The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-02-10
HE SAVED HIS FARE.
Desperate Chances Taken by an In
toxicated Interurban Passenger
TRIED TO CRAWL OVER THE GATES
When the Conductor Prevented Him
There Was a Lively
Time. -.

Street car conductors have to use pro-
found discretion in permitting passengers
to ride .'just beyond" midway on a single
face. Sometimes passengers employ many
more or less shrewd schemes to save q
nickel, and sometimes they carry the mat
ter too far. The other day there was
most disastrous sequence Of events, fol-
lowing tipsy passengers attempt to beat
the company out of a fare and the result
was almost disastrous.
The car was crowded and the conductor
did not start the collection sof the second
fares until the car had passed midway
By the time he got to the front end of the
this side Of the division point, for it was
Minneapolis bound car. In the next to
the front seat drowsy passenger was
asked for his fare.
"I'm going to get off at the next cor
ner,' he replied. as he arose.
But you are more than a mile past the
city limits, = explained the "con,'' who was
tall. lanky, muscular fellow of middle
age. You should have gotten off before
if you did not want to pay
The refractory passenger, however, in
sisted that he was going to get off pretty
soon, and that he would not pay more.
The "con' went on and finished the col
lection, remarking to a passenger in the
front seat that he was afraid Mr.. Mann
WOulu nave ~ Wink DIS 1dT TO TedC0 his
destination as me would have had to do
had he left the car at the city limits.
Turning to the motorn1an he told him to
disregard the bell signal to stop, and then
returned Ito the end platform. Then the
man who had refused to pay rushed back
and asked to be let off. Again the ICON"
asked for his fare and again he was re-
fused. The passenger jerked the bell
rope, but the car didn't STOP Then he
started to crawl over the gates. At that
time the car was speeding along very
swiftly and to have dropped to the ground
would have meant serious injury, If not
death. zsls
The conductor, realizing the danger the
man was in, grabbed him and tried to pull
him back onto the platform. But he
could not, the man threw himself over,
but the ICON" retained his hold and pre-
vented the drunken passenger from fall
ing. The latter, however, was not CRATE
full for the service. He wanted to get off
regardless Of danger, and the interference
of the conductor was resented. The
drunken fellow began to curse the conduc-
tor, and, furthermore, as the "con's''
hands were clasped behind the man head,
holding him against the gates. the man
outside, with both hands free, began to
beat the conductor in the face. and call
him everything he could clay his tongue
to"
The two men thus engaged, the car ran
along several blocks, and finally, when 1t
stopped and the gates opened both men
fell out onto the ground. The conductor
then set upon the drunken man and pum-
meIed him with much energy. and forced
him to make profuge and AFFECT apologies
for what he had said. The crowd on the
car which witnessed the whole affair with
greatly interested and excited, gave a
cheer for the conductor when he stepped
back onto the car after Furnishing the
troublesome fellow.