The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1908-04-27
A HEROIC KNITTER.
No Yarns of Danger Could Deter This
Placid Old Lady.

EIoSiO viz Lazy
Coming up from Washington t. New
York one day, a woman was seen to
make herself comfortable IN one Of the
big chairs In the parlor car. and when
the train was we'll under way she pro-
ceeded to take out some pretty silk
knitting work. which would seem an
ideal occupation for a journey Of
few hours, as it involves no eye strain
and gives one a joyous sense OF time
we'll spent But she had accomplished
only a few rows when the porter
walked through the car. He looked at
the woman knitting, paused. hesitated
a moment as if he wanted to say some
thing, then changed his mind and went
on.
But in a few minutes he returned
with the conductor. who walked direct
ly to the chair Of the busy one and
without the least hesitation said:
BEG pardon, madam, but that, you
know, Is against the rules"
Il don't understand. What Is 1t
that's against the rules?"
"Knitting," replied the conductor
briefly,
She laughed. then looked apprehen-
sive and uncertain as TO the next move
of this seemingly harmless lunatic who
presumed to tell her that knitting was
against the rules. But she decided to
humOr him.
But why knitting?" she asked. II
am allowed to read | believe and to
play solitaire. Why this restriction on
knitting?"
The conductor spoke again.
"Perhaps I should not have said It
was against the rules he said. That
was putting it too strongly. But we
never allow a passenger to knit with
out a warning. Have you ever thought
how dangerous those steel knitting nee
dies would he In case Of an accident"
The woman meditated. This man
| was possibly not as mad as he seemed.
"Isn't it rather farfetched" she
asked "Accidents-serious ones-don'
happen very often, and if one should q
little matter of a knitting needle or so
wouldn't make much difference. I
. should think"
The entire car was listening now,
and the conductor told Of a wrecked
/ l
had been taken. There was no appar'
ent cause for her death. She had been
taken out Of mass of wreckage
which had formed a sort OF roof over
her, leaving her little or no space in
| which to move, but quite safe from
everything but the possibility Of fire
which had. however. been averted
| The surgeons had been at loss to &C
| count for her death till one Of them
| discovered that she had been stabbed
| through the heart by a sharp steel knit
ting needle out of the work which was
still in her hands.
There was another case. too con
tinued the conductor. In one Of my
trains several years ago there was c
passenger who insisted on knitting
after | had warned her and I Wen
away. An hour or so afterward the
car gave sudden lurch. That woman
happened to be stopping over her worl
to pick up a stitch or something, Sh'
said later. and in some way or othe
one of her knitting needles pierced he
eve She never recovered the sight o
it"
The passengers all wondered wha
the woman with the knitting needl
would do. They thought she woul'
stop. But she didn't. She only sighed.
well Eve got to finish this 70
Johns Observation-Disclosures I CUES
I'll take the risk" and placidly took u
her knitting.
. And the conductor walked away
looking volumes that might have bee
, condensed into ono sentence, "Wouldn'
, that jar vou?" and disappeared.
And nothing whatever Happened
, New York Times.