SENSATION ON FOXTON LINE

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 365, 16 April 1910, Page 5

SENSATION ON FOXTON LINE

RAILWAY FOREMAN SHOT AT,

A NAIIOW ESCAPE.

Palmerston North, April 14.

A sensational a flair occurred on the railway line between here and l'oxton last night. When the train which left .here at G. 5 p.m. for Foxton was' between Matuiti aiul Himitangi, at a pwee about three miles from Foxton, the fireman, Harry West, who was looking out of the back window of the engine (which was travelling blinker first) saw a man ' standing almost on the rails. The man was holding up both hands with his arms well extended above His head, apparently desiring to stop the train. When West caught sight of him the train was' not far away, and the fellow, evidently seeing that there was no chance of the train stopping whipped forward a revolver and tired at the face at the window. When West saw the revolver he darted his head to one side for safety, but the man aimed quickly, and just' as the fireman moved aside the man fired the revolver. i

The bullet went dangerously near entering the window. It struck the foremost part of the engine with a very audible thud a few inches off the outer side and on a level with the second bar. The. niis-'ilo flattened, and some of it was this morning still stuck to the plate of the big Fairlie. The .paint on the plating was smacked ofl' all round, leaving the, metal exposed. West's short view of the villain-, whoever he may ho, was enough for Him to supply a few particulars. He was a tall s'lini man, and wore a white kerchief round his neck. He was dressed in dark clothes. Tt is not definite whether the.man was fair or dark, and it is not certain if he wore headgear or was bareheaded. The train was not stopped. The driver and the fireman were much startled.

The driver of the engine was Fred Cox.

Tt is believed that the police at Foxton at first, put the occurrence down (n some bovs who were out rabbiting with j-'hot guns. bilt. 'anyone can see by the mark on the engine that it was a bullet, not pellets from a slkot gun, which struck the engine. It is felt that the man's intention was to stop the train and "go tlirougV' it. The train was conveying peopl# from the Palmerstoii races, and the person might have thought he would make a good haul if ho held up some of the snorting people. Ilowever, it s'oems unlikMy that a man would at | temnt that single-handed.—Special to Wellington Times.