The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1883-02-01
ATTEMPTED TRAIN ROBBERY.

The Recent Attack by Robbers the
Central Pacific Road in Nevada-Her oic
and Successful Defense of Express Mes
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 mjscarried. On the contrary,
their arrangements for carrying out their bold
scheme we're complete. The great mistake
which they made was in tackling train which
! carried one of the bravest men in the world.
With a less brave and determined man to deal
with the attempt would have proved success
ful, for the attack was vigorous and persistent,
and continued almost without intermission for
three hours, until the badied villains with
drew from the scene, leaving the heroic Ross
wounded but victorious. To him alone is due
! the credit of having saved the express-car and
! the entire train a Tribune correspondent
/ called on Mr.. Ross at his residence and vas
| given the full details of the attack and de-
| fense. He has been in the employ of Wells,
| Fargo & 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 treas sure-COach of the Montana line, he
was held up by a band of road-ag ents, but
| killed several and got away from the rest Of
! the crowd. Tn last attempt has seldom been
! equaled anywhere for the bravery and per-
! sstencyot 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 lOneIiest places on
/ the line of the desert region in Nevada in Il
/ sage-brush desert, the center of section sixty
miles in length, where there is no night tele-
| graph station. 1.-The san Francisco and Ogden
| express trains pass at 1:35 o'clock a. m. AT
| Tecoma, ten miles east of MOnteIIO, we left
/ ToanO, west of MontCllO, on time, our train
| being in charge of Conductor Cassin.
| checked the way-bins received at that sta
ton, laid down, and went to sleep. The next
thing which was aware of was 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 gun at me
and said
Hop out, we are going through YOU
| q jumped back and pulled the door to and
| hooked it. They then went over to the op-
! posite side and said:
"Open up the doors and jump out. We are
! going to rob the train
! 4 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, OF
! we Will burn you out and murder you.
4 then got in position and shot through the
side of the car. Nothing was done for few
minutes, until one of the robbers asked
Amt you going to open up the door and
come out2
81 told them was not coming out. Anoth
er demand was made for me to hop out
| 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 free
! simultaneously from different quarters, al
ranging towards he center of the car. These
hot 6r,rp
one on the hip and one just Lelow the breast
near the watch-pocket. They then got up OF
| the en1 of the car to uncOuple he 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
our train up and went on the side-track, anC
sent two men down the road to meet M
2. When it came up ] heard Conductor Gle
ment ask Cassin: What are you doing here
] want to speak to you The robbers aimee
their guns at Clements head and told him t.
pull out, and he did"
The nearest telegraph station was thirt,
miles. The robbers then compelled the brake
men TO uncoupIe the express, move 1t for
ward. and forced the engineer to run ahea
and back down to wreck the express car
which was attempted three times without sue
cess, the holes in the doors being guarded b.
the stubborn messenger. Several attempts t
burn the car were unsuccessful, owing to tn
scarcity of wood, and, after renewed attempt
to kill him through the doors, they m)unte
their horses and rode away.
The Central Pacific Company as soon as pos
sible, seIH Taber, Sheriff Of ElkO County, witt
twenty men aud horses to MontelIO. The
also sent out posse from Terrace, thirty-fv
miles east of MontallO, and last night Superin
tendent Fell and Sheriff Brown, of Ogden, lef
this city for the scene of the attempted rOt
berry. Wells, Fargo & Co. telegraph tO-nigh
from san Francisco rewards of $500 each an
| the State of Nevada one of $3.50, for the AT
prehensiOn and conviction of the express rot
bcrs. Every effort will be made to captur
/ uroDo