Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1883-02-08
ATTEMPTED TRAIN ROBBERY.


The Recent Attack by Robbers on the
Central Pacific Road in Nevada-Heroic
and Successful Defense of Express Men,
senger Ross.
An Ogden utah. January 23) special to the
Chicago Tribune says:
The attempt to rob the Central Pacific train
| at Montelio, New. at one o'clock yesterday
morning was one of the boldest ventures ever
made, and was not a failure because the plans
| of the robbers miscarried. On the contrary,
their arrangements for carrying out their bold
scheme were complete. The great mistake
which they made was in tackling a train which
carried one of the bravest men in the world.
With less brave and determined man to deal
with the attempt would have proved success
full, for the attack was vigorous and persistent,
and continued almost without intermisson for
three hours, until the baff1ed villains with
drew from the scene, leaving the heroic Ross
wounded but victorious. To him alone is due
the credit of having saved the expression and
the entire train, A Tribune correspondent
called on Mr.. Ross at his residence and Eas
given the full details of the attack and de-
Tense. He has been in the employ of Wells,
Fargo s. Co. over sixteen years, and this is the
third unsuccessful attempt which has been
made to rob the treasure under his charge.
Eleven years ago, while holding his shotgun
on the treasure-coach of the Montana line he
was held up by a band of road-a9 ents, but
killed several and got away from the rest of
the crowd. This last attempt has seldom been
equaled anywhere for the bravery and per-
sistency OF the robbers and the stubbornness
of the defense.
Mr. Ross stated to your representative that
the point selected by the robbers for their
operations was one of the loneliest places on
the line of the desert region in Nevada, in
sage-brush desert, the center of u section sixty
villa iY,lo ,,cth how IS tol,
graph station. ''The San Francisco and Ogden
express trains pass at Las O clock a. m. AT
Tecoma ten miles east of Monticello, left
Toano, west of Monticello, time, our train
being in charge of Conductor Cassin. 1
checked the way-bills received at that sta
ton, laid down. and went to sleep. The next
thing which was aware of was q rap on the
car-doOr, as if an agent had called, and sup
posing the train was at Tecoma got up and
looked out. when a man pointed a gun at me
and said
Hop out, we are going through YOU
II jumped back and pulled the door to and
hooked it. They then went over to the OPP
posite side and said:
"'Open up the doors and jump out. We are
going to rob the train.
II replied: just wait till get my boots on
Never mind your boots. Hop right out
here. and we will get through with you, and,
then you can get your boots on
Again the men outside said: open up, or
we will burn you out and murder you
Il then got in position and shot through the
side of the car. Nothing done for few
minutes, until one Of the robbers asked:
"'Ain't you going to open up the door and
come out?
81 told them was coming out. Anoth-
demand was made for me to hop OUT I
made no reply to that They then stationed
one man at each corner of the car, between me
and the baggage-car and five shots were fired
simultaneously from different quarters, all
ranging towards the center of the These
were the shots that struck income on finger,
one on the hip, and one just below the breast,
near the watch-pocket. They then got up on
the end of the car to uncouple the train, where
upon fired two shots through the end of the
car. AT this time they heard No. ,, the west
bound express-train. coming. They backed
OR train up and went on the sde-trlcl1A and
sent two men down the road to meet No
2. When it came up l heard Conductor Gle |
mcnt ask Cassin: What are you doing here? |
7 want to speak to you The robbers aimed
their guns at Clements head and told him to !
pull out, and he did,
The nearest telegraph station thirty |
miles. The robbers then compelled the brake |
men to uncouple the express, move 1t for |
ward. and forced the engineer to run ahead |
and back down to wreck the express car !
winch was attempted three tunes without sue |
cess the holes in the doors being guarded by |
the stubborn messenger. Several attempts to |
burn the car We're unsuccessful. owing to the |
scarcity of wood. and, after renewed attempts |
to kill him through the doors, they mounted |
their horses and rode away.
The Central Pacific Company as soon as pos |
sibe, sent Taber, Sheriff of EIko County. with |
twenty men and horses to Monticello. They |
also sent out posse from Terrace, thirty-tive |
miles east OF Montello, and last night Superin- |
tendent Fell and Sheriff Brown, of Ogden, left !
this city for the scene OF the attempted rob- !
berry. Wells Fargo 6 Co. telegraph tonight |
from San Francisco rewards of $500 each and |
the State of Nevada one of $3.50, for the APP
prehension and conviction of the express rob-
bers. Every effort will be made to capture |
the gang.