The Cook County herald., 1895-09-14

town about five miles off, leaving the
office for the night in the charge of
caretaker, and returning by an early
train the next morning.
Then thought of going to the po-
lice (there were just two constables and
sergeant in our little town, but what
could they do more than I?
Madly I threw on my hat and rushed
out. I ran in a mechanical way to the
post-of1ice.
Then I started for the railway sta
ton. This was about half mile from
town. AS I hurried along, I thought,
with fresh dismay, that this would also
prove a fruitless errand, for the last
train to Silkminster was the $50 p. m.
Should I wait till the morning and
telegraph? I remembered that the Of
lice did not open till o'clock.
L had, by this time, reached the
station. Of course it was all shut up
and all the lights were out except those
IN the signal lamps for the night ex-
press. 1t is now 11:30. Was there no
hope? Yes!
AT this moment my eye caught a
light in the signal box about a quarter
OIL mile up the line. I could see the
slgnalman in his box, the outline Of
his figure standing out against the light
within.
looked at my watch; the down e1-
press from London was almost due. I
would make rush for that signal box
ana compel the occupant to put the
signal against it and stop it.
Even as I reached the rails, sema-
phore signal that was near me let fall
us arm, and the red light changed into
brilliant green. Would there be
time?
1t was very dark, and I stumbled
over and over again. T had cleared
about half the distance, when I heard
the ominous roar ahead, and in few
seconds could distinguish the distant
glitter of the engines lamp-head bear
Ing towards me-
AT that instant my eye fell upon
ghastly-looking structure by the side
OF the track, looming grimly through
the darkness. 1t resembled a one-arm
galloWs with man dangling from it!
rms strange looking apparition was
none other than a mail bag suspended
from a post-in fact, part of the ap-
paratus by which a train going at full
speed picks up the mails.
mad and desperate idea took pos
session of me. The train that was
bearing down, and that would reach me
IN one minute, should pick me up with
the mails. If could hang on to that
bag so that it came between me and
the net, it would break the force of
the shock, and the net would receive
me as well as the bag.
The bag hung just over my head. I
Jumped at it, seized it, drew myself
up parallel with it, held it firmly at
the top, where it swung by hook, and
drew my legs up so as to present as
small compass as possible.
Then [ waited. It was but few
seconds, but it seemed hours. I heard
the roar of the approaching train. Then
~fhe-anGineae aashed@pas nne-,-s..s--
shall never forget the row Of
Hghted carriages passing about a foot
away from me-closer even than that,
suppose-and I hanging ard waiting
for the crash to come.
And it came. There was a dull thud
"a Whirr and rush, and all was dark.
When I came to my senses I was
lying on the floor of the postal van.
Two men in their shirt sleeves were
buslly engaged in sorting letters at a
rack. I felt bruised and stiff all over,
and I found that my left arm was
bound in a sling, made out Of hand
kerchief
"Where are we?" I asked.
"Oh, you've come to, have you?' saio
one of them. Nov, perhaps you'll
give an account Of yourself It's
precious lucky you're here at all, let me
tell you, for if you had been a taller
man we should only have got a part
OF you in the net. AS it is, you've got
your collar bone broken. Now, per-
haps, you'll speak out; and look here,
II we find you've been lodging the po-
lice, don't you go thinking you'll give
EN- the slip any further The mail van
isn't refuge of that sort.
They would not believe me at first
Luckily, though, I had put the evening
paper and my dairy in my pocket, so
I showed them the paragraph and the
entry. They were civil enough then
well, sir, we shall be in Silknin-
ster about g. or a little later. hope
you'll be able to save the poor beggar.
You must excuse our turning to work
again, and the best thing for you will
be to rest yourself.'
Before he went to work again the
other one said:
nat PITY you never thOught OF
a better way out Of the diff Guilty than
coming in here so sudden like"
What was that?"
"Why, you should have got the sig
mailman to telegraph tc Silkminster; he
could have done it ali right"
What an idiot I had been after all!
However, I should be in time to stop
the execution.
A little after we drew up at Silk
minister station. There was a police
man on the platform, and at once told
my story to him, the result being that
we drove around to the Jail and insist
ed upon seeing the governor
Of course, he was deeply interested in
what I had to tell him, and at once
made arrangements to stop the execu-
ton. The home secretary was COM
municated with by means of special
wire. Fortunately he happened to be
in town, and after a couple of hours
anxious suspense, reprieve was re-
ceived from him.
Little remains to be told. T soo,
identified the condemn ed man as the
person whom I had net in the train.
He also turned out to be the son, of nv,