The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-08-31
SPONTANEOUSLY FALLS
Out of Rock Island Car
Through the Bridge
into the Kansas River Is Pain
fully Hurt.
He Was a Country Lad Named Harris
From Hennessey, Oklahoma-Piek-
ed Up by q Brakeman.

". z. Harris, a young man from
Hennessey. 0. T. while in a sOmnaE-
bulistic ft, walked out OF a moving
freight as il was crossing
the Rock Island bridge early
this morning and fell through the
bridge. severely injuring his head by
the fall and otherwise bruising his
body He was picked up by the brake
men and turned over to the police, and
City Physician Mitchell summoned.
stitches we're taken In the cash which
was made in the back of his head by
the fall.
w E Harris left Hennessey. 0. T,
a few days ago for Missouri, where ne
expected to get work. He walked from
there to Enid. From there he rode on
q passenger train to Wichita He
walked to Marion where he boarded
the freight train on the Rock Island.
He says ne arranged with the brake
man for the privilege of riding in one
of the empty stock cars He was to
give the -brakey' $3.50 for the ride.
He can remember having passed
through Herington, and after that all
is a blank until he woke up under the
Rock Island bridge in this city. He was
lying in the mud under the north end
of the bridge and a long cash in his
head told the story Of his fall
He was riding alone in the stock car,
or as the tramps term il, the side door
Pullman He fell asleep and it is sup
posed that when crossing the bridge he
started walking in his sleep" The
door Of the car was unlocked and had
been open most OF the night The
freight train arrived in Topeka a little
after midnight and pulled across the
bridge. When near the north end
ar 4 Of Of
the car and fell heavily against the
end of the ties. From there he bounded
on and fell below into the mud The
brakeman was riding on top of the car
ana heard the man fall on the bridge.
He went down under the bridge and
assisted him to climb up. Harris had
been awakened by the fall and did not
know where he was. he could not re-
member anything which had happened
since the train had left HeringtOn. The
brakeman helped the injured man up
the bank and he was taken to the Tn
ion Pacific depot where DR.. Mitchell
was summoned. The doctor took four
stitches in the long cut which had been
made in the back of Harris head by
the fall against the bridge strfngers
His elbow and knee We're considera bly,
bruised also His injuries are painful
but the doctor does not consider them
dangerous
Harris said: I came from Hennes-
Eey and was on my way to Missouri.
was going to get work there. 1 don't
remember anything after I left Her
ington- was to pay the brakeman
$3.50. I remember that the stock car
was in was shifted at Harrington. and I
don't remember anything until I found
myself in the mud under the bridge.
The brakeman helped me up and then
found out that my head was cut. No
sir, I don't use liquor. 7 walk in my
sleep sometimes. I have gone TO sleep
in the saddle when I have had TO take
long ride Ny, but my head hurts.
Ny elbow and knee are awfulIy sore,
too
Harris is a country boy of 20 years.
He has been working on his fathers
farm near Hennessey- He is tail and
awkward The police think that his
story is o straight one, and that he is
q sOmnambulist.
We do mending and sew on buttons
rg--T~-