"FAITHFUL UNTO DEATH."

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXIII, Issue 7800, 20 November 1886, Page 2 (Supplement)

"FAITHFUL UNTO DEATH."

The following story of an American reporter's last despatch is taken from the St. Paul's Pioneer Press. It says:— is not many years ago that Tony B— the attache of a Central lowa paper, now defunct, rode out from a Southern lowa city one fine morning, perched daringly on the brake of a fiat car that was attached to a "wild freight," and loaded with iron rails. He had been in newspaper work for about six years, and was thoroughly capable. To make the story short, 40 miles out from his starting point the "wild freight," with a leap of madness and a terrible crash, went through a bridge, down 60 feet, and Tony sitting on the brake beam. It was over in an instant. When the conductor of the train (the only one uniujured) crawled out of the wreck his eyes first fell on Tony, lying across the side of a dismantled box car — on his chest a heavy rail, his leg crushed—and dying. Beyond him lay a dead brakesman ; the engineer was buried under his machine, and by a large boulder was the firemaii with a broken back. Tony was conscious, and when the conductor reached him he asked for paper and pencil. They were found in his pockets. Unable to write himself, he dictated this, angrily ordering the men who had come up to let him alone:—" 0— E,— Managing Editor Star, lowa, —Tram through bridge at . Was on board and am hurt. Will send full particulars at once. — T. 8." A farmer was secured,' carried it to the nearest station. Then this boy, true to his duty and not flinching before death, Buffering frightful agony, and while willing hands sought in vain to release him from his position, dictated a " special" of 1500 words to his paper. What he suffered no one can ever know. It was with difficulty that he could breathe, and every gasp cost him a wrench of agony. But he held death back down to the last few lines, The killed were—," and so on, ending with the,name of "Tony B—, reporter." As he ended that, his eyes filled with tears, and ho looked up wistfully to the conductor, who had written the telegram for him, and who himself could not keep his tears'back. " Tell my mother," said Tony, " that I did my duty ; and, boys, rush that over the wires for me. It's a scoop*'" It went over the wires all right, and it was a " scoop but before it was printed, Tony was dead.