San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1894-10-16
POOR TOM REGAIN
WAS REPORTED AS DYING LAST
NIGHT.
JOHNNY HALEY REMAND TRUE TO
THE LAST.
The Dream of Warning John Lead
Tom to His Death.

"Boys" taking turns watching at
his bedside, Engineer Tom Regain
was dying last night in a cramped
little room at Jackson's Railway
Mems boarding house, which stands
out and lonely where the north
western tracks cross west Fortieth
street. Johnnie Haley and Tom
Regain were boys together. They
both came from the same country
town. They had gone to the same
district school, where they had
fought each others battles and shar-
ed each others marbles. They had
both run away moro than once to
steal a ride on passing freight
train and play they were brake
men, and each had borne his share
of the whipping when they came
back. After they grew older "the
twins"-for that was what every
body called them naturally
to the road. When Tom was en-
CINE wiper John was handy man
in the round house, and after a
while Tom was allowed to go out
with an engine as fireman. He
took turns with John so that he
would not get too far ahead. And
then one day both of them found
places on the train. For several
years they occupied their positions
as firemen, and during all that
time they kept up their old friend.
ship.
At last, on happy day, not long
ago, the two friends were both
given engines on the Northwestern
road and they pulled freight trains
in and out of Chicago three times
a week. Everything ran smoothly
until last Monday. Early that
morning John left Jackson to
take his train westward. 1t was
bright morning and the engine ran
smoothly. Just before reaching
Lafox, the throttle was open, and
John was leaning easily out of his
little window. Some men appeared
on the track and suddenly one
man, no one knows just how,
stumbled on a rail and fell across
the track. John reversed the en-
CINE instantly but the wheels
ground up a fountain Of sparks
and sped onward. In frenzy Of
excitement the engineer sprang
from the door of the cab to the
ground. His body caught on the
switch beam and rolled to the bot
tom of the enbankment, where it
Law quite still in a bloody heap.
Wien they picked him up life was
extinct. AS soon as the train
arrived at Clinton, Iowa, Tenn
was Immediately telegraphed for,
and he came at once to attend
the funeral of his life long friend.
Wednesday he returned to Chica-
go not having slept for two nights
and a day. He was broken down,
discouraged and worn out with IA
tigue. Tom told all that he could
about the accident, and then he
went off to bed. He was soon fol-
lowed by the other boys and at
midnight the bare street In front
was occupied only by recOnoitering
prairie winds on the way to the
city. The street lamps still burned,
veining with green and red cross
ing lamps and a half block away
in deepening shadows, a sound
came from JacksOn's boarding
house. Suddenly there was crash
of breaking glass, and a white
figure shot downward from one of
the second story windows Of the
Railway boarding house." and lay
very still where it had fallen.
There were no stragglers in the
street, no one to show alarm and
the white heap among the shadows
lay long unnoticed. At last some
one heard sound of groaning and
Jackson's was soon emptying its
half clad boarders into the street.
They picked up poor Tom and car
ried him up stairs. Then doctors
were called and after working over
him a long time he became con-
scious and told his story in faint
week voice. He said he had fallen
asleep as soon as he went to |
bed. Soon after that he was
on a locomotive engine running |
westward thirty miles an hour,
John Haley on the right with his
arm resting easily on the cab win
dow sill and his hand gIasping the
throttle. Tom himself was firing
he knew it because he could feel
the fire on his face and his back |
was tired as II he had been shovel |
ing coal long time. 1t seemed
good to be on the same locomotive
with John. Yet when the lineman
lifted his hand a little, John was
assured. Hardly real, he looked