Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1894-02-21
ORDER NO. So.

"and III nos sign any recup 6 ymhrs '~
IL either"
"Then III stay here till Ozark gets In
sight" said Murphy.
White had the ordsrs and hsd showed
them down In bis pocket, and now, fairly
ablake with wrath, was abusug Murphy
10 the Top Of his bent. Afser nearly 10
minutes OF heated wrangls White finally
signed the paper tenddsd by Murphy, and
the latter signsled his engineer 10 20 ahead.
leaving White standing by the aide Of his
train, still cursing him for laying him out.
He caught on the front end of his ca
boose as II pulled past him, and going
through the car and opening the rear door
he saw Whites train moving out On the
main track.
The sight for q moment paraiyned him.
Was White ceaxyi No. In his transport
of rage he had forgotten the order entirely
and was now fAcing oartaAn destruction.
This thought entered Narphy's head In
an instant: He will have to close that
switch-mayb can catch him yet.
He dropped to the ground from his now
rapidly moving train, shouting to his rear
brakeman on top Of the csbooss to back
up for him, and started on run to try
to catch Whites train.
Too late. Though he ran like a racer,
the excursion train WAS on the main track.
the switch set up and White himself, on
the rear platform Of the coach, signaling
ahead with the bell cord. turned and shook
his fist at Murphy.
A collision WAS inevitable, and Just a.
Murphy's train backed up and stopped he
heard one call for brakss, then sA awful
crash In the woods just around the curve.
The excursion train, crowded 10 its fall
capacity with human freight, had met the
second section Of 1e.
Murphy unoosplsd his engine and lesv-
ing his train on the main track, ram
through the side track and down the hilN
TO give his assistance at the wreck.
1t was horrible sight Both trains were
running at high speed, and the wreck was
almost eomplsos, and undsr ths massive
boiler of the big passenger sngips lay IA
gan, her engineer. an lArssesntR bls Mas
Of Asah and broken booa. OthGs were
in the debris Of the wrssksl ssashsa, and
n body after body was taken sss and LAID
on the grassy bank beside the track the
more serious became the IN utterings Of the
uninjured negroes.
Murphy was working with all the
strength he possessed trying to sxtricate
the dead and wounded victims Of his
brother conductors oarsleansss when a
big black hand was laid on his shoulder,
and a nsgro's voice asksdi
BOSS, is you de mans 'sponsible fur
disi"
The little conductor, yscslling Q former
experience Of almost the same Kind, turn
ed pale, but vigorously denied connection
with 1t.
whats dem orders see you all glib
ra,.f. L.A "A 30 40
bout dis"
Murphy tried his best to explain. but the
negro's intellect was unable to grasp the
meaning Of tho order and then from out
the crowd that had collected another voice
was heard saying;
"Dis yer's de second tine dat mans
done dat same thing. He done nun dat
wuk train las summer when % many OBJ
de boys was killed. Right yer's whar dey
hit together too"
It WAS enough.
Murphy. alone and unsrmsd. m the mob
OF negroes, was to pay Vth his life for AN
other mans carelessnoAe
Ne one lad seen Heweil stnO Ne oollt
sion occurred. CiWk, the soaduStoY Of
the wrecked freight train. ~ soon as he
had seen the magnitude Of he disaster,
had started on a run 10 P, tive miles
away, for help, and his brakeman as well
as the men Of Murpby's crew, noting the
angry and excited gestures OF the negroes,
as they gathered around their conductor,
and seeing no chance for rescue in their
small number, had taken the engine to
Sand Cut, hoping the1e to GET re enforce
ments and return In tuna
bellcord from enc OF the coaches was
thrown over the limb OF q tree, and the
moose was fastened about the nsoA Of the
seemingly doomed man when the switch
engine from y turned ths curve haul
Ing a coach crowded to the doors with the
compauy's employees.
Ellis knew the temper o< these people in
eases Of this kind, and he had come pre-
pared to fight II necessary. 10 protect the
innocent or 20 bring to legal Justice the
man who was at fault.
They were only Just In time. One min
ute more and Murphy would have tasted
hemp. Even now the negroes were loath 30
give up their intended Victim. bet the ar
rival OF the engine from Bapd Cut yith
her tender crowded with men settled u.
The rope WAS removed. and under pleSSs
from Mr. Ellis that he should be tried by
law they returned 10 the care Of the dead
and wounded.
Eleven were killed snH over % wound
ed, and the coronc~'s jury, in an inquest
on the dead, placed the blame where II be-
longed-on White, the conductor of the sx-
cYTsion. Only whits's signature to the re-
oeipt fer the order SAVED Muvphy. Later
in the ysaJ the grand tu,y found On In
diotment against Whine for criminal care
lessness, but no one ever saw him in that
part Of the country again, 30 he was never
brought TO trial.
The incident of the above story is an alb
solute truth, and one Of the principal ac-
tors In 1t is now IN the employ Of a rail
road in Atlanta. The sosident happened
on . northern road In June, 1888. The
names used are sll netitious.-A. N.
Strong in Atlanta Consultation.