Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1903-03-04
A TRAGEDY IN A TUNNEL

doubts. Probably no more than a few
seconds elapsed before l put my hand
to the signal and stopped the train
| was first to get out, and hardly wait.
ing the stoppage 1 clambered along the
footboard and stood upon it, looking
into the carriage.
No one was to be seen within.
Quick, quick!" 1 cried to the guard
when he came up. SIN here. Some
thing has happened. There is a man
sick; fear he has tainted. He wasn't
alone, but l cannot see the other man."
Now the carriage door was opened
and disclosed a body lying recumbent,
inert, in a strangely stiff, haphazard
fashion on the floor. The guard
stopped down, waving his lantern over
the white, drawn face and moving the
body gently ON one side.
"All up with him, l expect. Run,
somebody, along the train and see If
there's a doctor aboard. And you, sir,
what do you know of this?"
1 described what had heard or
though l had heard and seen, including
the glimpse reflected in the tunnel.
"You must have been dreaming or
you're inventing," was the guards
rather abrupt comment. Couldn't
have seen anything like that-'tain't
possible. And how comes it you know
such lot about it? You tell us, too,
there was another man in the carriage
what's become of him? A fine
story"
"Would 1 have given the alarm if
I was implicated in any way?" / an
swered hotly. Don't be a fool,
guard"
TIE guard would have answered me
rudely, no doubt, but at that moment
a doctor appeared upon the scene,
"The man is dead-beyond all ques-
ton dead" he said at the very first
glance.
"And the cause of death?" 1 asked
eagerly, while the guard frowned at
me as though 1 were making myself
too busy. Are there any marks of
foul play?"
"None visible replied the doctor
after q brief examination. II should
say it was heart, but 1 cannot be
certain till l have looked further"
(which you can do somewhere else
and better than here" interposed the
guard. ''We've lost too much time
already. 1 must push on to York and
report there. This is too big a job for
me-"
"You had better go back to Grant
ham," I protested. ITS quite close
not half n dozen miles"
81 don't want you to teach me my
duty, and I'm not going. I've got first
of all 10 keep time. Why should 1 so
backi" ut
ITO identify the dead mamie got
in at Grantham-and to give informa-
ton as to the man nj! n who got gut"
"@Qh, bosh!' cried the guard. ".rhere
was 10 man-no one but yourself, and
you've got to come along with me, and
-that'-he pointed to the corpse-"on
to York"
Il certainly shall not go on with the
train, | shall go back to Grantham
alone. There is no time to be lost.
The other man.
l thought the guard would have
struck me. He was obviously ready
to lay violent hands on me, and he re-
peated that he meant to take me on
to York, if necessary by force.
you've no authority. You're not a
police officer and l am, or as good, for
l am n government official. Here is
| my card. Let there be an end of this.
think you are wrong in going on, but
at any rate | shall walk back TO Grant
ham by the line. BE so good as to
look after my things in the next com.
partment," and with that l alghted
and left the guard rather crestfallen
Within few minutes, walking rap.
| idly, | re-entered the tunnel which had
| been the scene of the strange incident
and in less than half an hour reached
| the station. 1t was dimly lighted, fol
the next express train, the 1906 up
was nearly due, and there were severa,
officials upon the platform.
| l went up to one, an inspector, ant
briefly told him what had happened.
! Dear, dear! OF course l remem
Der. That was Mr.. Erasmus Bateman
He belongs here-a rich man, greatly
respected; has the big stores in Higl
street. He was in a hurry to catcl
that train, for he was going down to
night for the great timber auction a
Hull tomorrow. He buys lot for hi
furniture factory-that Is, he did,
suppose l ought to say. Poor Mr.
Bateman! He was heavy, overfat fo
his age, and he ought not to have rul
so fast"
would he be likely to have mucl
money on him?" l asked.
"Why, yes; likely enough. He wa
his own buyer, and he always bough
for cash"
Here was a motive for foul play.