The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1874-08-11

ROBBERY ON THE CENTRAL PACIFIC.
THE DISHONEST TREATMENT OF IMMIGRANTS
ON THE PACIFIC RAILROAD-How THE
swINDLES ARE PERPETRATED.
The Sen Francisco Call contains the fol-
lowing concerning the robbery of travellers
OIL the Pacific railroad: J. +. Wynne, who
recently arrived in Sacramento from the
East, furnishes the Union with the follow
/ ing narrative of an evil which, instead OF
diminishing, is rapidly increasing: Last
Wednesday night robbery was committed
by some of three card monte thieves whoply
up and down on the Central Pacific railroad
trains between Battle Mountain and
Truekee, and by making public the fact you
may help TO put unwary travellers on their
guard. At the former station three fellows
got aboard, and toward midnight had
succeeded in catching a victim, whom
they got into the smoking car, and
in less time than it takes to write had re-
lieved him of gold watch and all the mon
ey he had, namely, $40. His fin
ger being rather swollen, they failed to get
his ring. The game was thus played: One
fellow, dressed roughly, threw the cards,
another held the stakes, and the third acted
as umpire. Nearly all the passengers were
asleep. and the individual who was thus
swindled, and who was stupid from the
effects of whisky, did not realize his position.
A friend of mine, while passing through the
snoking-car to his sleeping-birth, saw the
whole game, and came to relate the story to
me. / recommended that we look
into the affair, and finding the dupe, we
shook him up. He informed us that he was
on his way to California 10 seek a home and
left his wife and child in New York till he
he had Locked around, and that it Yves only
too true that he had been robbed of all he
had. He said he would ever feel thankful II
the gamblers could be got to deliver up his
watch, which was valued by ieweler on
the cars at $500. / told him to come and
point out TO the conductor the man who had
his watch and money. After the fellow was
identified. informed him that he was break
ing the rules of the railroad company, that
no such games were allowed, and that he
had better
DELIVER UP THE PROPERTY.
The only notice the swindler took of our
demand was to remark that. he would put
daylight through Lie, and accompanied the
remark with a movement toward his coat
and use of the foulest language. told him
he had better deliver up, or perhaps be
might never see daylight again. By this
, time the excitement ran high through the
f train, End all the passengers in the first
class cars were aroused and Joined in dem
onstrations of anger. Several threats oil
{ lynching were made, anc the ladies were
; loudly, demanding the restitution of the
property. | told the conductor it was
/ his duty to get the property
, and pat the fellows off the cars; but his
words were that he could not protect the
! passengers, as he had enough TO look after
) she train, and that he did not want to have
himself shot; that those fellows were hare
, cases, and, as he had to travel up and down
} the line. they might any time lay him out
/ could well understand this, for the men
| were over six feet and large in proportion
and armed, of course. They virtually ruled
r the train that night. and it is evident the
: conductor has hard time to deal with such
( characters, but .he company will have Il
3 do something to protect their trains and
their passengers. Toward morning
when the agiTa was at its
, highest, by some inducement the conductor
: got the watch back. No doubt they found
3 they were getting in too hot place, and
, they took the conductors advice to deliver
4 up, but the money (s35) was retained, The
j original sum was $40, but after pocketine
, the watch and the money they gave him
!, s., that he might buy bread. There can bt
but little sympathy for those who play with
these fellows. when a notice to beware is
Q posted in every carriage, but the victim In
g question was stupidity drunk. That we sue
ceeded in getting the watch back was looked
upon as deceived victory over the villains
The owner fit went to Stockton, where hi
3 probably now is sadder but wiser man,