NOVEL RIDE ON A TRAIN.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXV, Issue 14, 15 January 1913, Page 5

NOVEL RIDE ON A TRAIN.

An American seaman, Joseph Wade, who arrived in Sydney about a fortnight ago, where he says he put in a few days’ work in connection with a picture show, lauded in Maitland in novel, circumstances. Word was received by the railway officials kt Newcastle that it was believed there was a man on top of one of the carriages of the second division of the Brisbane mail, and Constable Williams took up a position on the overhead bridge at Church-street station, from where he had no difficulty in establishing the correctness of the report. The man was stretched out on the roof on his stomach. He was promptly brought down from his perilous position and was bleeding profusely from wounds just above his forehead, caused the stranger stated, by contact with an overhead bridge. He stated that he sat up to see where he was, when his bead blumped the bridge. The wonder is that he was not dashed to death. At the police court, where he was fined for travelling on the top of a carriage from Newcastle to Maitland, the stranger stated that after being paid in Sydney on Saturday he thought he would take a trip into the country. He indulged in a couple of glasses of beer at Newcastle, and he did not know how be got on top of the carriage, although he stated he only rode in this novel and perilous manner from Newcastle. It is believed that he was on top of the carriage before Newcastle was reached, as some passengers stated they heard a peculiar noise from overhead. In the possession of the American was found a declaration signed in Geneva, New York, to the effect that he would ride no more trains unless he had the fare to pay therefor.