Railway Carriage Mysteries.

Hastings Standard, Issue 240, 6 February 1897, Page 4

Railway Carriage Mysteries.

A GLANCE AT THE PAST. The assault ou a lady's maid cn the Brighton Railway a few weeks ago has led the Board to address a letter to the Railway Companies' Association, calling attention to the desirability of something being done to prevent such outrages, and asking for information as to the latest experiments iu improving communication between passengers and guards. This was not before it was needed. A glance at the past shows that these outrages have been a great deal more common than they ought to be. But a few years ago, and all England stood aghast at the narration of the cottager who, standing by the side of the Brighton Railway as twilight gathered on the evening of June 20, 1881, observed the swiftly - passing train, the glowing lights in the carriages, the shadowy forms of two men —the one lighting for life, the other for money. The train passed on into the long tunnel, the victim was soon upon the footboard, clutching at his assassin, who hurled him on the six foot way beneath. Lefroy perhaps was prompted to his methods by the example of Franz Muller, executed in November, 1884. This rascal, a German tailor, followed his victim into a carriage ou the North London Railway, and then murdered him, going so far as to cut the poor fellow's fingers off for the sake of quickly appropriating the rings. He escaped to New York, but the police learned of his departure, and when he had heen afloat for a few days they took passage on a more speedy boat, and landed in time to arrest him. An awful tragedy was told in the tale of the young traveller who was asked at a terminus to take care of a boy then sleeping in the corner of the compartment, with a handkerchief over his face. The old gentleman who made the request was politeness and courtesy itself, saying that the lad was an invalid and very delicate, on which account he had persuaded him to get as much sleep en route as possible. The young traveller willingly undertook the charge, but some while after they had left the terminus, he forgot the station at which he was to see the boy out of the train. Bo he tried to awaken him, taking the handkerchief off his face for that purpose. The sleeper seemed to slumber very soundly, repeated shakes and prods had no effect, and for a very good reason —the lad was dead. He had been robbed by the benevolent old gentleman, who had subsequently poisoned him in a public-house. A case of drugging occurred on the Gare du Nord Railway of France some years ago, when the robber acted with great wariness. He followed his victim into the train, and stimulated sleep, throwing a handkerchief, over his face, and occupying the whole of ones side of the compartment. Ilis fellow-passenger did likewise, but the moment he was asleep the rogue opposite placed a handkerchief under his nose, and quietly watched him inhalethe chloroform. In a few minutes the man was entirely under its influence, when the thief relieved him of the jewels he was carrying, getting out at the next station. On arriving at the terminus the robbed man was conveyed to the hospital, where he lay for a while insensible, and when he awoke he remembered nothing for many hours. Terrible, too, was the experience of the young French lady who fled from the, capital because a jealous sweetheart threatened her life. She took the night express to London, and by feeing the guard had a compartment to herself. The express left Paris, darkness being set in, and in the security of solitude the poor creature for the first time felt sai'e. Alas ! as they scudded past Cliantilly, and left the brightness of the station for the wild blackness without, she heard a noise against the window, and looking, observed the eyes of a man peering at her. The assassin sprang into the carriage and shot her downfliappily not wounding her mortally, for she recovered consciousness on being taken

from the train at Amiens ; while her discarded lover was found dead on the line by platelayers, he having jumped from the carriage after the perpetration of the deed. A lighter experience is related by an Englishman coining over from Paris at the time of the last revolution when passports were rigorously examined at the frontiers, and political refugees were hourly captured at the stations by the police. The Englishman found himself alone in the compartment with a young lady who was heavily veiled. After a while the young lady commenced to talk, making the strange request to her fellow-passenger that she might converse with him during the whole of the journey to London. He assented, being a gallant young man, though not understanding the reason for the request. As the train approached Calais and the time drew near for the production of passports, the young man noticed that the young lady came very close to him. Then the voices of the guards were heard demanding the permit ; and one official approached the carriage and laid his bauds upon the door. At that moment the young lady put her arms round the waist of her fellow-passenger and gave him an affectionate embrace. The guard was profuse in his apologies for disturbing the young couple and the Englishman was equally profused in his absolute astonishment at the conduct of the lady. When the guard had left, however, she raised her veil and explained all; for be it known that she was a young man—apolitical refugee without a passport, and by the pretence of being the wife of the Englishman had escaped the police.