, 1876-09-02
Weekly Puget Sound Dispatch,
RERIAu BROWN, EDITOR.
SATURDAY - SEPT. >. 1876.
Life on he Plains.
From the Omsha Herald, A Us ist ).

A5 about two o'clock yesterday
morning. when the train was at Og-
allala. a passenger goo on board and
took a berth in the sleeper. He dld
not get on board in the full light OF
the station lamps, bat jumped on II
the darkness. after the train had
passed the platform, and Immediate
" got into his berth without remo-
wing any of his clothing except his
boots, and otherwise acted as II he
faareJ that something would catch
him. And something did catch hlm.
sure enough, at the next station.
The fellow was gambler who had
been carving on operations at Og-
allala in way that wouldnot square
with even the gamblers code OF
morals. Ogallala is the great ship
ping point for cattle on the line OF
the Union Pacific, and at times
great many cattle dealers are there.
The chap in question had got to
playing with these fellows, and
beat them out Of $4,000 OR $4,000
and refused to disgorge. He had
succeeded in sneaking out and get
ting on board the train in the man
aer related. and was sneaklng OH
with his big stake. The enraged
cattle men did not propose to sub
nit to the circumstances and lose
their money in that way, so they tel
,egraphed the particulars to some
friends in Alhali, the next station,
who were likewise of the same reso-
lutte stamp of cattle men. When the
train arrived they had possession OF
it. and we're tearing through 1t to
find the man who got on at Ogallala.
They found him innocently pre-
tending to sleep in his berth about
the middle of the Pullman and the
trouble commenced. The fellow re-
fused to leave the car, but the cattle
men assured him if he wouldn't go
they had The tools to take him, and
directed his attention to a mule
standing quietly in the moonlight,
with long rope coiled up on the
saddle. The bell rang to start, and
matters were precipitated by all
parties drawing revolvers and begin
ming to shoot promiscuously. Cur
tains we're torn down, frightened
passengers tumbled out to escape
the whistling bullets, and the ut
most confusion reigned; woman
screamed and everybody was rush
ing out of the car by means OF win
fows as we'll as doors, and soon the
prairie was covered with white robed
forms fitting like ghosts in the
moonlight.
The cattle men finally dragged
out theirvictim, tied him on mule
and started away with him, and the
shepassengers returned to the coach,
whence cries and screams and groans
we're still issuing. One young lady
whose parents were on board was
screaming and declaring that she
was shot in the leg, and medical
attendance was summoned from the
station. The train was held to await
the arrival of knives and probes,
and when he came a professional
examination revealed the fact that
a pin in the lady's stocking was cru
ely sticking her.
There were some bullet holes
through the coach, and several mar
row escapes, but not single pass
enger was hit by the reckless firing.
The fate of the gambler who caus-
ed the trouble could not be learned,
but it is known positively that he
rode back to Ogallala on that mule,
with the rope in sight. The hunks,
curtains and sides of the Pullman
were pretty freely perforated by the
bullets.