The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1896-07-08
Most F%rightful Railway Wreck Of the
Nineteenth Century.
SAVED BY BATE-HELD UP BY A RoBBER-
A OF WORDS N ULLET - THE
RoBBER

WAR OF WORDS AND BULLETS THE
ROBBED CAPTURED.
d. | believe in fate?" queried Professor
McComber OF New York OF a party of gem
tlemen in the smoker of a Washington
south-bound sleeper. MANY an argument
have 1 had with the late Hon. James G.
Blaine on thiss subject. He believed in fate,
in destiny. l did not; though l do to a
great extent to-day.
"a few years ago !, in compauy with a
noted physician of Boston, started from the
Hub to Florida. 1t was the first day of the
terrible blizzard which cost Roscoe Conk-
lin and hundreds Of others their lives. We
were snow-bound In Connecticut until
Thursday afternoon, when we slowly made
our way to New York. We were due to
leave New York that Thursday night at
nine o'clock on the Tampa sleeper. Our
berths were reserved. 1t was ten o'clock
before we reached New York, and the
Florida train had left on time. We left
Jersey City on the very early train next
morning, which reached Washington at
10: 45 A. M, and Savannah, Ga, the next
morning at seven A. NJ, which was the
nine o'clock the night before reached Sa-
vannah, and from Savannah the sleepers Of
the two trains were consolidated, and went
on southwark as one train.
ION this occasion, as travel was very
heavy, each train went southwark from
ooN 90 q v 1hO O hlOh
left New York at nine Thursday evening
comprised the first section. We were the
second section; every seat was full in each
train, and many were unable to secure ac-
commodations on either.
THE sleeper of the first section went
through to Tampa, and it was necessary
that the Doctor go on it in order to reach
his winter home at Palatka that evening, as
section No. 2 stopped at Jacksonville. The
doctor tried to exchange seats with a Mr..
Redmond nf Montreal who waa in tba frat
section. This Mr.. Redmond refused to do,
though he did not go farther than Jackson
Vile that day.
"Just this side the Blackshear river we
were signaled by a man waving a red
handkerchief. Our train came suddenly to
a halt, and we were informed that the
bridge had given way, and the entire train
OF eleven cars had gone down a precipice
Of seventy feet.
CDR. Flower took care of most of the
wounded, and that evening he took a car
load of the wounded and thirteen of the
dead to Jacksonville. Had he not been
there very many of the wounded would
soon have been among the dead. Now, the
wonderful part of this story is this: The
lady and gentleman to whom was sold
Thursday evening in New York; the Sec
ton DR.. Flower had had reserved for him
self, were in the midst of the wreck, the
man was killed outright and lady fatally in
jured, only living a few weeks. The
Cdnduldn WHO TtIuStu 10 exchange SEATS TO
accommodate the doctor had both legs
broken, his shoulder and elbow badly
smashed, besides being seriously injured in
ternally. Twice was DIR. FlOwe saved
from this terrible wreck.
"In 1884 DIR. Flower made a professional
trip TO Kansas. While in Southern Kan
sas he took a day off for hunting. Wandering
away from his companions while s~trolling
along the border Of the Indian Territory
where game seemed most plentiful, he was
| ut,rnriuaA hv fAnr rAhharo urhn tI1aa ~
peared from a thicket. He was ordered to
throw up his hands. All right, boys he
said, up goes my hands, but don't point
your guns this way. The appearance of
the muzzles gives me. the neuralgia They
seemed to enjoy his ~half-impudent reply.
After the leader had relieved him of his
watch and money he shook hands with the
Doctor and started to go, when DR., Flower
remarked: Il don't mind your taking my
money and watch, but 1 feel sorry for you
because they can never do you any good ,
Why SOP demanded the outlaw. Be-
cause you are now suffering with Bright's
disease of the kidneys, and have also a
heart trouble which of itself must soon kill
you. How do you know / have kidney
and heart trouble?' asked the robber. Il
did not think any one in this wide world
could tell a sick man his trouble without
asking any questions except DR.. X. g.
Flower of Boston 1t was now the Doctors
turn. Drawing himself up to his fullest
ntlRuJj anu ldsltHluR us eyes On Iub DdH-
dit, he said: l am DR.. FlOlcer Of Boston. The
robber, said, in a nervous tone: 1 have
long wanted to see you. You can help me,
can you not?' Yes, under certain condi-
tons Name them,' said the robber,
That you return to me what you have
taken, and that you give me 81, 900, and
change your present way of living Il
can only give 800 to-day, but L will agree
to the other terms 'All right, said the
Doctor. Now hands up and shell out,
and the robber good-naturedly handed over
the 500 and what he had taken from the
Doctor. Now, said DR.. Flower, give me
your name and address, MY name is Bob
Cockerel, but send everything for ne to
William Newmier, Mound City, Kan, and
/ will receive it, and L trust to your honor to
preserve my secret
"To-day Bob Cockerel under another.
and his real name, is a happy, prosperous
farmer, at the head of a family in Northern
Missouri.
II have seen scores Of DR.. Flowers pa.
TENTS at different times, and they all tell of
his examination of their cases in the same
accurate and wonderful way. l am thor
oughly convinced that there is a kind OF
fate or destiny about that man which en-
ables him to perform almost supernatural
wonders in his profession.
"He is the most pleasing man personally
you ever met. Polite, kind and sympathetic
to an extreme; children are especially fond
of him, and never want to leave him. He
Is tne most eloquent anu fascinating orator
on the Anne 'icaa platform. His language
is the expression always of the most beau
tiful and p~oetical speech.
"Socially he is genial and generous; he is
absolutely fearless. l don't think he knows
what fear is. He believes that whatever is,
is best. That he is in this world TO do a
work, and that he will stay here until it is
done. He has great confidence in himself,
and has good reasons to have. l don't
think he ever knew defeat, and if he did
don't think he would recognize it, or would
be long in turning it to a victory. He is
most peaceably inclined, but when forced
to a fight he is the most dangerous and de-
termined foe man ever had.
"But the most wonderful feature OF this
wonderful mans life is his ability TO dag
nose accurately any disease in man, woman
or child without asking a question or ever
being told a thing. | am absolutely certain
that there is not a sick man or woman on
this earth, l don't care how subtle and com.
plicated their disease, but that II DIR. Flower
could take them by the hand he could tell
them their exact condition better than they
could tell him, and without asking a ques'