The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1883-02-27
Bold Train Robbers.

Tho attempt to rob the Central Pa
oific train at MontelIo. Nevada, on tho
22d Of January, was ono Of tho boldest
ventures over made and was not fail
ure because the plans of the robbers
miscarrled. On the contrary, there ar
rangemonts for carrying ont their bolt
scheme were completed. The great
mistake whlch they made was in tack
ling train which carried ono OF the
bravcst men Ill tho world. With les ;
brave and determined man to deul with
the attempt would have proved SUCCESS
tul, Tor the attack was vigorous and
persistent and continued almost without
lntermlssion for three hours, until tue
batlled villains withdrew from the sccne,
leaving the heroic Ross wounded, bui
victorious. TO him alone is due the
credit of having saved the express car
and the entire train.
A reporter called on Mr.. Ross at his
residence in Ogden and was given the
full details of tho attack and defense.
he has been i'll the employ of Wells,
Fargo Go. over sixteen years and
this is tho third unsuccessfuI attempt
which has been made to rob tho treasure
under his charge. Eleven years ago,
while holding his shotgun on tho troas-
ure coach of tho Montana Line, he was
hold up by band of road agents, but
killed several and got away from tho
rest of tho crowd This lust attempt
has seldom been equaled nywhere for
the bravery and persistence of tho rob-
bcrs and the stuNbornncss of tho de-
fellse.
Mr.. Ross stated that..the point selec-
ted by the robbers for their operations
was ono the loneliest places on the line
of the desert, tho centre of section
sixty miles i'll length, where there is no
night telegraph station. The San Fran
cisco and Ogden express trains pass at
1.35 o'clock A. M. ut Tecoma, ten miles
| east of Montollo. "Me Left Toano.
west Of Montello, OH time, our train be-
ing i'll charge Of Conductor Cassin.
checked the way-bills received Mt that
station, laid down and went to sleep.
Tho next thing which L was aware Of
was rap on the car door, as if an agent
had called, and, supposing tho tram
was at Tecoma. L got up and looked
out, when man pointed gun at mo
and said
Hop out, wo are going through
you.'
II jumped back and pulled the door
to and hooked it. They then went over
to the opposite side and SAID
"Opcn up the doors and Jump ont.
We are going to rob the train
81 replied : Just wait till L get my
boots on
"Never mind your boots. Hop right
out here and we will get through with
you aHu then } Uu oitu gov your UOUls Un.
Again tho nen outside said "Open
up, or we will burn you out and murder
you
"I then got i'll position and shot
through the sido Of the CIR. Nothing
WIS done Tor q few minutes until one of
the robbers asked.
"Ant you going to open up the door
and come out Z"
q told .!ioi1i I was not coming out.
Another demand was made for me to
hop out. l made no reply to that.
They tiion stutioned one man at each
corner OF the car between me and the
baggage Car, and five shots wero fred
! simultaneously from different quarters,
and ranging towards tho contro of tho
car. These were the shots that struck
mo-one on n finger, ono Oh the hip and
one Just below the breast, near tho
watch pocket. They then got up Oh
tho ond OF the chr to to uncouple the
train, whereupon I fired two shots
through the end of tho car. AT this
timc they heard No. 2, tho west-bound
express tram, coming. They backed
our train up and went on the side track
and sent two men down the road to
meet No. Q. When it cnnlo up heard
| Conductor Clement ask Cassin. 'What
arc you doiug hero ? want to speak to
you.' The robbers aimed their guns
ut Clements head and told him to pull
out, and he did,"
! Tho nearest telegraph station WAS
| thirty miles. The robbers then COM
| PEELED tho brcakmen to uncouplo tho
express, move it forward and forced the
engineer to run ahead and back down
to wreck the express car, which was
attempted three times without SUCCESS,
the holcs in the doors being guarded
by the stubborn messenger. Several
attempts to burn the car wero unsuo-
cesslul. owing to the scarcity Of wood,
and; after removed attempts to kill him
through the doors, they mounted their
horses and rode away.