FIGHT IN A SIGNAL-BOX.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 14691, 27 May 1911, Page 2 (Supplement)

FIGHT IN A SIGNAL-BOX.

NEARLY A DISASTER.

A thrilling account of how a train disaster was narrowly averted was given at Bridgend, when two colliers, named Arthur Thomas and David Ballinger, of Kenfig Hill, were each fined £1 ■ or fourteen days' for trespass, and sent to prison for six weeks for assaulting David Watkins, signalman at Ffos Bank, a lonely spot between Ken fig Hill and Bridgend, on the main' Great Western line from Paddington to Fishguard. , Watkins said at 11.30 the previous night Ballinger came in, asked him for a drink of water, and told him that he had a friend who was dying. He asked who ■the friend was, whereupon Ballinger said it was a joke. He tried to assist Ballinger along the line, a3 he was drunk, but Ballinger turned on him and attacked him. Thomas then appeared on the scene, and Watkins returned to his cabin.

Ballinger followed him np the steps and Watkins hurled him down, entered his cabin, and held the door to. Tho telephone bell was signalling the Neyland goods train going through, and Watkins had to leave the door to go to the telephone. , . Ballinger and Thomas then rushed in and throw him down. He struggled with them for a long time and eventually managed to get to the instrument and return the ring. Both men caught hold of signal-sticks, sand on& -of them took the poker from the fire-grate and commenced beating him ■with it. He was straggling with his assailants for about twenty-five minutes. Ho heard the Neyland goods train coming along, and with great difficulty managed to hang out a danger-signal lamp. Ballinger kicked tho lamp down, afterwards jumping out through the window and running off. The goods train wa3 pulled up near the signal-box, and the driver, noticing the struggle, came and helped Watkins to hold Thomas. Afterwards Watkins and another man chased Ballinger and caught him.