Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1893-03-15
Held Ip a Railroad.

A drunken. cartman from East Or
ange, n. J., got himself ami his horse IN
ludicrous pickle tuesday night, came
near causing a tragedy, but figured as
the star in cpmedy and tied up the
whole line of the ,Deleware, Lackawanna
and Western Railroad E,r two. hours. at
short trestle over small creek called
The Third River, above Bloomfield, n. j.
II was shortly after 10 o'clock that
cartman Teddy" Finnan. being glori'
ously tight, drove his horse and wagon
along the track and upon the open tres
tie. His horse stumbled over few OF
the beams, fell on all fours, and, trying
to rise, got all four feet through the tres
tie. The horse lay perfectly helpless,
with his belly on the ties and his feet
kicking the air underneath. The cart
man began swearing and dancing about
in his wagon.
Aroused By the rumpus, hagman Bray
dispatched Ben Hillyer, the station
freight handler, to investigate the mys-
terious sounds of groaniug, cursiug and
stamping swelled from the darkness. So
Ben took a lantern and accompanied by
AMI Baldwin, stone mason, went up
the track.
"Who in the thunder are you p he
exclaimed, when he beheld the burly,
broad-shouldcred, big iawed, red faced
cartman executing jig in his cart.
"I'm the Wild Irishman," shouted the
crazy Finnan, "and can whip any
body" in proof whereof he did sundry
extra steps of a particularly savage na-
ture.
He refused to be moved, and when
warned that both he and his horse would
be killed by the 1888 train he shouted
back that the law was for poor as well
as rich, and that he would sue for dana.
ges. He would allow neither of the men
to touch his "Dickie," as he teariully
called his horse, and jumping out of the
wagon he climbed on the wretched beasts
back.
The train came laundering up, but
had been signalled in time, stopping a
few feet from the trestle. They'll Kill
nv Dickie," the cartmau screamed
"IlI die with Dickie," The scene wa
lighted by dozen lanterns from th'
train and the station and by the BIZ
headlight of the locomotive. The horse
was quiet, except for an occasional strug
gle and groan. Five men jumped fol
Finnan all at once Bn, bang, crack
and all the five were tumbling in every
direction.
1t was only after desperate struggle
that the kicking, cursing Finnan coul'
be choked into a surrender and bOun'
fast with the reins off "Dckie" He re
covered enough to kick Amzi Baldwin
and to hit Tommy Fazer, but he wa
comparatively peaceful. They carrie'
him into the baggage car and threw hin
into the corner of it. Then they un
hitched the wagon, drew it out of tn
way and slid two long boards under tn
belly of the horse. Three men got a
each of the ends and lifted the horse VI
Ill his feet were once more Oh the righ
side of the trestle. ""Dickie" began
plunge about and nearly threw the Who'll
crowd into the water. They steadie
him, however, and then slowly bore hir
along to the other side of the creek.
f But the train was due at Bloomfel
at 1898 p. M, and it was 1925 p. n
when it began to move across the ire
tie. Finnau and his horse had delaye
, it nearly two hours, much to the disgui
of the passengers. When the train g
to the Bloomfield station they rolled FL
nan off the baggage car on the platform
No policeman could be found to ARE
him. As the train pulled out, Finna
, was sitting disconsolate, heaped upon tn
seat of his wagon, while "Dickie' vi
plupging along in front as if his feet hu
hin,