The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1883-02-02
A Dr. I'VE MAN.
The Heroic Defense of Ross in
tie Express Car at NOn-
teitO, Ne.
surrounded by Confident Robbers, He
Braves Death in Taree Terri
BILE Forms.
OGDEN [Uteh Telep. am |


The attempt to rob the Central Pacific
train at Monticello, New, at ! o'clock yester
day morning, was one of the boldest vent
ures ever made and was not failure be-
cause the plans of the robbers miscarred
On the contrary, their arrangements for car
rying out their bold scheme were 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 at
tempt would have proved successful, for the
attack was vigorous and persistent, and con-
tinued almost without intermission for
three hours, until the baffied villains with
drew from the scene, leaving the heroic
Ross wounded but victorious To him alone
is due the credit OF having saved the ex-
press-car and the entire train
Mr.. ross has been Ia the employ of Wells,
Fargo Il 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 band OF
road agents but killed several and got away
from the rest Of the crowd This last at
tempt has seldom been equaled anywhere
for the bravery and persistence of the rob-
bers and the stubbornness of the defense.
Mr.. Ross stated 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 sagebrush desert the
center OF section sixty miles in length,
where there is no night telegraph station.
@The San Fran0keco and Ogden express trains
paEs at 30 o'6lock a. ~. at Tecoma ten
miles east of M3ntello. We left Toano, west of
Monticello, on time, our train being in charge
OF Conductor Cassin. checked the way
bills received ut that station, aid down and
went to sleep. The next thing which was
aware of was rap at the car door as if an
agent had called, and, suppo-ing the train
waa at Tecoma, got up and looked out
when man pointed gun at me and saidt
"'Hop out. we are going through YOU
II Jumped back and pulled the door to and
hooked it They went over to the opposite
side and said
a'open up the doors and jump out We
are going to rob the train
Il replied: Just wait till I 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 done for q
few minutes, until one of the robbers asked:
Amt you DING to open up the door and
come out,'
II told them I was not coming out An
OUDer demand was maze Tor me 10 mop
out | made no reply to that They then
stationed one man Mt each corner of the car
between me and the baggage car, and five
shots were fired simultaneously from
different quarters, all ranging toward
the center of my car. Those were the shots
that struck income on hnger, one
on the hip and one just below
the breast, near the watch pocket. They
then got up on the end of the car 10
uncouple the train whcreupon | fired two
shots through the end of the car. At this
time they heard No. :. the west bound ex-
press train coming They backed our train
up and went on the side-rrack, and sent two
men down the road To meet No. = When it
came up heard Conductor Clement ask Cas-
sin: What are you doing here! / want TO
speak TO YOU The robbers aimed their
guns Mt Clements head and told him TO pull
out and he did"
The nearest telegraph station was thirty
miles The robbers then compelled the
brakeman 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 with
out success, the holes in the doors being
guarded by the stubborn messenger. Sew
eral attempts to burn the car were unsuc-
cesefuI owing to the scarcity of wood, and,
after renewed attempts 70 kill him through
the doors they mounted their horses and
ro<la nNaV