RAILWAY ADVENTURES AND EXPERIENCES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVIII, Issue 8580, 30 May 1891, Page 2 (Supplement)

RAILWAY ADVENTURES AND EXPERIENCES.

A BRUSH WITH A GANG OF TRAIN ROBBERS. I always knew I served the company in a dangerous capacity, but I bad been .in express messenger for so many years that J thought little or nothing of the risks 1 ran. My route was through a rough' region, too, after I was changed from the Central Pacific to the Southern Pacific road, a region bub half settled and half civilised, where Indians and ruffians were as plentiful as Chinamen in 'Frisco.

i[ My *? run" was a long one through a.new country, where stations were often one hundred miles apart. The miles passed slowly after I had assorted and billed tho express matter; and thb constant roar and rumble of the train cheered me in the day and lulled me to sleep at night, when the, windows were securely fastened, the lamps, lighted, and several rifles and revolvers hung round in case of an emergency. . . • ':■■£■ I travelled as express messenger several years without; being in an accident, or having the train stopped by robbers. % Some of my i, brother , messengers >,; met,: with adventures on noarly every; trip, but for a long time I was unmolested, until I began to disregard the danger altogether. Train robberies had lately -been frequent, and, while I did not expect to be attacked, 1 learned to be on the look-out. I had a sot of signals with the bell-rope to let the trainmen know when , I. was, in danger. Robberies were often accomplished while the trains were in motion, and the express messengers were either bound hand arid foot or killed, the robbers being desperate men, who ; hesitated ;at nothing. Occasionally, however, 1 did \ relax my vigilance, and slept as soundly as at the hotel where I boarded. Finally, my turn came. , , . , . , ,

The train arrived at Tuscon one night nearly an hour late. ;'; There was a great deal of express matter to exchange, and, for fifteen minutes I was kept busy loading and unloading bundles and boxes. v The passengers walked up and down the platform to stretch .their legs the engine's safety valve hummed with .escaping steam, : and the long train, reaching, the ,full'.-length. of the platform, presented a picture of bustle and, activity. ■ :( When the last bundle was,piled away the train started, and I closed the door, locked it, and turned to the boxes .and packages that were scattered about. ; The first thing that attracted my attention was a long pine box. , .

o I had nob noticed it when it was loaded, and thinking ib was a queer \ time for a funeral to start, I. examined the address. It j was ,;consigned.., to • New '-, :. Orleans. -'I entered it in the book, and, for an. hour or more, while sorting over the ; packages, I took no notice of my silent companion.. It was a common; thing to have one or two funerals the whole length of the trip ; and I thought of this as I had thought of others: " Some poor .-fellow who '■;■ left a pleasant home to come hero ■ in search of a fortune,' only to die on the alkali plains without a friend." ~ .

.And after I had pushed the box aside I opened a bundle of newspapers and selected ono 'to. read. It 'was nob very late, and, tilting;ray chair' back ■ beneath a lamp, I was soon interested in the news of the day. How long I.was in that position I do not know, but unconsciously I fell into a slight sleep when I had finished reading the paper. I ' awoke ■ with a feeling 'of' dread and fascination in complete possession of me. I did not move ; I could riot. . Something held me almost breathless, and it was several minutes before I could open my eyes. When I did my heart gave a quick throb. ; :'; ''■;. The to of the tie box was par fcly raised, and the features of a man, shaded, from the dim light, Were revealed, to my acute senses. / Even then, though greatly startled, I did not make a motion, and !my eyes were all but closed. Peering from the corner of one eye, I tried to. make out his features, but saw nothing ' beyond the brutal eyes and half savage mouth. In an instant it flashed across me that he was a train robber. .• He was evidently- waiting to see if I was fast asleep, for he did not move during several minutes, keeping his ■■ eyes fastened :on me with the steadiness of an animal. .V

■ I .breathed. ,\\ ' , - -'.The 'i rifles and revolvers i were on the opposite side of the carl .If I attempted to .get them ho would shoot me before I made two steps. - With mv blood tingling and my ears strained, I waited expectantly for him to move, resolving to waio for a favourable opportunity jto spring on him. Probably there wore dozen more of his associates in the passenger cars, and as soon 'as lie had secured his prize they would bo notified, and the passengers robbed. There', was enough gold and silver in' bricks in my car to make one man independently rich.; The small safe was full of specie,'amounting to one hundred thousand dollars' worth.

