Rensselaer Republican, Volume 25, Number 21, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 January 1893 — WALKED OFF THE TRAIN. [ARTICLE]

WALKED OFF THE TRAIN.

Terrible Experience That Befell Yoon? L. W. Ilenkle. L. W. Henkle and his two sons, 11, and L. W.. Jr., whose departure for California two weeks ago to-day, was mentioned last week, met with a very distressing experience, at the outset of their journey; the facts of which we learn from a very graphic and well written account from the Stafford, Kansas, Republican .. On Friday night while near a wtfy station in Kansas named ..Partridge, Mr . Henkle noticed his youngest son leave his seat and walk forward in the ear. The car was cold and Mr. Heiikle thought the boy had merely gone

to the stove to warm; but he went there himself soon after, but his son was not there, and a search of the train failed to find him in any of the cars. A passenger had noticed the young man walk hurriedlyoutoftlie car, bare-headed, and it was concluded that he had walked off the car, in his sleep, while the train was running at full speed. Mr. Henkle and his other son stopped off at Stafford, where telegrams were sent back to Hutchinson, one of tbe prihcipal points of the road, and a search engine was sent out from there, to look for the lost boy. At Stafford, at midnight, word was sent among the oddfellows of Mr. Henkle’s great distress and many of the brethren at once repaired to the depot to offer him their sympathy and assistance. As the Kansas paper, truly says, “It was a long and weary night to the father -and brother. The younger son might be ground to pieces under the wheels of the flying tram, or he might be badly wounded and lying out on the prairie alone, dying from exposure and they powerless to assist him. ’ ’ The searching engine reached Stafford after 5 o’clock Saturday morning. It had powerful lights, front and rear, and had run very slowly and the men bad scanned every foot of the way, for 30 feet on each side of the track but had seen nothing of the missing boy. Mr. Henkle and his son took the first train back to Partridge, some 20 miles back, and on alighting the first person they saw was the lost boy, walking- nfuthe-street towards the business portion of the town. He had walked off the train when asleep. He had probably been stunned by the fall and when he came to, the train was not in sight. Alone on the bleak prairie he knew not which way he had been going but his first thought was to reach a telegraph office, to communicate with his father. He was much bruised up, his head and face scratched and his back hurt some, but no bones were broken. He walked to Abbyville, a way station, but found no operator. Then fearing he was going in the wrong direction, he walked back to Partridge, 6 or 7 miles, but also feund no operator there. Finding that he could do noiliing until morning, he walked out a short distance, found a straw stack and slept under the straw until morning", then went hack" to Partridge and was looking for a store to buy a hat when his relatives found him. His escape from death, or serious injury was indeed mkrvelous. Mr. Henkle and his sons resumed their journey westward oh the next through train.