"The crazy tramp gave his name as Billie Patterson, a circus roustabout, but refused to assign any reason for his murderous assault on the passengers of the car."

The shared good of public transportation reduces costs and pollution and allows for social exchanges among a variety of people, but it also increases certain risks. What if a crazed roustabout with a butcher’s knife is your traveling companion? A report about just such a crazy street car trip from the April 17, 1890 Brooklyn Daily Eagle:

“Chicago–A maniac made a desperate assault with a butcher’s knife on the passengers of a State Street car, near Sixteenth Street, about 1 o’clock this morning. Four men were badly cut, but no one was fatally wounded. The injured are Archie Patno, a saloon keeper, who received a cut six inches long extending from beneath his right ear around under his chin, and an ugly stab in the arm; Henry Patno, whose cheek was laid open to the bone and his upper lip cut off; Thomas Brennan, who was cut across the top of the head, and Ben Sweeney, who received a slight cut on the left forearm.

After a desperate struggle the madman was captured and the knife taken from him. At the station the crazy tramp gave his name as Billie Patterson, a circus roustabout, but refused to assign any reason for his murderous assault on the passengers of the car.

The street car had just crossed Sixteenth Street going north when Patterson jumped on the rear platform. With a howl like a Zulu warrior he drew a large butcher knife and made a lunge at the conductor, who saved himself by jumping from the car. Then the madman dashed into the car, in which were seated fifteen or twenty passengers. With one sweep he laid bare the cheek of Mr. Patno. In an instant every man was on his feet and there was a wild rush for the front door. In their haste to get the door open it was sprung and would only open about a foot. Through this narrow aperture three or four escaped. Meanwhile the maniac was wielding the knife with terrible effect. At length the conductor got his carhook and with a heavy blow on the fellow’s arm sent the knife spinning through a window. Patterson was then seized and the patrol wagon was called. Patterson looked as though he had been on a protracted spree, and it is believed he was suffering from delerium tremens at the time. When locked up at the station house he tore about and howled like a wild beast.”