The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1919-09-08
BID TANNER DO
 RIGHT ID DIE
 WITH HIS WIFE?
Act of Man Who Left Three Children Raises
 Ethical Discussion.
HIS OLD MOTHER IS
 PROUD OF HIS DEED
Father of Tanner Was Kill ed By Train and So Was
 Stcpfather.

] i1uBDtlTn9 W OOu, llA-s ueClQeQ 10 see what could be seen at a ne!ghborhood
 movie last Tuesday evening. While crossing the railroad track Mrs. Tan ner wedged her foot between the rail and plank, termed in the vernacuIar "a frog."
 Well, of all things" she exclaimed pettishly. I've caught my foot" That was how it started.
 Far away in the surrounding hills and valleys echoed and re-echoed the faint blast of a locomotive, the Chi cago Limited. At first Mrs. Tanner gently attempted to free herself, out her foot was caught in an inextrica- bel wise and only wedged itself more firmly at each effort. Again resound- ed the piercing whistle or the engine, this time not quite so faint. Suddenly both realized that few scant minutes would elapse before the express would thunder across the very spot on which they now stood and feeling of aroused terror ran through their bones. This was an experience.
 Suddenly the smile faded from the wife's lips. Her foot was really ! caught. The husband tugged The
 woman pulled. Softly through the
 
 ing and friction of steel on steel. but ever louder and louder, until the murmuring resembled a roar. While the Chicago express rusho on through the bIackness of the night | at the rate of almost a mile a min 1 Ute, the man struggled against dime | and fate to free his wife from the | grip of steel Amid the hystericaI | shriexs of the woman the locomotive | rushed on and on until a bare spa ice | of yards from the well-nigh crazed i couple, one on the verge of a horrible | fate and the other of witnessing the | death blow of her, nearest and dear 1 est to him.
 1 John Miller, 1agman of the cross | ing. rushed forward at the sound of ] the cries of distress, to lend his hu- man strength against the iron trap, 1 but to no avail Brute strength was i worse than useless, but there was no 1 time to employ science or strategy with the beams of the powerful head l light bearing ever closer until it H. | lunlinated the scene with yellow and fantastic glare.
 The rail ouivering with vibration, | the hiss of approaching steam and | the ear-splitting roar of the long ex-
  | that she was beyond the aid of hu- man hand. Raising herself a little i from the ground, she cried faintly to l her husband, Will, it's too late-save | vo7lrself-the little ones." Then she | fell back. exhausted.
 | Like a brute of prehistoric days the | Limited hurled itself toward the llttLe | group a scant 0 feet away. Crouching down to the trembling girl, Tanner | spread wide his arms and clasped her | close as if trying to shield her from
 what was to follow. I'll stay with
 you. Mary" he murmured with snlil- ing lips.
 For Gods sake. save yourself ' l shouted the fiagman as he gave one | last superhuman tug at the woman s | shoulders But it was too late. The
 mass of steel hit the f1agman, break | ing his right arm and crushing his leg,
 at the same instant picking up the | other two like a bit of chaff to hurl
 them. battered and mutiliated almost i beyond recognition, 50 feet farther l down the track.
 1 Though Miller had barely recover ed consciousness at the hospital some hours later. he was able to tell the
 story of the tragedy as he saw it en- 1 acted Dy Lhe sIue OA 'AlS i woman.
 "It was a little after S:3O." he be- gan. when the Tanners reached the railroad crossing. I had just stopped all the traffic, but it could have pass ed easily but for the fearful thing ! which happened. Mrs. Tanner stepped on the southbound track and i caught her foot. It was edged in be- tween the rail and a sunken board"
 The man tried to pull the foot out l and then he called to me. The cleo tric headlight was shining on us and | the train was from Chicago due in a minute or two. We both pulled until the woman tainted. Then I saw it ] was of no use and cried out to the
 man to save himself. That's about all I know, for I was put to sleep for some little time
 1 Back in the little home owned by the Tanners three tiny children wait ed for the father and mother who would never return. With their little dog. Rab, they sported playfully. And there on the miniature porch sat a
 white-haired grandmother with bowed I shoulders and wrinkled ibrows to whom the bearers of the news of the tragedy related the grewsome story
 with all its horrible details.
 | Once again the mans mother lived again the tragedy of death with the loss of her son. for years ago her first husband met his fate crossing a. track at Mechanicsville, N. '. She married again, but her second husband fared no better than the first, for a speed | ing engine crushed him in Albany.
 In spite of her age and feebleness,
 Mrs. Chatley, the mother of MT. Tan
 ner, bore the shock well and said to
 reporte~ shorty after the accident:
 And now it's my son. I'm glad that
 he chose to die that way. for had he lived he would have certainly gone
 mad. I shall do the best can for the children"
 No sooner did the surrounding neigtbors h 0r of the calamity than
 offers from ell quarters poured in for
 the adoption of the orphans. Clad in | a pink jumper. Helena, the toddling | five-year-o daughter, escorted her
 dolls joyously across the alley to her
 new home, uttering little exclama-
 tions of delight and wondering vague | fy why she never had the pleasure of
 visiting in this fashion. William and