Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1907-05-06
WAS 1T MURDER?

ways In the sulks and was. | srppose.
of a surly temper. Before we started
one morning he hardly answered any
remark | addressed to him and seemed
more surly than usual. When the head
guard gave us the signal and Morgan
turned the handle, we moved slowly
and steadily out of the station. When
we got well out into the country. Nor
gan turned to me and said shortly,
"More COAL"
Now. in my opinion, no more coal
was wanted, as there was quite enough
III the fire to keep up the usual speed.
However, as Il stoker | was only an
underlinS and must obey reasonable
orders.
About an hour after leaving Pad
dinSton Morgan stopped suddenly in
the middle of sentence and said.
well, must get to work now Then
he opened the fire box door and called
out TO me, More COAL.
l eXpostulated with him and pointed
out that we were going at Il high rate
of speed and would not need more coal
before Blinton, but this seemed to ex-
cite him terribly. shovel it i'm he
roared, with an oath I'm going to
make her travel
To satisfy him l took up a shovelful
and managed TO upset Il good deal OF
1t before l reached the fire box.
you clumsy fool" he called out.
Here give it to mel" And. snatching
the shovel out of my hands, he cram
med on as much coal as he could get
in.
l was beginning to get alarmed and,
looking out over the we'll known coun
try-for l had travelled that Journey
many time before-saw that we were
much nearer to Blinton than we ought
to be at that hour.
In few minutes our speed increased
enormously, and l calculated we were
travelling at the rate of seventy miles
an hour. l thought 1t was time to re-
monstrate, and, turning to Morgan, |
noticed that the Indicator showed full
fact and begged him to reduce the
speed or we would run into Blnton
without being able to stop.
"Ha, ha"' he cried in reply. "StOpw
I'm never going to stop again. l told
you I'd make her travel. What do YOU
want to stop for? Get on. old wcnch.
get on Then he burst into n hideous
peal of laughter. a cold sweat of alb
solute terror broke out on me rs re-
allied the state of things. Here was Il
raving maniac, a far stronger man than
myself in charge of trainful of peo-
pie, The train rushed on with incrcdi-
bic speed, not steadily and evenly, but
with leaps and bounds that threatened
to cast the engine off the line at every
yard There was no doubt the man
was as mad as man could be and
was also master of the situation |
made one effort to reach the handle by
which the steam is turned off, but the
mailman was too sharp for me. go
you don't" he shouted. He brought
his shovel down with tremendous
blow on the rail at my side just miss
ing my head. 1t was plain I could do
nothing by force Would stratagem be
of any use?
l looked out at the country. Time
was running short. We were not more
than twenty miles from Blnton June
ton, and if we did not stop there the
whole train must inevitably he wreck
ed, and probably not one passenger
would escape uniniurcd and but few
thnir I locI-nJ To ba
train. Outside the windows were hands
cesticulating and frightened, alarmed
faces. At the end of the train the
guard was waving a red flag. Some
thing must be done and by me or we.
should all be inevitably lost. l made
up my mind. l turned to Morgan, with
smile on my face. and | said: "Old
boy. you're quite right. This is a fine
pace, but it amt quite fast enough.
Look here" And I caught him by the
arm and led him to the side Of the en-
CINE next to the double rail. See" |
cried, there is another train coming
up faster than us, and she will pass us.
We must go faster, but let's see first
who is driving her. Lean forward and
look. Can you see?'
The poor maniac stepped outside the
rail and leaned forward to look for the
imaginary train when l gave him IA
sudden push, and he fell III Il heap on
the side rails and was killed on the
spot. With a gasp of relief | sprang
back to the engine and turned off the
steam. 1t was not Il moment too soon.
We were we'll in sight Of Blinton juno
ton before I had the train properly
under control. pulled up at the plat
form all right. and then I tainted.
When I came to, l was lying on II
bench In the waiting room, and the In
spector was standing over me, with his
notebook in his hand, prepared to take
down my statement. What / stated
was that the engine driver had gone
mad and that to save the lives of the
passengers l had knocked him off the
engine just in time to get the train I'M
der control before running into the
station This was corrOborated by the
guard and several passengers, and the
case was brought before the solicitors
Of the company. gave my evidence at
the inquest and heard no more of the
matter until one day the passenger