The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-03-26

1no mioni8ut cApicSs, Whiuh fcoNco
Boston at ~ o'clocE, and this city at 10
O'Clock was speeding over>ths rails at the
rate of 40 miles an hour last night. 1t had
passed Auburn station and was bowling
along toward the bridge spanning the
Pawtuxst river whan the engineer of the
train. Mr.. Scarlet, saw q flaming signal
waving about q mile up the track. 1t
was q startling spectacle in the blackness
of the night, and tina train was tronght
to standstiIl.
The midnight express IL made Up OF
two sections. the first beina composed
entirely of sieepers and the other, which
follows Close after, consisting OF baggage
aud passenger coaches. 1t was the
sleeper" train that was Tagged by fire.
AS soon as the train stopped Conductor
q. w. Kesne and other officials made an
Investigation of the caus, of the strange
Interruption to the regular course Of
events, and they found colored man
standing near the track. He told them
that boys had placed two sleepers on the
track about 200 feet this side OF the rail-
road bridge, and that he had seen them
carrying the sleepers. He ran to the spot
ana trief to throw the sleepers from the
track. and while thus engaged he heard
the report of pistol, and then he real:z-
ed nj attsmpt was icing made to wreck
the train, which he could hear coming.
He had one match and a newspaper in
his pooket Reslizing that this material
would not sustain lire long enough he
ran up the track about mile. and while
running took off his coat and vest and
then strippsu off his shirt He struck
the match, lit the paper and from the
flame set fire 81 the shirf, anu it was the
burning shirt that stsrtled the engineer
and saved the train filed with sleeping
passengers.
In support of this story there were the
two glsepers on the track. They had been
plscsu crosswise on the right hand side
qoirg south. The sleepers were removed
and then the train proceeded. Vigorous
signals were whistled to the other train
and in q m momeut moro the only animate
thing In the Vicinity was the coIored man
who had save1 the lives OF 80 many pas
sengers He stood alone In the gloom
silhouetted against the uull light 10 the
sky from the electric lamps OF the city.
1en minutes later the second section of the
train screeched by Auburn station, rushed
past tho sleepers which had been pulled
Of tie track, and as 1t went ma ajesticalIy
on its way into the darkness the coiored
man watched it fade into the distance and
wished that he was safely in one OF the
seats of the smoking car
He then walked up the track to Lincoln
Park station, on the steps Of which he
sat down and went to sleep. Meanwhile
Conductor Keene began to be suspicious
and he sent message OF the case. Or
ders where issued to pick the colored man
Lincoln Park and brought him to this
city ut o'clock this morning.
Meanwhile, Chief of Police John II.
Bigbee Of Crauston had been Informed Of
the peculiar proceeding, and he was at
the place where the slsepers had been
CROSSED on the track. 1t was then .
o'clock. He found one Of the sItepers
with groove running its length. as
though 1t had been made by the fiange OF
the driving wheel Of locomotive. He
also saw that the roadbed had been dis
turbed es though the sieeper had piowed
along about 20 feet. 1t was quite evident
that the sleeper had bien struck. The
first section OF the train did not report
striking anything and 1t could not nave
been done by 1t, bscause the slecpers were
found crossed on the track In front OF the
ooccmotive. The second section had not
leported striking anything up to IL
r'clock. and then the police officials and
OIncsrs CT bne NOW Iork. NeW ns"eH W
Hartford Railroad Company began to
think the colored man might be RESPONSE
bic for the whole strange business.
He was questioned closely In the office
of Superir tendent Gardner by Mr.. Il. X.
Potter, acting claim agent Of the railroad
corporation since the death of Mr.. Hobbs,
and by Chief of Police Bigbee. He said
his name vas Elwood q. Haller, that he
was % years of age and his home was at
100 West Sixty fourth street, New York.
he was q printer by trade and be had
been employed by J. j. Arekelian, the
Armenian printer Of Boston.