AN IRISHMAN'S FREAK.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 221, 11 September 1908, Page 4

AN IRISHMAN'S FREAK.

KAN OKI? WITH RAILWAY ENUINE, Aa extraordinary story was told in the Dublin Polite Court on June 21) of a man running oil' with a railway engine. At the Broudstone (Dublin) terminus of the Midland Great Western of Ireland an engine was standing at the station with fires up ready to go out. Suddenly it was seen to leave the station and proceed at a moderate rale of speed. There was a train due from North Wall at a quarter to nine, and it would pass till rough Liffey Junction, where the lines eonverge. The engine, having passed tiro signal stopped just sale 01 tne converging point. If it had not stopped there, it would have obstructed the incoming goods train. The station master at Lifl'ey Junction stated that ha saw tile engine passing the down signal, which stood at danger. He noticed the mail who v:as driving it, and shouted at him from'the signal box, and he stopped within 20yds of t'hc converging point of the lines. There was a train due about that time. Witness asked the man where was Uhe second man who should be on the footplate, and lie replied that his fireman got drunk at Broads tone. Witness

said: "You must lie a queer fellow to lake an engine from BVoadstone without any responsibility and without any second man." Witness never saw hint before, and did not know him to be either a driver or a fireman at any time. He asked the man his name, ami he replied : "Driver Murphy, from Mullinjiar."—(Laugllitev.) lie appeared (o be sober, but was a little confused, and might have had a couple of drinks. Witness saw him try to work the injector, but unfortunately it •stuck. Witness 'was anxious about the safety of the boilers, and asked him lwd he enough water in the engine, and lie said "Yes," and witness found that was correct. Witness was afraid the boiler would burst. A man named Henry Molloy was charged with Saving endangered the safety of persons in or upon the railway, and with having caused an obstruction. He was arrested in the vicinity, of the railway terminus, and was identified by the Liffcy Junction stationmaster ns the man who drove the engine. The accused said: "I was not there at nil. 1 was two miles away from Liffcy Junction at the time." Tie was sent for trial.