Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1896-12-19

linen L grOaneQ alOuu aS 1 Temem.
bered Jennie and the little ones.
I don't know why I should be
ashamed to tell it doubt if there
are many men who would not have
done the same in my place-but I
struggled to my knees and begged
those heartless Williams to forego their
desperate purpose.
I might as we'll have gone on my
knees to the great iron monster that
would be along in so short a time to
crush me.
They only laughed mockingly over
my despair, and began their work.
You'll acknowledge that it's rather
dismal prospect for a poor fellow to
be gagged and bound, and then tied
fast across a railway track, with his
neck across one rail and his feet over
the other, and to know that in half an
hour a train is coming down that very
track; and this in a dark, drizzly
night, and in lonely spot where no
human being is at all likely to find
him.
And that's the way the scoundrels
left me-they tied me there fast and
6rm-they mockingly bade me good,
night and pleasant dreams.
And yet I could not cry out in my
agony nor curse them in my despera,
tion as they moved off.
No words of mine can describe the
horror and agony felt during the
time I lay there.
There 1 was, in most painful posi-
tion, bound by the neck to one rail,
and by the ankles to the other, my
hands tied beneath me, and my body
fastened to sleeper
Oh, Heaven how I did struggle to
free myself! how I sought to wrench
away my legs; how 1 tugged at the
cords which bound my wrists; and
then, since I could not get them free,
as I thought of the fearful death so
soon to come upon me, how I strove
to throttle myself with the rope that
held my head to the rail How I
prayed that I might suffocate there as
l lay!
have heard that men have died of
terror, but I don't believe it.
If such thing were possible, l
think I should have perished in those
dreadful moments.
But did not. Oh, no! The MUIR
derers were 10 have their fullest
revenge.
And now, suddenly, I grew strange
ly calm.
philosophical with myself.
I said, resignedly, that a man could
die but once; and, after all, what
would it matter an hour hence?
Besides, in reality, this was an in
stantaneous and almost painless end.
But my wife and children! Oh, I
would like to live for them. And
could not? was not dead yet.
If could only move myself few
feet! Oh, so very few feet! Yet I
could not stir.
Now a thought struck me.
Could I not signal the train in some
way, stop it before it passed over me :?
Alas, how? They would never
hear my cries. They would never
see me in the darkness.
No one would know until the NOR,
row, and then I should be, alas !
crushed, mangled, dead
But my lantern! where was that9
I turned my head slightly, and
could just see it few feet away,
where had dropped it.
If I only had it on my breast, 1
could draw up my pocket with my
teeth, I thought, and somehow get
match from it and so light the
lantern.
But all this time the minutes were
flying by like lightning.
Horrible as that hour was to me,
could have wished it was all eternity.
Every instant I dreaded to hear the
train coming. I knew it must be well
nigh time for it now.
will not dwell longer on my suf-
ferings. I did not free myself. /
could not, if the salvation of the race
had depended on it. Nor did any
body come to free me.
No one would eyer pass that spot
on night like that, and at such an
hour.
Nor was the train behind time.
No, I heard it at last; first, a faint,
rumbliug sound that seemed to come
from deep down in the earth; then
the ground seemed to thrill and trem-
BILE {; then the rails ratified little,
then more and more; then I heard
the whistle, and then, oh, Heaven |!
another minute and it would be upon
me!
I tried once more to cry out; /
struggled again for an instant with all
the power of my being; then felt
that my time was come, and l shut
my eyes and lay quite still.
And the great train came rushing
on and ONT was close upon me.
I saw it not, yet felt it to be direct
ly above me.
Great heavens! what was this ?
Was it passing over me, and 1 still
living and feeling it not?
Iopened my eyes ; saw the carriages
flashing by above, and within few
e. or hnoI