The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1908-01-18
"A Would Be
Deodbe0d.
toriginai.l

| enough anyway, out Wnen IL comes 10
| 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 conductor finds
| that in putting q man off the train he's
been making q 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
bic 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 a seedy
looking man for his ticket he offered
me dirty old pasteboard that hadn't
| been good for 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 pock-
cts and drew out some loose change,
| just enough to take him to way sta
| tion about half the distance he wanted
to CO. or course was obliged to car
ry him as far as he could pay, but
expected to have trouble with him
| sooner or later, and l did. AS We
neared the station to which he had
paid his way l said to him:
81 want to know IL 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 u wilderness. prefer
to do so at a station"
"The ticket l showed you is good"
he said, "and you've no right to re-
fuse it. I'm going to stay aboard this
train"
We were slowing up for the station,
and as soon as we stopped l tackled
him. He didn't resist till got him on
to the car platform. where half a 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
excite the sympathy of the men look
ing on and il didn't want their in
reference I'd better do my work pretty
quick. made two or three terrific
jerks and got him down on to the
lower step Of the car, and then he got
new grip, and l had q hard tussle to
get him any farther. When l finally
flung him on to the station platform
my uniform coat was torn to shreds,
my cap was 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 a bad look
ing lot. Indeed, it was suspected that
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. / 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 scrambles, as we pass
ed the station where / had had the
trouble / kept dark, for fully expect
ed that my deadbeat would be there
with supports to give Inc thrashing.
l was disappointed. however, for there
was no one at the station except the
agent and a passenger or two to board
the train. l questioned them about my
man, and they said the townspeople
had befriended him. that he was still
there and showed no signs Of leaving.
In few days was surprised to get
note from the superintendent eX-
pressing regret at the trouble l had
had and inclosing check as compen-
sation. l 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. 1t turned
out that, as suspected, the robbers had
been harbored in the town where had
put him of 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
police force sent out by special train
that arrived at dawn. Their arrest led
to the arrest of others, and great deal
of the plunder they had taken was re-
covered.
One day 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-
yate office opened and man came out
whose face was familiar to me. He
was well dressed and presented alto
gcther an appearance of prosperity.
Seeing me, he walked up to me with
outstretched hand and "a peculiar smile
on his face.
II can't place you," said, looking at
him inIuiringly.
Cant you? You ought to remember
me. You put me of your train one day
for not paying my fare"
Gradually 1t came to me that he was
the seedy deadhead. My Impressions
of him as he was In his good clothe,
slowly faded into what he was when
\ mt him Off Than ha Dava mo an av