The herald., 1895-04-29
WAS 1T
MURDER OR AN ACT OF
KINDNESS

Dutch, " had said every time he passed ii
that some time he twas goin to have q
big SIN ship on that there round corner
And when the smashup did come at last
it was 81 severe one, for poor Jack was in
stantly killed and the fireman was lying
on cot in q little room back of the bar,
and the young doctor said he could not
possibly live until morning The engine
had plowed its way off the track, and after
punging ahead for 30 feet came square up
against the largest tree in the state, a
giant redwood All that was left of poor
Jack Freeman was one leg and a part of
one arm-at least that was all they could
find in the darkness. The fireman was
wedged in against the boiler, and when
taken away after half an hour of hard
work on the part of the rescuing crew the
flesh was dropping off in long shreds all
over his body
The poor fellow was screaming and plead
ing with the lockers on either to kill him or
give him something to kill himself with
Luckily, no one else was hurt, as the en-
CINE and tender had broken loose from the
rest of the train when it left the track,
leaving the passenger cars standing with
out injury on the track. There was no
hope of any of the passengers getting
out of the gulch before the next night, so
they all settled down around the stove
that night, and as all of them had travelled
great deal they were passing the time
telling about railroad accidents in which
they had been personally interested. 1t was
getting near bedtime, but somehow they
all sat back, waiting for the old man to
say something.
They had beer watching him all evening
as he struggled with himself over some
question, and they felt certain he had a
story to tell, if he could be persuaded to
tell it, that would put all the rest in the
shade. At last, when they had all told of
some horror where they had had a narrow
escape, and were sitting back in their
chairs looking at nothing and busy with
their own thoughts, the old man burst
out with;
well boys, I'm going to just give my
self up, an you can lynch me or let me go,
just as you've mind to. I've stood this
thing by myself just as long as 1 can"
Then he stopped and looked questioningly
into the eyes of those about him, as if try
ing to read their thoughts The boys all
started up, wide awake, certain that they
were about to hear something out of the
ordinary
lHc OlQ lueiH Sdu SiiChU dWAllC iOn6Ci,
his long white hair rolling over his collar,
his wide brimmed hat pushed far back on
his head, and then continued: II never
saw such a coincidence in all my life be-
fore. Same kind of country, same kind of
accident, same number of people killed,
only in this other smash up the fireman
was killed instantly an the engineer was
burned to death-that is, If you want to
COLL IL that Vor, this &c tho II
happened:
II was runnin ranch then down in
Texas, an 1 had just taken big load of
cattle east. On the way back, instead of
comm straight home, / went up into
Montana to see an uncle of mine, who had
talked some of buyin me out We were
just about a days journey from his place
when the accident happened I'm tellin
about. 1t seems the engineer was bright
young fellow an one of the most popular
ones on the line He'd been Aarricd just
three weeks an his bride was on the train
he was a-runnin. He was more careful
than usual on her account when goin over
the bad places, an so when he came to a
level stretch he put on steam an tried to
make up the time he'd lost. He was just
minute an q half late at Altoona, an he
was bound to make up the time between
there an Elston, S5 miles farther on.
THAT old train simply flew them 81
miles. You couldn't tell man from a
telegraph pole, an finally the speed in
creased SO much that the passengers got
little scary. Everything went all right,
though, until we got within mile of Els
ton. There was curve in the road, sharp,
just about like this here one. The coun-
try kind of looked the same too.
well when we got to that curve, in
stead of steadyin down little he put on
more steam. Ought to have known bet
ter, you say? Well, yes, but then people
are usually darn fools at the crisis of their
lives. Anyway, the couplin pin snapped,
an the engine went around the curve
alone, lcavin the train and tender behind.
The difference in the weight made her
fairly jump, an she landed in n ditch IS
feet down the cmbankmcnt. The fireman.
was killed before he ever knew what struck
him, but tho engineer got jamined up
against the boiler just the same as this
here fellow did. The steam was pourin
out about his head and chest, an he was
pleadin and prayin for some one to kill
him an put him out of his misery. The
men were workin hard to get him out,
but he was held there by some sort Of a
piece of iron, like a crowbar. After they
had been workin over him for more than
three-quarters of an hour he was in ter
rible condition His wife stood there
fairly insane People tried to drag her
away, but they couldn't do anything with
her. We all saw that even if he lived till
they got him loose he would die in short
time. Finally, while the men were sawin
and diggin away, tryin to get him out,
an he was hollerin so pitiful that we
couldn't sec for the tears we shed, some
thin seemed to say to me all of a sudden,
Put him out of his misery.
II can't tell why did 1t nor how did
it without no one seein me, but managed
to get up to him an reached him my re-
volver, loaded an cooked He just had
strength left to lift it to his head, an the
next moment he was out of his sufferin.
There was great hubbub, an every
ono wondered how he got the gun, but
they was all glad he was put out of his
misery.
That's my story, gentlemen. Did
commit murder, or did do an act of kind
ness? l never in all my life before told
about it, but somehow this here smnshuI
tonight was SO much like that one that il
seemed as if it was fate, an / don't care
what you do with me. 1 feel better row
for tcllin it.
Not one present said a word. Ono by
one they got up and went to bcd and each
one was wondering, us l was, Did he com