The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-04-21
SMASHED TIE SIGNALS
Wild Freak of a Maniac
on the Pennsylvania
Railroad.
MIGHT HAVE CAUSED A WRECK
Disrobed on the Meadows and
Climbed a Pole-Vigilant
Engineer.
light HAVE CAUSED A WRECK

John J. Farrell, a trolley car conductor.
of South Orange, while temporarily in
sane climbed to the top of a signal pole
of the Pennsylvania Railroad, just north
of the Hackensack River bridge, this
morning. and smashed all the signal
lamps with his bare fist. That he did
not cause railroad wreck was a striking
piece of good fortune.
There is due at the Harsimus Cove
yards every morning at five o'clock a
fast freight which carries perishable
goods. This morning that train was
bowling across the meadows on the
straight stretch of track at the rate Of
about thirty miles an hour. when the
trainmen were startled : by the shrill
shrek of the whistle. On the instant the
air brakes were applied and the train was
brought up with such suddenness that
the trainmen were thrown from their
feet.
A moment later the train came to u
standstill
The crew imagined some one had been
struck or else the engineer had run close
upon the open draw
Hurrying forward the trainmen found
the engineer and fireman in state Of
mind over the absence of signal lights
on the poles on the north side of the
bridge.
The engineer rushed forward toward
the signal tower. hoping to ascertain the
cause of the disappearance of the sis-
nails. AS he passed under the poles he
was attracted by strange noise coming
from overhead. Glancing up he was
startled to see a scantily attired man
psrched on the top of the pole smashing
fists. In the dim light it could be seen
that the mans hands were shockingly
cut.
The engineer >and trainmen called to
him to come down, but he only laughed
at them and continued wrecking the
signal lights.
For three-quarters of an hour the man
remained on the pole defying anyone to
If they did. The trainmen waited pa
tiently for the man to abandon his
strange and lofty perch. He finally start
ed down. When within few feet OF
the ground the trainmen seized him by
the legs. A fierce struggle ensued. and
| it was all the four or five train-nen
yelled murder and bit and fought
his captors. They carried him bodily to
| the caboose, and secured him hand and
| The train then proceeded with It's In
| sane passenger. As soon as the draw
| bridge over the river had been crossed,
| the Train was run IN on a SlQing TO d.
low an Atlantic coast line express to
| pass
| The main lire had only been clear a
| few minutes when the passenger express
dashed by. The prisoner was brought to
| this city.
| Yard Master Frank McNally summoned
a policeman, and the prisoner was taken
| to the Seventh street station. There, Ser
geant Cody dressed him in an old suit Of
| a policeman and made him presentable
| for appearance in court.
! While in his rational moments Farrell
| called for Father Carroll of Newark. Far
| rell was supposed to be a Seton Hall
College student, but Father Carroll, who
| was sent for, recognized him as a troll
ley car conductor of South Orange. Far
rell declared he jumped off Delaware.
| Lackawanna and Western Railroad train
near Harrison last night.
This morning the Harrison police re-
| covered FarreIls clothes. He had dis
| robed, bundled up his clothes and left
| them beside the railroad track.
| Yard Master McNally declares that
had Farrell smashed the signal lamps
earlier in the night a serious railroad
wreck might have resulted. Farrell is
held for an examination as to his sanity.