The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1897-08-05

tOT zap, Willis lue DfdkeIudu DTouSut
a cup from the mail car and gave
him a drink of water, he told them
where he wanted to be buried-back
east somewhere; spoke of his insur-
ance policy; left a loving message for
his wife; and then. as If ha had moth
ing more to say or do, closed hi ey es
and folded his hands over his brave
heart, and without a murmur-appa
rently without pain-died.
1t was many hours before they
found the fireman Whan the crash
came, he was standing IN front of the
furnace door. The tank doubled for
ward and forced him up against the
boiler head, where, il he had not been
killed instantly. be must have been
slowly roasted. He la" in the wreck
so long that, when they got him ont
there was deep ngly groove across
his face, where he had lain against
the narrow edge of the throttle lever.
Save this deep fnrrow thare were no
marks upon his face But that one
mark remained, even after the body
was embalmed
The writer was, at that time. en-
ployed by the same company, an a
similar capacity, and was sent ont to
the wreck 10 take charge of the body
of the fireman. bring it to Denver,
and then take it back to the farm at
Salina. The travelling engineer went
out with special engine and the su
perintendent's private car, and went
with him. 1t is not a pleasant task
to deliver the dead to bereaved rela
tlves; but it is the least that can be
done, and some one must do it. The
engine left the track precisely at md
night, Friday night, and it was not
until the afternoon of the following
Tuesday that reached Salina
There had been six children in this
happy family, three boys and three
girls. The eldest son was locomo
tive engineer, but he had left the road
Tor good, and was now with the fam
ly at the Kansas farm.
When we reached the Mcconnell
place, and | went into the house
the family were all assembled in the
large plain parlor, there was no Deed
OF an Introduction. They all knew
me, and knew why l had come, and
when they crowded abont me, all
weeping so bitterly, felt that | conld
not bold out much longer mvself
| did better than | had expected. how
ever, until | attempted to talk, when
the tears came up into my throat and
chOked me. So. with little brother
on one knee. While the two young la
dies were sobbing by the window, and
the brave young engineer was trying
between his tears to calm his mother,
L gave way and wept with the rest
Whas we had all gained the little
relief tnat always comes with show
er OF tears, the mother began to talk
with me and ask questions. To begin
with, she asked me IF | could tell her
exactly when her boy was killed
Last Friday night" said.
what timer" she asked.
almost exactly at midnight" was
my reply.
"Ah" she said, bursting into tears
again, Il knew it! | knew it,
He was killed instantly, he never
knew what happened" said l.
'Not qnite instantly" SAID the
weeping mother ''He called me twice,
and ! saw him standing before me
With a great deep furrow across his
face"
Then she placed the edge of her
hand against her face to show me
where the scar was, and when / saw
her mark the very angle of the ugly
groove. / felt strange tingling sen
sation at the roots of my hair
Has any one written you the par
ticulars of the wreck?' [ asked
mo" she answered, I'VE have had
but two telegrams; one from the SUI
perintendent, telling of his death. and
the one from you when you left Den
YER"
What she said so affected me that
| excused myself and walked ont to
the barn, where | could think. [ was
not long in arriving at the conclusion
that when the number seven left the
track, in that infnitesimal fragment
of time, the boy saw that he was in
the shadow of death, and his first and
only thought was of his mother. His
soul went ont to her SO swiftly ard so
surely that she not only heard him
call her, but saw him, just as he was.
At the barn l found the dead boys
father, who had insisted upon his
sons going in with me, while he put
mp the team. thought his the sad
dest face l had ever seen, as he NOV
ed about in his fearless and silent
sorrow.
How did it happen" asked the
farmer, when he had finished his
chores, and we were walking back
toward the house together.
Hit lunch of cattle,' said |.
In the night?'
"Yes, on last Friday night"
Stop" said the farmer, touching
my arm. Il want to tell you some
thing that happened here last Friday
highland | remember that the clock
was striking twelve
Then he told me how his wife had
screamed and wakened him, and how
she had wept bitterly, and insisted
that Johnny had been killed. He
had been struck by somebody or
something, she insisted, and she could
see a great, deep, ugly scar on his
face.
don't know why / did moi; but
remember distinctly that / did not
tell them that the scar was there, just
rs his mother had seen it that Friday
night. We did not open the coffin at
the church, nor at the grave.
remained with the family at the
farm house that night, and with
them, on the following day, went to
the little church in town, where the
good priest talked great deal long
er than was necessary, thought, for
he had it not in his power to do John
Mcconnell any good hy talking. LII