, he said to me, I'm
Just going up to the house to kiss my
baby goOd-by.'
"Well. we parted and | come down
20 the depot. 1t was mighty ncaI
time to start, and l had steam all up
when here comes Grady. The mo
mcnt | saw him l knew there was
something mighty wrong with him.
~ .ad of saying Hello, or something
like that, he just climbed into the
cabooSe without looking at me, but
Kind of staring straight ahead of him
with his eyes hot and dry and his
lips as white as my shirt off duty. II
thought to myself; We'll, if this il a
drunk it's the QuccrcSt one | ever
saw, and not wishing to rile him /
kept quiet We pulled out steadily
enough, Grady still saying nothing,
but staring straight ahead as If he
saw something in front Of him
Pretty soon we become u get faster
ana faster, til, tn old engine lust
r.CNcd and | could feel the cars be-
hind fairly jump O.cr the rails. Iddl
not like 10 say anything, for he WI;
boss of the cngi @. but when wc W w,ul
whiZZing past a station where we we q
10 stop without paving any more at
tcntion to it than if It had not been
there, | began TO think there was
something mighty wrong, and step.
ped forward and pretending TO look |
at the dial-plate, said: 'lIain't we |
rather going it, boss But he didn't |
answer and | went on: Amt sick. |
are you, Grady. ola man? If YOU are
lie down bit d I'll run her
awhile.
but still he paid 10 attention, bat |
would look out at the headlight and |
kind OF mutter 10 himself So l
went back to shoyelIng in the coal. !
but keeping an eye on him, for by /
tniS time l was sure that there was |
3Omething very much wrong with |
Hlm, and | began to think that ,Aat |
hc had taken had crd,cd his brain, |
and yet his looks weren't those of n
drunken man and his hand seemed |
aS steady as usual. But presently,
whlZ. we went past the lighted |
lamps OF u small station, where we
were due 10 wait fifteen minutes for
the up train. Good Lordr l thought,
we'll meet that train on the main
track and then look outn
"With this in mind called out:
"Iiello, Grady, forgot about the
amt you?'
"But he just stood as before
TO himself in that strang,
fashion, and just caught HIM by the
arm, stOrminE at him:
Where are you going to, MAINLAND
then lie looked back over his shoulder
at me, gginning and gnashing his
teeth like a Coz.
"'To he'll" he shouted, and all of
yIu with me. I've killed my baby
lni I've got to 20 to hell, but you'll
have to 20 with me-
when he said that l waited nc
longer, but grabbed him about the L
waist. l did not want to hurt him.
but to save the train--no. both
trains. But he fought me like a
devil, clutching me about the
JhToat, while | slipped my hands up
TO his, and there, swaying from side
10 side, with our breath hot in each
others face, we struggled for what
seemed to be an age, with the train !
all the time laundering on, on TO de- i
| had no thought for my
jwa lite, but l could not get the idea q
IF the unconscious people behind and
coming out Of my head, so / hung on
Ike grim death until a happy thought Il
struck me, and | yelled out: Look Ii
lut Grady, there's your baby Just be-
lind you and, as he turned TO look,
brought my fist down on his head \
with all the strength l had left, and 10
lc fell scnselesS. lp
''Thcn began race between time y
md me. | had to run the train back
% the station, where we were to pass
.he up-bound, so away | went. The Z
conductor rang to know what the S
natter was, but | had no time TO an
'wcr. Away we went back. back
WITH me fancying every moment tnat
heard the other train laundering !
Town upon us. Could l make it? :
.ould |? Back, back, and on to the
ii ?" tr""'- whore we were to wait.
md as l knew we were safe, down / !,
ell by Grady's side in a dead faint.
They found us lying there together
ma ], coming TO FIRST tried to tell
hem what was wrong when my poor I
Joss Sprang to his feet, was out of the liz
'abOose and gone into the black Y
hight The up train was fifteen mir,
itcS late that night and that and nv 5
mad back pull was what saved them g
10Th from destruction. Grady was
oand next day hiding in the woods,
@'hhering idiot, and put in an asy-
um, where he died in a few weeks y
10 seems that he had gone homa
Irinking that night, and playing with
lis little girl had tossed her up in his y
rms, when her head coming in con-
act with the ceiling the skull was 4,