;;C With the thought of my responsibility came} si. feeling of resolution. I must do something , without hesitation. The dark eyes glared - at me, but the robber never changed his position. I could read the meaning of their cold ; glitter, and ;I^ must act if I was to save my' life. I pretended to awaken by making two or three movements with my i ! hands, and to my intense relief, the cover of the pine box quickly and quietly dropped ..to '■'■[ its place., Without making any hurried motion I rubbed my eyes, grasped once or twice, and slowly rose to my feet. ■ \" ''Well, well," I said aloud, " I've been asleep." ■;,"■ Then I proceeded to rummage about the car as ;if nothing had happened, but my nerves were not relaxed an instant. Before the train had gone five miles ';farther I had some hails in my pocket. A quick, careless glance showed me a, hole in the side of the box, through which the robber was undoubtedly watching evey movement , I made. .•-,■;■

" -I did nob go near the- revolvers or rifles, It would hare baken but a second for him to have raised tho lid ! and : shot me, and I knew he would do so if I approached them. Instead of that, I carelessly sorted a pile of express matter near the box, with a view to what I was about to do. I was terribly excited, though I tried to appear cool. When I, was ready I threw several heavy packages on the lid, sat down on the box, and hastily hailed down the lid. I heard a noise within, and felt a pressure as my prisoner endeavoured to raise it. But the weight was too great, and I soon had all the nails driven in to hold him fast. Ho was secured, but ; to make sure of him I surrounded the box > with heavy bundles, and piled upon it the heaviest boxes the car contained. -. " ' |i I sat down for a minute to recover myself ; then, taking down a rifle, I cocked it loud enough for him to hear. . "How many more are there aboard the train ?" I asked, placing my mouth to a crack between the boxes.:; ■ In reply I heard a muffled sound, of .which 1 could make nothing, and as all tho holes through which, he might shoot wore covered with gold and silver bars, I put my mouth nearer and asked the question again. I received no reply, and, going to the other end of the car, I quietly opened the door leading to the > platform. The night air rushed in, and the noise of the train came with it, making a din in my ears. We were running at a high rate of speed around the hills that abound in that region. iil stepped to the platform of the next car. It was a smoking-car. The train robbers were already at work. • Two i men, in the forward end, within five feet of me, commanded a view of every passenger with their levelled revolvers, and two more were going down tho aisle for tho valuables. . >•; It was a terrible moment to me. "■'■■-. I felt a keen sympathy for the passengers, whoso terror-stricken faces I could see in the dim lights from the lamps, but I was helpless ; doubtless a similar, scene was being enacted in the other passenger and sleeping-cars. I was hob and cold by turns. • I watched the villains going coolly on with their work until I began to think of my own safety. Charley Slate, a brakesman, ? was ? bound hand and foot to the forward seat; in a few minutes they would finish their daring work and come to my car. «I did not doubt that the fellow I had imprisoned in the pine box was an accomplice, and if they should find the door of the express ear docked, they would break it open to see what had become of him, and kill me if I resisted. This would enable them to take possession of the:';;■ money, bullion, and valuable packages, and escape.-■ I knew ; they would nob kill f anyone if he did nob resist, and within five minutes they would demand an entrance to my car. > ' ' Already the two robbers > had nearly reached the farther end of the smoking-car. ; M yaluab).v property was in my cur I

must save it. "Withouto'any more hesitation I stepped to the platform of my car, grasped the lever that operated the coupling, and, with a quick, strong pull; separated the fcwo draw-heads. 'v-I was not a moment too soon. Before the engine and oxpress-car had shot 200 feet ahead of the train, the door of the smoking-car . opened, and 'the < robbers stepped out.; I heard their cry of rage, saw the flashes of their revolvers, and the bullets struck the woodwork behind me. Hurrying forward, I told the driver what I bad done. :r He heartily approved of my action, and his words reassured me. 1 had taken a desperate course, but I had saved a great deal of valuable property. We hurried on through the darkness and soon reached the next station, from"which the news was telegraphed to the company's offices in San Francisco and Tuscon., The robber in the pine box was then secured, but refused to say a word, and, with a gang of trackmen armed, returned to where we had left' the train. The robbers had departed, taking everything valuable with them, and the passengers hailed us with shouts of joy and sighs of relief.