John
R Fisher
Daily Public Ledger, Tuesday, 5 January 1897, page 5
Chattanooga Tenn. Jan 5-While the Southern railway train from Atlanta was entering Rome Ga. at an early hour Monday morning, a passenger, clad only in his night clothes, took a flying leap from the platform of the sleeping coach and lay in an unconscious heap beside the track until picked up by the crew. The man proved to be John R Fisher, assistant city treasurer of Newport Ky.
He had been in Jacksonville Fla. for his health. On getting aboard his actions were remarked to be rather strange, but at daybreak he escaped by climbing over the transom. It is believe his mind was temporarily unbalanced by worry over business matters, although at intervals he talks very intelligently. Friends took him in charge and as he was not dangerously hurt and sent him to Cincinnati Monday night.
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The Evening Bulletin, Maysville Ky. Tuesday, 5 January 1897, page 3
John H Fisher, the assistant city treasurer of Newport Ky. who suddenly departed from that city Saturday, leaving his whereabouts wrapped in mystery for a time, leaped off a moving train near Rome Ga. yesterday morning. He was returning home from Jacksonville Fla. where he went direct from Newport Saturday. He occupied a sleeper and he suddenly rolled from his berth to the platform and leaped to the ground.
The train happened to be moving slowly and Fisher was not badly hurt, otherwise he would likely have been killed. He was brought to this city and is now in the hands of friends here. He is temporarily deranged, as is believed.