The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-05-17
THE BICYCLE LIAR AGAIN.
Tale of IA WheeIman Who Ran Into an
engine and Was Unhurt.
Denver News.

That Louis Riethmann was around
Thursday greeting his friends as usual in
stead of being on a cooling board at the
morgue is Cue more to luck than Judgment.
MIR. Riethmann has a cousin, Louis Phil
beck, visiting him from Indianapolis. The
two young men took a run on Wednesday
evening out beyond Sand creek. After a
spin of eight miles the two young men
rested for a time at a wayside inn and
started for the return to the city about )
o'clock. They were nearing the crossing
of the Union Pacific, Denver 81 Gulf
tracks at Sand creek, when the approach
of an incoming passenger train was no.
ticed. Mr.. Philbeck was in the lead some
little distance and thought he would have
plenty of time to make the crossing ahead
track he observed that the train was COM
ing at a much higher rate of speed than he
had calculated, and he d~ismounted instant
ly and shouted to Riethmann to hold on
and not try to make the crossing.
Mr., Riethmann admits that he hoard the
cry of warning, but did not heed it. In
stead of waiting for the train to pass he
took an extra jump, threw all his leg
power into the pedals and figured on cross
any conceit out of his cousin. Then came
the crash. The passenger train was MAX
ing for Denver at the rate of thirty miles
an hour, and just as Mr.. Riethmann
reached the crossing the train struck him.
Nobody knows just what happened then.
The engineer of the train had his head out
of the window as usual and saw the smash.
The engine was instantly reversed and the
train stopped as quickly as possible, but not
uDII III ndO gone ABOUT d nuDQTSQ 1SGL.
When the engineer and fireman leaped from
the cab their first look was under the en-
CINE wheels, which they expected to find
covered with the mangled remains of the
reckless rider. AS they did not find their
man under the engine they started back
looking under the cars of the train, but
failed to find any hands or feet hanging
out any place on detached duty. AS yet,
neither of the men had thought to look on
the pilot of the engine. Mr.. Philbeck had
been a mortified witness of the accident,
however, and had expected to see his cousin
killed. Not seeing him fall, he kept watch
of the engine and was the first to observe
the rear wheel of the bicycle sticking over
the pilot. He told the engineer and fire
man, and the three men made a rush for
the engine. There was Riethmann lying on
the bumper above the pilot, graSplng the
flagstaff with one hand and holding the
priced wheel from falling under the engine.
Even the discovery of the man on the
pilot did not relieve the fears of the eng1
neer, who supposed that Rlethmann mad
been killed, and that the wheel was held
by a hand cold in death. He was too badly
excited to speak, but his fears were soon
relieved. Riethmann took in the SITUATION
at a glance, and. turning to the engineer.
said. good-naturedly, and as naturally as
possible;. .,
"You bet you can ride into town. re-
piled the engineer, as he and Mr.. PhilbecK
Joined in rescuing Riethmann from his I'M
comfortable, not to say dangerous, posi-
Then explanations were in order. Mr..
Riethmann assured his friends that he
was not nlTI III lIiG lcdSls diEt iiSlStSu uIOu
giving his first attention to an examina-
ton of his wheel, which was also found
to have escaped injury. He said that he
really had no very clear idea of what had
happened. He had made a squirt to cross
the track ahead of the engine, and realized
when too late that a collision could not be
avoided. He had felt no crash, but had
been apparently lifted up and thrown on
caught his wheel by the saddle and had
grasped the flagstaff of the engine without
knowing how. 1t was all over in a second,
and he felt the engine slowing up rapidly
and knew that he was all right. although
he thought he could have maintained his
position until Denver was reached without
any serious inconvenience.
The two wheelmen were taken aboard
the train and brought to the city, and rode
home from the depot. Thursday Mr..
Riethmann was around as we'll as ever,
barring a slightly bruised hip and the loss
of a generous patch of cuticle from his
right knee.