Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1908-03-14
a Would Be
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A railroad conductors life is hard
enough anyway, but when it comes to
making policeman of himself, in put
ting off unruly passengers or those
who won't pay, it's the meanest job in
the world. But when a conductor finds
that in putting a man off the train he's
been making a fool of himself it's
meaner than the meanest job in the
world. Besides, there are robberies in
which any one of the train force is liza
BILE to get a bullet through him.
I'd narrowly escaped death when
my train was robbed back in the nine
ties and on my next trip was nightly
disgruntled when on asking seedy
looking man for his ticket ne offered
me dirty old pasteboard that hadn't
been good for a year. l told him 1t
wouldn't do and asked him to pay his
fare. At first he said he hadn't any
money, but presently felt in his peck
cts and drew out some loose change,
Just enough to take him to way sta
ton about half the distance he wanted
to go. OF course was obliged to car
ry him as far as he could pay, but l
expected to have trouble with him
sooner or later, and L did. AS we
neared the station to which he had
paid his way said to him:
81 want to know if you're going to
pay for the rest of your ride. If you're
not, want you to get off here. won't
put you off in a wilderness. l prefer
to do so at a station"
"The ticket l showed you is good"
he said, land you've no right to re-
fuse it. I'm going to stay aboard this
train"
and as soon as we stopped | tackled
him. He didn't resist till got him on
to the car platform. where half dozen
countrymen at the station could see us,
but then he put up strong fight. He
held on to the rail with one hand and
pummeled me with the other. 1t oc-
Cured to me that he was aiming to
ing on and If / didn't want their in
reference I'd better do my work pretty
quick. l made two or three terrific
jerks and got him down on to the
lower step of the car, and then he got
q new grip, and had hard tuSsle to
get him any farther. When l finally
flung him on to the station platform
Tvoc ChrO6C
my cap YVES knocked down over my
eyes and my nose was bleeding.
By this time the onlookers began to
take notice of what was going on.
They were most of them bad look
Ing lot Indeed, it was suspected that
the town had harbored the men who
had robbed my train. 1t was plain
that they sympathized with the man
who wouldn't pay his fare and were
about to make combined rush for me
when / pulled the rope and the train
started on. l looked back to see my
passenger angrily pointing to me as
if exciting them to avenge him.
On my return trip, preferring not to
have any more scram bles, as we pass
ed the station where l had had the
trouble kept dark, for fully expect
ed that my deadbeat would be there
with supports to give me thrashing.
I was disappointed, however, for there
was no one at the station except the
agent and a passenger or two to board
the train. questioned them about my
man, and they said the townspeOple
ho6 hafr cd hot 10
there and showed no signs Of leaving.
In a few days 1 was surprised to get
a note from the superintendent ex-
pressing regret at the trouble l had
had and inclosing a check as compen-
sation. 1 had made no report Of the
matter and was at loss to know who
had told him Of it.
When several of the men who had
robbed my train were arrested some
five or six weeks later my episode with
the deadhead had pretty much passed
out Of my mind, though by no means
out of my remembrance. It turned
out that, as suspected, the robbers had
been harbored in the town where / had
put him off and that several Of them
lived there. These were the ones ar
rested. They woke up one fine morn
ing, having slept the night in fancied
security, to be taken in custody by a
police force sent out by special train
that arrived at dawn. Their arrest led
to the arrest of others, and a great deal
Of the plumber they had taken was re-
covered.
One day I was in the general offices
of the company attending to some bust
ness connected with my duties when
the door of the general managers pri-
vate Office opened and a man came out
whose face was familiar to me. He
was well dressed and presented alto
gether an appearance Of prosperity.
Seeing me. he walked up to me with
outstretched hand and a peculiar smile
on his face.
'T can't place you," said, looking at
him inquiringly.
Cant you? You ought to remember