Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1881-10-01
THE TRAIN WREcKERs.
All she Brigsnds or the Cape horn
Fiasco Captured One OF Them
Turns states Evidence and Gives
shs wheis Busisess Alvey.

Se
preliminary examination Of the four men
charged with vreckins and attempting to
rob the Atlantic express train at Cape
Horn Mills, on the night Of August 3lst,
commenced here yesterday in the
Justices Court. Jshn Mason. m OF
the party in giving his testimony as q
witness for the State, made q statement
to the following effect: Stenegal had
Hrst preached the subject Of robbing the
train to him. telling him that there was
Q scheme afoot by which considerable
money could be made. The Sunday fol-
lowing the first interview Stenegal told
the witness that they. Frasier. Shinn
and Rogers. were to take the train at
Gold Run. get on the top Of the baggage
and express cars and rob them. The
plan was subsequently, changed. Wit
ness then detailed the following circum.
stances:
On Tuesday I came down from
Damascus about 10 o'clock. 1 came
down to the cabin about 2 P. NJ, and
when I got there met Stsnsgal. He had
q gun on his shoulder and o In q sack.
He told me that he and Shinn had tools
hid In the bushes. We had provisions
brought to the cabin. enough to last for
three or four days. The tools which We
had were taken from the Aurora black
smith shop, about q mile and Q quarter
from Iowa Hill. There were two picks,
two shsvsls. axes. Q wrench, hatohet,
sisdge, two pair Of gum boots, about
seven or eight pounds Of nails. and also
some giant powder and caps. / did not
see Rogers till the night Of the wreck.
On the night Of August 3lst We started
up for the railroad track. Rogers came
about 8 or 8 o'clock. Rogers locked at
his watch and said II was Q few minutes
Of 8 or 9, I don't remember which. He
had q gun and Q sack which he said con.
giant powder and two bottles OF
whisky, q lantern and O sixshooter.
Think no had tventy.four giant powder
cartridges. He said they were to blow
up the express safe. He then gave de-.
tails Of the manner In which they occu-
pied their time until the train came In
sight, pulling up the rails, drawing the
spikes. and drinking whisky. Said the
witness:
When the train came I got down the
embankment. When the train arrived
We had II arranged who was to 60 to the
different places. Stenesal was to 90 to
the first engine. Rogers to the second,
and Frazier, Shinn and myself were to
20 to the express car and to keep the
passengers from coming out. As soon
as We got to tho car We found II was Q
fruit car. instead Of express or baggage
car. I turned to whore Frazier aud
Sbinn were standing. about opposite the
mail car. They were standing there
both together. doing nothing. l asked
them what they were doing, and II they
were going to do anything. why didn't
they do it. Just ct that time I heard
Stsnseal speak TO the fireman. / turned
around and saw the mail messenger
leaning out Of the window. I told him
to get In and be did 30. Just then Stem.
egal came down. and / asked him where
Rogers was. He said he hadn't seen
him. Frazier then made the remark
that at was too big. Let's Co." We
then started and ran into the bushes.
both fell down. After We got into
the bushes we stopped, and Frazier
wanted to know what We should do
now. He made tho remark that he had
done enough now and We had better 60
home. / hallooed for Rogers. / called
him Dick. that was the name he was 10
70 BY, and We get no answer Stenegal,
Shinn and myself then started up an
old road there was thers. and went
around and came to the railroad above
the cut. We left all our tools there.
were all NAKED when the train
arrived. Frazier and Rogers had their
faces blacksnsa.
After va got up on the railroad track
ve met Rogers. When We met there was
SEINE little dispute % TO who got scared
frat, and as to who ran and who didn't.
The piece Of paper that was found on
the ground was written BY Stenegal and
dictated BY myself. Il was left there to
the officers. We ell went back
to the cabin on the river. except Rogers.
I didn't see him again until Thursday
msrning. about eight or nine o'clock.
stayed there al day and went
away after shutdown. The figures "349"
that were put On the paper have NO sig
nifcancs at al. We cat the handles Of
Of two shovsls and two picks we had at
The cabin. and burned the handles and
threw the rest int the river. The fuse
We threw back Of the house into the
brush. We sold the remaining grub to
Cinnamon. Rogers came down to see
us again on Saturday morning. He
said be had hid his gun between the
door and ceiling Of his room.
The witness stated the confession was
made freely and Voluntarily. 40 hs
thought that BY turning States evidence
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