Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1883-02-01
ATTEMPTED TRAM ROBBERY.

The Recent Attack by Robbers on the
Central Pacific Road in Nevada-HerOic
and Successful Defense of Express Mes
senger Ross.
An Ogden utah. January S9 special to the
Chicago Tribune says:
The attempt to rob the Central Pacific train
at Montello, New. Mt one O'Clock yesterday
morning was one of the boldest ventures ever
made, and was not failure because the plans
of the robbers miscarried- On tho contrary,
their arrangements for carrying out their. bold
scheme were complete. The great mistake
which they madewass "a t1gkling q 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
full, for the attack was vigorous and persistent,
and continued almost without intermission for
three hours, until the bafled 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-
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-ag 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 a
sage-brush desert, the center of a section sixty
miles in length, where there is no night tele-
4.
express trains pass at 1:35 O clock a. m. At
Tecoma, ten miles east of Monticello, we left
TOano, west of Monticello, on 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 a rap on the
car-door, as if an agent had called, and sup
posing the train was at Tecoma 1 got up and
looked out, when man pointed a gun at me
and said:
"'Hop out, we are going through you
81 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
81 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 was dong for few
minutes, until one of the robbers asked:
" Amt you going to open up the door and
come outY
q 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 fired
.multaneOusly from different quarters, all
ranging towards the center of the car. These
were the shots that struck me-One 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. 2, the west
bound express-train, coming. They backed
sent two men down the road to meet No
2. When it came up / heard Conductor Gle
ment ask CasSin: What are you doing here?
l want to speak to you The robbers aimed
their gums at Clements head and told him TO
pull out, and he did,
The nearest telegraph station was 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,
which was attempted three times without sue
cess, the holes in the doors being guarded by
the stubborn messenger. Several attempts to
burn the car were 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
sible, sentTaber, Sheriff OF Elko County, with
twenty men and horses to MOntellO. They
also sent out posse from Terrace, thirty-five
miles east of Monticello and last night Superin-
tendent Fell and Sheriff Brow, of Ogden, left
this city for the scene of the attempted rob-
berry. Wells. Fargo & Co. telegraph tonight
from San Francisco rewards of $500 each and
the State of Nevada one of $3.50, for the ap
prehension and conviction of the express rob
bers. Every effort will be made to capture
the