Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1885-1890, 1886-11-06
ROBBED I'M SLUGGED.

Charles Miller the principal victim in
the greatest of all western train robberies,
is now employed in the auditors office OF
the Pacific Express Company at Omaha,
and although nearly nine years have elaps-
ed since his terrible experiences, he re-
members everything that occurred with
vivid distinctness. As a reminder OF the
robbery, Charley wears two scars, which
he received for resisting the bandits-one
on his upper lip, and one on his scalp.
Here is Charley's story of the robbery: At
the time of the robbery which occurred on
the night of Monday, September II, 1877,
I was running as messenger forthe Union
Pacific railway express, between Omaha
and Cheyenne, and was coming east on
No. 4. The local money pickup" was
light as it usually was on every Monday.
The through run amounted to $235,0OO,
and of this amount $1,000 was in the
through combination safe. The remaining
S60,00 of this amount could not be placed
in the safe for the reason that it was full.
1t was gold coin, packed in three strong
wooden boxes, 100000 in each box, and
these were sitting near the through safe in
the southeast corner of the car. h
through safes were opened only at Ogden,
CHEYENNE and Omaha, by the company's
agents. None of the messengers were Civ
49,. 49,. a1,,3,f,a, p,s1bt cav rifrht
here that if my car that night had been Tor
titled as the Pacific Express Companyss
cars now are, the Big Springs robbery
would lave flashed in the pan. Instead OF
the little two by two through safes; all cars
are now provided with safes OF the largest
and most approved patterns, capable OF
holding the largest through consignments.
The inside of the cars are 10Y clad with
boiler iron to the height Of a mans head,
and the sliding doors provided with heavy
hooks and chains. The hook and chain
will allow the door to open six inches, and
still the messenger will be as secure from
invasion as if it were shut tight. The cars
in this company's service today are verita-
BILE moving fortresses.
We were due at the isolated little station
of Big Springs, Neb., at 1880, and were
on time. As | had nc express matter for
Big Springs, and knowing that if the agent
had anything to put aboard he would wake
me up, [ had gone to sleep. The next
thing l knew | heard Agent George Bern
hart's signal-sharp raps on the car door
and was on my feet and at the door in an
instant. The door was fastened by a lock
and a common latch and staple. The first
thug [ remember seeing was the red signal
light through the car window. | opened
the door slightly and saw Bernhart stand
ing on the platform alone, but without any
express matter, and was about to ask him
what he was doing there without it, when
the car door was snatcheG by fly llatr u
strong arms and whisked open like dash.
Before ]. could say seat five masked
men had jumped into the car, each with
two drawn reviewers. | thought they were
the ugliest men, and that they carried the
ugliest guns | ever saw. | came to this
conclusion after mature deiiberation, for |
had the privilege Of interviewing the men
and closely Inspecting their guns for fully
half an hour. The leader of the gang held
two revolvers under my and said to
me, 1--WE want your keys to the money!
They then searched me for my keys and
firearms. I carried no firearms on my per
son, but they got my car key and the key
Of my way safe. One Of the gang noticed
the brace Of rcyolyers and the doubled
barraled shotgun hanging over my desk,
and Immediately took them down. The
leader then handed me the key and told
Inc to open the way safe. | opened the
safe and they took from it $401.20. II
going through my desk they found SO in
small denominations. which [ kept for
making change with agents, The leader
then took sole charge Of me and ordered
the other four men to break open the pack
ages. There We're rs bars of silver bull
lion on the car floor, and the robbers would
take up a package and throw it down on a
silver brick, and by this method it did not
take long for them to break open every
package IN the car. They found nothing
OF much value in the packages. After
they had finished, the leader c~omn~aaed
me savagely to open the through safe. |
told him that | could not. He replied
very assuringly, you'll do it, or die BY the
side of it, l said that it was impossible.
that | could not do it to save my life.