Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1905-04-29
A NOTORIOUS
TRAIN CREW.

Railroading 20 years ago was not car
ried on with the clocklike methods that
characterize the big systems Of to-day.
| At that time there were scores OF little
roads. owned by small companies that
have since been with the big systems. In
those days the employees OF the rail
| we're often allowed many liberties. En-
ginemen and experienced crews were
scarce, and many had shortcomings
that were indulgently overlooked by
their employers.
Sobriety then was not one of the re-
| quirements Of the man who handled an
engine or had charge of a train. Run
ming on schedule time, especially by
local freights, was not required. Pro-
vided the train got through to Its des-
tination and delivered its freight at the
way stations few questions were asked
The crew OF freight train on the
Paris & Danville railroad small line
In eastern Illinois that is now part OF
the Big -Four system, was operated by
q crew that for drunkenness and deeds
of daring was notorious. There was
nothing they would hesitate to do. from
stealing a city Jail to making record
run in violation of orders.
Frank l.. Champion. of the Antlers ho-
tel of this city. was brakeman on this
| freight until finally the company dis
charged the whole crew
Champion was in reminiscent mood
the other evening and entertained q
party of his friends with stories of the
doings of the old Danville and Paris
freight crew.
] "One night In Paris, Ill.," remarked
Champion, several of the trainmen be-
came intoxicated-tha is to say, they
got little drunken than usual--and
created such disturbance that the
town constable arrested the engineer
and locked him in the jail.
1.-THE calaboose was wooden struc-
ture IL by IL, constructed Of / by 6
boards laid fiatwise. The jail was sit
uated about so feet from the tracks of an
other railroad line that paralleled the
Paris g. Danville The conductor and
the crew wanted their engine driver, and
they resolved to get him. But the walls
!, of the prison were thick and the door
was strong So, In the small. still
hours OF the morning the freight
steamed In on the rival tracks with
wrecking crane. A cable was placed
| round the prison house and 1t was
| dragged to within reach of the crane and
quietly loaded on fiat car The engi-
neer and two other prisoners were lib
Grated and then the little Jail was car
ried about ten miles down the line and
| dumped In stream.
THE people of Paris were at loss to
account for the disappearance OF their
| Jail and they were still more puzzled
when 1t was found In river ten miles
away"
How the Paris & Danville crew kept
out of reach of the officers of the law for
more than q week was another OF Mr..
Champions amusing stories.
"One morning. continued Champion,
looking of into space as he again pic
tured the scene, 1.-The crew stopped for
20 minutes at little wayside station for
breakfast. AS usual, the bunch had been
drinking, and when big negro sat
down at the engineers table there was
trouble.
what do you mean by coming to my
table?' demanded the engine man, glar-
ing at the intruder.
"'Guess All pays TO- what All gets,
coolly replied the colored man, an Abs
free man.
with that the engineer rose up and
struck at the negro and was promptly
knocked down. Then one OF the brake
men fioored the darby with a poker.
We didn't wafr to finish our breakfast
then, but bolted for the train and pulled
out before the officers got there.
For a whole week we managed to
evade the sheriff and the constable at
the place where the fight took place.
| When the engineer reached the out
skirts OF the town he would send up a
blast from the whistle, throw the throt-
| tie wide open and thunder through the
place. A mile below town, just over the
county line, were the yards of another
railroad. II we had any freight for
the station where the fight took place
1t would be switched OF there and the
yard men would take 1t back for us.
The sheriff waited In vain for the
train to stop inside the county and
finally gave UP the attempt. One day
stranger boarded the train at the first
station above the place, and, walking up
to the conductor remarked:
Elm the sheriff Of the next county
and / guess you had better stop to-day
And we did. Seattle Post Intelligencer.
MATCHED I'M POLAR WINTER