Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1883-02-14
Bold Train Robbers

The attempt to rob the Central Pa
cific train at Montello. Nevada, ON tn
22d of January, was one of the bodies
ventures ever made and was not fail
ure because the plans of the robber
miscarrled. On the contrary, there ar
rangements for carrying out their Dol,
scheme were completed. The grea
mistake which they made was IN tack
ling train which carried one OF til,
bravest men In the world. With les
brave and determined man to deal Will
the attempt would have proved success
tul, for the attack WAS vigorous anC
persistent and continued almost without
intermission for three hours, until the
batfied villains withdrew from the scene
leaving the heroic Ross wounded, bCt
victorious. To him alone is due the
credit of having saved the express cal
and the entire tram.
A reporter called on Mr.. Ross at his
residence IN Ogden and was given the
full details of the attack and defense.
He has been in the employ of Wells,
Fargo X 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
ure coach of the Montana Line, he was
held up by band OF road agents, but
killed several and got away from the
rest of the crowd. This last attempt
has seldom been equaled anywhere for
the bravery and persistence of the rob
bers and the stubbornness of the de-
fense.
Mr.. Ross stated that the point selec-
ted by the robbers for their operations
was one the loneliest places on the line
of the desert, the centre of section
sixty miles III length, where there Is no
night Telegraph station. The San Fran
cisco and Ogden express trains pass at
1.35 o'clock A. VI. at TecOma, ten miles
east of Montello. "Ne lett Toano,
west of Montello, on time, our tram be-
ing in charge of Conductor Cassin. L
checked the way-bills received at that
station, 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. supposing the tram
was at Iecoma. L got up ana looked
out, when a man pointed a gun at me
and SAID 4:
".Hop out, we are going through
you
81 jumped back and pulled the door
to and hooked IT. They then went over
to the opposite side and SAID /:
open up the doors and Jump out.
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 and then you can get your boots on.
again the men outside said '0peE
up, or We will burn you out and murder
you
II then got in position and shot
through the side of the car. Nothing
was done for few minutes until one Of
the robbers asked.
''Ain't you going to open up the door
and come out p
Il told them / was not coming out.
Another demand was made for me 10
hop ont l 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
from different quarters,
ana ranging towards the centre of the
car. These Were the shots that struck
on a nnger, one on the hip and
one Just below the breast, near the
watch, pocket. They then got up on
hs4a of no f.ar 10 tT. L.
train, whereupon L fired two shots |
through the end of the car. At this
time they heard No. 2, the 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. 2 When 1t came up heard
Conductor Clement ask Cassin. What
are you doiug here 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 was
thirty miles. The robbers then CON-
PEELED the breakmen to uncouple the
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 holes in the doors being guarded
Dy the stubborn messenger. Several
attempts to burn the car were unsuc-
cessIul. owing to the scarcity of wood
and; alter renewed attempts to Kill him
through the doors, they mounted their
lorses and rode away.