Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-06-20
A PAIR OF HANDCurFs.


Ono AcaI Experience Was Enough
for the Deputy Sheriff.
A Star reporter recently on a trip along
the Chesapeake and Ohio railroad in Vir-
g!nia noticed sheriff get of the train
with a prisoner. to whom he was hand
cuffed. The incident drew him into con-
versation with the brakeman. an interest
ing sort OF chap. who was a good talker.
THAT sort of thing" said the brake
man. nodding toward the station where
the sheriff had got off and referring Of
course. to the circumstance OF the hand
cuffs. looks safe and may be is. but
don't want to get myself mixed up in no
KIND OF combination like that"
An officer gets used to it, suggested
the writer
Il didn't" responded the brakeman with
extreme Succinctness
DO brakemen have to arrest prisoners
ana carry them into captivityr' inquired
1T was this away" said the brakeman
falling into that peculiar southern pro-
vircialism. this Away" II didn't al
ways USE to be a brakeman. My daddy
didn't exactly know what profession to
put me out to when 1 was boy. so he
thought he's look about a little till he
found something that would At. I had
done all kinds of odd Jobs I'D to the time
was eighteen. and. being a great strap
ping big fellow. my daddy at last got me a
job as kind of subdeputy to the sheriff
OF the county, who was a friend Of my
daddys. I took TO it easy and being
big and strong 1 come handy when there
was any prisoners to be toted around to
richmond or from one court house TO an
other.
II suppose l had made six or eight trips
OF that kind. and. of course, following
the customs Of the country, 1 always went
| with the prisoner handcuffed to me, so 1
could have him ready when called for
One day We got a notice a; our place to
look out for a man that had done muir
der down about Richmond some place. and
l set out doing my first detective work
l don't brag. but in about three days we
had our man. and we got orders to bring
him In. 1t was only three hours run, and
the sheriff and me started out about Q
o'clock In the evening with me handcuffed
| to the prisoner.
we was feeling good that is. the sheriff
and me- for there was a reward in 1t, and
we didn't make 1T any harder on the pris-
oner than we could help, for he was
DIRE adful blue and seemed dead sorry that
he had done wrong After we had been
riding along for an hour, reckon the
sheriff said what was the matter with
going out into the smoking car and trying
| smoke. and the prisoner fairly jumped
at the chance. The sheriff went in front
| with the prisoner next and me swinging
TO the back. The sheriff cautioned us to
! be careful in crossing the platforms for
the train was going thirty miles or more
and the coaches were ordinary light ones
that rocked good deal. We crossed the
| the prisoner was about to step into the
| car after the sheriff he made a quick turn
and jumped from the platform, dragging
me after him, Of course.
| What happened during the next half
! hour only know by hearsay. for all
remember was a whiZ and thud against
something soft, and that was the end OF
| me until come to half an hour later The
prisoner, however. was dead. as he in
| tended but he hadn't got me. as in falling
| l had dropped square on top of him and
| hadn't bone broke except the bone in the
wrist that was through that confoundei
! nandcuH. The jar was enough to lay me
| up Tor week, and when L got over il
| told my daddy that 1 reckoned / had got
! all wanted of that profession. and he let
! me resign I've been in the railroad pro-
| fession about dozen years now, and one
| or these days IL l amt riding in a private
car 1t VIII be because the man that owns
IL nasnt invited me get aboard. See?''
ana the brakeman grnned as he carefully
| rubbed knot In his wrist as If he thought
ne might massage it straight once more