The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1897-03-31

If 1t were fit to be reprinted here, it would
De an instructive lesson on the opportu-
mites offered for such crimes by the con-
struction of the British railway carriage.
1t would also show the utter futility and
uselessness of the apparatus provided for
passengers to summon the help of the rail
way guards and other servants
II pushed him away" Miss Dickinson
testified, stood up and tried to reach the
bell to summon the guard. l also tried
the dial in the center of the compartment,
but 1T would not act" 1t never does act.
AS the struggle grew in violence Miss
Dickinson tried with her elbow to break
the window. She was unable to do so. But
she managed to let down the sash by a
lucky movement. Then she reached her
head out and screamed. Her voice was
lost in the clatter of the train.
II managed" the girl continued, "to
twist the handle of the door, which opened.
and 1 moved backward until my foot rest
ed on the footboard."
In this perilous position the girl was
held by Baker, who was, however, unable
to draw her back into the compartment.
She strained forward until she was able to
see the occupants of the next compart-
ment, and attracted their notice They
saw she was in distress, but were unable
or unwilling to go to her rescue.
The struggle lasted nearly an hour, IN
til the train stopped at Esher. Here relief
was had from other passengers, and the
girl gave Baker in charge to the police.
The mans audacity was here finely dis
played. He gave his real name and address
to the police, and was allowed to proceed
until Miss Dickinson should be able to
procure warrant This she did on the
following day, and Baker was arrested.
Meantime, however, he went right ON to
the dinner, showed his usual gayety of
disposition, and actually responded to a
toast in his own honor proposed by the
Duke of Cambridge.
Baker was then 40 years old. The trial
resulted promptly in a verdict of guilty,
which the jury found in Is minutes. He
was fined 1900 and sentenced to IL months
in the common Jail. This ended his career
in England, but he lived for a dozen years,
every one of which was fuller than its
predecessor of adventure. He went to
Turkey, and the sultan rewarded his mil
itary services with the rank of pasta and
many other honors. His campaign in the
Sudan and his partial restoration to re-
spectability in England are matters of re-
cent history.
He was a great soldier, and he gave to
the history of railway crimes in England
its cause celebre. England protested and
wrote letters to The Times damning a sys-
TEN that made such crimes possible. But,
as usual, the first mention of a new system
brought subsistence of the demand for a
change and much praise for the good old
English way" Good old England! There
is plenty of buncombe there as well as
elsewhere.
The prevailing panic among women
travelling is leading to many absurd and
ludicrous Incidents Few women will now
enter compartment occupied by lone
man, and no man cares to enter where
there is only one woman, for her evident
nervousness in most cases is by no means
fattering. One thoughtless individual
who found himself alone with a young
woman on a Southwestern train last week
was foolish enough to take out a pocket
knife to cut the pages of his magazine.
| His companion instantly opened the door,
although the train was running 40 miles
an hour and climbed out on the footboard
shrieking for help. The passengers in the
| adjoining compartments heard her, sig
nailed to the guard, and the train was
stopped and the terror stricken girl rescued
|