Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1871-02-23
The ROBBERY ON new YEARS EVE.
The Express Messengers StOry--A
Narrative of Railroad Life.

w hSu III h10IS Uo"O "a Ah
New Years eve permission to re
main with his family at the east
ern end of our route, and not Il
make the tedious forty hour
journey toward the blue waters
of the Pacific, on which / wal
about to start, l had too muct
heart to refuse him. He--Jot
Mel was his name-had a young
bride and a younger babe, and il
was hard to separate them
True, our orders from the compa
nv were that both Of us should
always jointly make the trip, fol
we were carrying large quantities
of greenbacks and national notes
for the payment of the Pacific
railroad contractors /; and of
course there was no lack of rob.
bers who were awaiting every
chance to clean our trunks, and
perhaps clean US poor messengers
out of existence.
Shortly before an express car
had been entered on our line, Bill
Hughes, the messenger, beaten
almost to death, and his valuable
charge taken; and it was to guard
against such future surprises that
a mate had been given me; but
Joe pleaded so hard to stay at
home, and explained to me SO
little plan of his own,
whereby l could make the trip in
safety alone, that l gave in to bis
requests and hastened with him
to set our little plan in motion.
Joe's brother Ned, the engineer,
was to run his engine for the first
one hundred miles of my journey,
and he was to help in the PLAN
You see, Ned was courting a
young sister of Joe's wife, and so
it all being almost in the family,
he was willing to do a great deal
to give Joe his Christmas at home.
First, we went to the railroad su-
perintendent, and got his permis-
sion to take my through express
car out of the train and substitute
therefor grain car. My car was
one of that kind with passenger
outside, and doors in each end be-
sides those at the sides.
This made it easier of attack,
should robbers get on the tram as
the II ultitude of doors required
a stricter guard against surprise,
with an increase of danger.
The grain Car had only the two
side doors, which locked from with
out, but had two little grated win
pows for ventilators, one at each
end, with wooden shutters on the
inside to close them tightly. Ned
was to lock me in, and to hand
the key to the next engineer that
came on, with some privateinstruc-
tion.
Well, at seven o'clock on New
Years eve the train was ready to
start. Our express superinten-
dent was down to see US off, and
noticing the changed car, but sup
posing the other to be out of re.
pair said nothing. He watched
me place the valuable packets l
had received in my safe and iron
chests, and then springlng into
the car warned both Joe and my
self to be very careful, as he bad
news that mischief was intended
before long. Joe was helping me
in the car, SO as to appear before
the superintendent to be GONE
with me. Ned came and locked
us in, Joe first kissing his wife
who was on the platform, good
by, and pretending-lucky fellow
that he was 80 sorry he was 60
ing away at New Years. Al
soon as the door was shut an6
locked, Joe went through that OF
the other side, first thanking mt
again for befriending him, ant
then l heard him lock the othe'
door with the key Ned had sen
to him by his fireman. We wer'
off in a few minutes, and | thel
took time to look around and ar
range my traps to make the trlI
as CON- Portable as possible. Tier
was no receiving or hauling ou
of packages to be done till tn
next morning, wnen the new en-
gineer would open my door. Ne
would leave us about midnight
and till then, when he would loo
in upon NE, 1 might make my
self as happy or as miserable as
chose.
In less than an hour after lea1
ing l had slung a hammock | ha
carried with me, aud had turne
in. The shutter over the.forwar
ventilation my car was next
the engine-I bad closed dow