Evening star., 1908-01-12

had been charged with running down a
man, killing him deliberately and in cold
blood; that on being confronted with the
body of his victim he had become vio-
lently insane, and that during his raw
ings he had dwelt particularly on the fact
that had examined him some years pre-
viously, and begged that l might be COM
municated with.
This, as the doctor was a personal
friend of mine. he did at once, and also
inciosed the testimony of the fireman.
which was given at the inquest. This
briefly was to the effect that he, the fire
man, did not know the engineer, and had
never served with him. That the driver
of his own engine had been taken sud-
denly i'll, and that the station master had
asked the prisoner to take the train, con-
sisting of freight cars and cabose, out
in his place. The station master had eX-
planned that 1t was not a long run, and
that though it was on a branch line, over
which the engineer said that he had never
been, yet that as it was an easy piece of
track on a bright night, and as the fire.
man knew it well and there was no ne
cessity for speed, he thought that there
would be no difficulty in his accomplish
ing it,
THE man consented willingly enough,
and about IL p.m they had pulled out.
y
.It was a particularly bright summer
night, the moon being about full, and for
the first twenty miles or SO nothing had
happened. AS they were rounding curve
however, running at the rate of about fif-
teen miles an hour, the fireman who was
looking out of the cab window, saw the
figure of a man clothed in what seemed
to be an old army overcoat standing at
the end of small bridge. AS the train
drew near the man started to cross the
rails, when the fireman cried out to the
engineer that there was man ahead on
the tracks, and to slow down or he might
kill him. Kill him, damn him. shrieked
the driver. I have killed him hundred
times, but | will kill him SO dead tonight
that he will never walk again
with that, as the fireman expressed it
he opened her up and with a tremendous
burst of speed overlook the man while
he was still on the track. The cow catch
er caught the man and threw him forward
and to one side and the train passed over
him. The stoker swore that had the train
been slowed down, or even kept at Its
original rate of speed, that the Old man
would have had time to cross in safety.
He also testified that soon as they had
rounded the curve, that the prisoner recov-
cred his serenity, that he reduced the rate
of speed and insisted that they were ap-
preaching station. though for a matter
of fact, there was not one within ten miles
of them In answer to the demands of
the fireman to back his engine and to re-
turn to the assistance of the man, he only
laughed and refused
Finally, however. he yielded, and the
engine was reversed and the train was
backed slowly to the scene of the tragedy.
AS they approached the place he asked if
there was little red house with hipped
roof and covered bridge, and showed so
much knowledge of the location that the
fireman was convinced that he had lied
when he said that he had never been
over the road, and that the whole act
deliberate and
house Became visible from the cab window
he stopped the engine and the two men
walked back along the track. They were.
however. outstripped by the train hands
from the rear car, and when they arrived
they found the crew bending over some
thing on the ground. The men gave wayI
as they approached. and when the engi-
neer saw the PROSTATE mangled remains of
a little old man huddled in an old blue |
overcoat, he gave one piercing shrek and ]