The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-07-10
RAILROAD STORIES.
Franks of Engineer Lawless of Ne
braska, Who is a Practical Joker.

DraSKaS w no IS EracG1ca4 joker
There is a Rock Island engineer re-
siding in Fairbury, Neb., who is a great
practical joker. His name is Peck
Lawless, and what he can't invent for
the embarrassm of his fellow crea-
lures isn't worth thinking about.
A short time ago, as the story goes,
a brother engineer named Holland was
married at Horton, and Immediately
started housekeeping at that point. A
few days after the marriage Lawless
happened to be in Horton, and acct
dentaIly hearing that Holland was out
on his run, at once thought of a scheme
to perpetrate a joke. He inquired the
location of Hollands residence, and a
few minutes afterWard was knocking
at the door.
The newly wed Mrs. Holland answer
ed the knock and Lawless asked if her
husband was in. Receiving a negative
reply, he INTERCEPTED her as to what
time he left, on what run and when he
was expected to return, and then lapsed
into an embarrassing silence. His fin
gers toyed nervously with his watch
chain, one foot beat time on the porch,
and his face assumed a troubled ex-
preston.
Judging from his appearance that
there was something on the mans
mind, Mrs. Holland asked if there was
anything she cOQIQ 90. LaWIeSS
coughed several times, hesitated and at
length said:
Il am sorry to trouble you ma'am,
but the fact is the matter is urgent.
My name is Law1ess, and run on the
Rock Island out of Fairbury. re-
ceived a telegram this morning calling
me east, and wanted to get the suit
loaned your husband to get married
in
Mrs. Holland didn't faint. She SIM
ply stood and stared at the man who in
a moment dispelIed her visions Of
mar ried bliss. To think of her husband
borrowing a suit of clothes to get mar
ried in-horrible!
Apparently not noticing her agita-
ton, Lawless went on to describe the
suit, which he had seen before the mar
riage. AS the description was correct,
Mrs. Holland felt convinced that the
man was telling a true story, and bund-
ling up her husbands wedding suit,
gave it to Lawless. AS soon as the
door closed she dropped into a seat and
gave vent to her feelings in tears
When Holland returned to his home
that night, instead of finding an ex-
pectant bride he found weeping, heart
broken woman. It took him an hour
to unraveI the mystery, and he then
started out to find the perpetrator of
the joke. At the roundhOuse he found
his clothes and a score of men to laugh
at him, but his friend Peck had es
capped. Mr.. Lawless' second visit to
Mr. Hollands home was delayed for
several weeks.
Another story told on Engineer Law
less is of how he caused a fellow engi-
neer to imagine he was in a collision
and jump from his engine. This Incl
dent occurred one night at the Fair
bury station
Two trains one engine in charge of
Lawless, the other in charge of his vic
tim, were compelled to lay over at Fair
bury for some time, probably an hour.
The engines stood side by side, one on
the main track and the other on the
siding, faced in the same direction.
The wait was tiresome and al the end
of several minutes the engineer, who
afterwards distinguished himself in
jumping, fell asleep sitting in his en-
CINE cab. Soon his sonorous nasal
breathing attracted the attention OF
Lawless, who at once saw an oppor-
tunity of having little fun.
The plan was no sooner thought of
than it was put into execution. A red
danger lamp was extracted from it's
socket on the front of the engine and
hung directly in front of the cab win
dow in such a position that the red
glare fell full on the sleeper's face.
Lawless then climbed into his own en-
CINE cab and pulled the whistle cord
A prolonged, hairraising shrek was
the result, and the unfortunate sleeper
awoke with a start which completely
wrecked his nervous system for the
time Half asleep, his senses dulled,
the red glare of a danger lamp staring
him in the face, his only thought was
that he had fallen asleep while on the
road and that a head end collision was
at hand. Quick as a shot he made for
the opposite side of the engine and
1eaped far out into the darkness, strik-
ing on the edge of an embankment and
rolling for several yards.
By the time he picked himself up and
discovered his situation, Lawless was
pulling out of the station. He was con-
siderably bruised, but managed to take
the train through to the division point.
There he took a lay off. partly for the
purpose of resting his nerves and part
~ to escape the jokes of the railroad
men.
There is a dog at Arkansas City who
is as much interested in the daily OPP
Grafton of Santa F'e trains as any en-
pIoye of the road at that point. He has
learned the time of arrival of all pas
senger trains, and is almost invariably
on hand when one pulls into the sta
ton. Whenever it happens that he is
few minutes late, he appears to feel
fully ashamed of his hardness. His
plan is to climb on the forward coach
and walk through the train in a very
dignifed manner as if making an in