San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1897-03-18
A NIGHT OF HORROR.
Penned Up with Tarantulas in a
Banana-Laden Car
A Travellers Dreadful Experience Lands
Him In a Hospital-COmforted and
Taken Home by a Devoted
Sweetheart.

ONCuDN lIS Il SGNlCIO OlLl III ii
car on the south-bound Missouri Pa
cifc limited recently were two pas
sengers who attracted the sympathetic
attention, both of the trainmen and
their fellOw-passengers. The lady had
evidently not yet reached the age of
two score years, and was strikingly
beautiful, while her companion, upon
whom she lavished a wife's tenderly
devotion, might have been either 30 or
GO years old, if one was to judge from
his face, upon which were mingled in
dications of youth and extreme age
that were at once perpleXing and mysti-
flying.
His name is James Payne, and he is
a resident of Parkersburg, W. Va,
where his family is well-to-do and
highly respected. Two months ago he
started for the Pacific coast, intending
to investigate the business opportuni-
ties of that region, with a view to get
ting married and locating there. He
purchased a ticket to Seattle, and he
ing we'll supplied with money antici-
pated an enjoyable trip and a speedy
return to his sweetheart.
On the train between Green river and
Pocatello his pockets were picked, and
money, ticket and everything taken.
He was even unable to telegraph homo
for money, having no money, and de-
termined to make his way through by
the boX-car route. On the second night
of his stay in Pocatello a west-bound
special pulled in. in which were several
fruit cars. Congratulating himself
that he might now speedily reach his
destination, he climbed into one of
these cars through an open end door,
and prepared to make himself as COM
Portable as possible. He had scarcely
concealed himself before the door,
which it appears had been broken open
by tramps, was closed and sealed, but
this did not at the time occasion any
serious alarm on his part. The car
proved to have been loaded with bananas,
10 some of which he was glad to help
himself, being very hungry, and argu-
ing that 1t was no crime for q man in
his predicament. He then composed
himself to sleep. These fruit specials
generally run under a 6O-mile order,
as this one proved to be doing, and
when the passenger awoke with a start
few hours later it was to find himself
in Egyptian darkness, with the train
flying along with a terrific speed. He
had been aroused from his sleep by
something having a soft, velpety touch
creeping stealthily across his face, and
struck a match to see what had dis
turbed him. To his horror he saw sew
eral large tarantulas, which, in his eX-
cited imagination, assumed the proper
tons of ordinary land turtles. Startled
by the light, they scurried away while
his blood ran cold and his limbs were
almost paralyZed as the Pickering
match died out and be realized the po-
sition in which he was placed.
Young Payne did not dare to strike
another match, even if his trembling
hands would have performed that
service, but he knew that he was in the
most imminent peril of his life. To
leap from the door of the car meant
certain death, and the probability of
his fate remaining forever mystery
to the loved ones at home. While these
thoughts darted through his mind n
cold hairy substance dashed itself in
his face, and thinking his time had
rome he tainted.
How long he lay unconscious he does
aot know, but when he again came to
life it was broad daylight, and the train
still speeding like the wind. He tried
the door, and almost tainted when he
found that it was fastened, and that
he was doomed to suffer hours longer
the prospect of an attack at.any instant
from the hideous creatures, whose
character he knew 50 well. The stray
Cling rays that penetrated the cracks
of the door enabled him 70 see dimly
IL n