The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1907-06-26
CUPID ON THE Rail.
But the Jealous TrackWaIker Took
Him for TrainWrecker.
Culprit Was Pounding the Rail With
a Coupling Pin. But He Was only
Sending Message.


Just because Dan Cupid whispered
a new way of sending love messages
in Pennsylvania youths ear dill
gent trackwalker thought he was
near a SO, 900 reward. and the Penn
sylvania Railroad company was about
to rejoice in the capture of the gang
Of criminals which had caused the
wrecking Of SO many trains on that
railroad in the vicinity Of Pittsburg.
But they were quickly disillusioned,
and the wireless courtship is going
on Just the same, and there have
been no train wrecks in that vicinity
either.
It was near the little station of
Cresson that the trackwalker on his
lonely stroll heard a constant tap
ping on the rail, as if someone was
hitting it with a hammer or sledge.
Instantly the thought Of train wreck
ers came to his mind, and he dashed
| for the Cresson station a short dis
tance away; where he breathlessly
told the operator Of his discovery.
! The news was Immediately flashed to
other stations, and, within an hour.
! force of 100 detectives and railroad
men were at the Cresson station
boarding special train that was to
run them down the line.
After going two miles, the track
walker warned them that they. were
near the spot, and the posse left the
special and divided up, part Of the
men making a detour through the
woods on each side of the track in
order to surround the wreckers. They
could hear the sharp, metallic, click,
and they reasoned that someone was
plainly trying to break a rail and
bring about the death Of scores of
passengers aboard the express,
Stealthily they crept through the
woods end up the TRACK Until the
place on the curve where the pound
ing was being done was hemmed ir
; by Gordon of detectives. At the
edge of the woods they peerec
through the brush and saw young
!, man bending over the steel rail anc
hitting it with a coupling pin. The
100 men left the cover at once, ano
the supposed trainwrecker was soor
tied hand and foot, while the detec
tives were congratulating themselve:
on their capture.
At first the man refused to name
any accomplices, but finally acknow
,, lodged that he had one up the track
!. about mile, and then startled nj:
!, captors by declaring that she was {
woman. Here was news indeed. 1
as a woman who had helped in tht
train wrecks. Up the track went tn
entire posse as fast as the member
could run, dragging their prisone
along with them, protesting ant
suffering his ignorance all the way
And they did find the woman
j, pretty Miss Stella Baldwin. She, too
was kneeling beside the track just a
! the young man had been doing. The
! sleuths thought they had made
: capture and pounced down upon the
girl without asking anybody's leave
But they soon began to see tina
possibly they hadn't caught a TRAN
robber after all. Then the pair O
y lovers recovered their wits, and tn
whole thing was soon laid bare: The.
;. !. were sweethearts. Thomas Blanch
y ard and she. They had been usin.
= the rails to signal to each other in {
: lovers code, each one rapping alont
: the steel with coupling-pin and get
= ting the answer up the line from tn
: other. And they weren't robber
after all, but just a country love:
and his lass, who had found way O.
: communicating with each other de
: spite parental objection.