TERRORISES A WHOLE TRAIN.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 12609, 25 June 1904, Page 2 (Supplement)

TERRORISES A WHOLE TRAIN.

* i:' 1 ' - LUNATIC'S ESCAPADK. Tot following exciting account comes from ■• •■ .ah American exchange of May 26. It will ,' ibe noticed -that the lunatic was able to jump from a train going at 50 miles an hour and make off for the woods, evidently unhurt. . ■■ H. Middleton, " a machinist employed in Portland, went insane on a Southern Pacific train. One night au.'- until daylight next morning, when he jumped from the rapidlymoving express in order to escape an imaginary foe, he terrorised women and children in the chair car and caused the men passengers to forget sleep. MiddlettoD," who is a neat appearing fellow, . earned* a small grip and got on at .Grant's Pass. He was unable to secure accommodation in a Pullman on cither section of the train, and apologetically took a seat in the chair car. John C. Lockyer, who was seated beside Middleton, was doz-

ing.at the time, but awoke with a start and . sting in the lei;. In Ididdleton's hand was & long, keen-Waded, sharp-pointed knife. %:■-■ '.'i ■'" I have been eyeing you, and believe J can ■ trust you," said he. "A gang of men are | going to 'get on at the next station and are going to murder me. I trust to your honom .as r gentleman to wire an account of my death to my sister, Mrs. E. E. Hunt, of .Tacoma." , .The conductor tried to reason with Mididleton, but he would not give up his knife. [■ ,; The end came at Junction City. The train had just left Junction City and was running 1 at a fifty-mile gait, when Middleton suddenly leaped inti the middle of the aisle, dashed to the othei end of "car'where a window 'was irpen/and before any of the overwrought .'passengers could interfere had leaped from the train, making off toward the woods , p^fe&v~*,~f''''•■•-•'.''■•■■;•'. ■ ' '■ - i' - ' ■■'..