News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1886-10-28
LIFE In THE GREAT WEST.
RoBDING A R'ILROAO TRAIN OF
100000 IN GOLD.
Low the DIN was Secured and How Ii was
Carried Away on Horseback.
From the Virginia City Chronicle.l


east of Verdi in 1872, is now TRAVELLING
agent for firm in Sacramento DEALING
extensively in lamps. Squires recently
visited this city as agent for the sale of ,
coal oil lamp and burner of new pat
tern. One evening during his stay OF
Tie Comstock, IN the course of converse
tlon with a hrOn Gle representative, he
rel ted an interesting narrative of the
circumstances which led to the robbery
and OF the robbery itself.
lie was residing in Flowery district al
tie time the robbery was planned, and
was a par ner of the late Jack Davis IN
several mines. They had hausted theil
money In prospecting, and it was neces-
sary to resort to strategy to raise more to
deveiope heir property, which SquireS
day maintains conf aims untold wealth,
needing on.y coin to uncover 1t. Davis
had tue reputation OF having been inter
ested in several stage robberies pr to
entering into cOpartnership with Squires
but up to the time of the train robbery
Squll es says he was never connected in
any manner with dishonorable transac-
tions.
As staging in this part of Nevada was
nearly at an end at that time, it was
suggested by Davis that they put up a
job to stop the overland express on the
Central Pacific and OBJ the Wells Fargo
car. After several consultations it was
decided to resort to that means to replen-
ish their depleted exchequer. In order
to successfully carry out their plans it
was necessary to take in several acc ON
pl1ces. Three men let into the secret
fri hn hoI
also been arranging train robbery.
Three of this gang were taken IN in
order to keep them from giving the bus
mess away, which they might have done
had they been kept out. Among these
was Gilchrist, who afterward turned
States evidence.
S1uires was selected to lay the plan
for the robbery and was unanimously
leader of the gang. After careful sur
vey of the situation he decided upon the
quarry side track at Hunters crossing
of the Truckee River, four miles west of
Reno, as the most eligible place for COM
milting the robbery.
Verdi at that time was the meeting
and passing point of the east and west
bound overland express trains, they both
being due there shortly after midnight.
Squires went to San Francisco and
spent several weeks in ascertaining the
amount of coin shipped by Wells, Fargo
d Co., and he says that he knew to a
dime every day the exact sum that left the
office in that city on the overland express.
he night of the robbery the gang,
which had been concealed in the timber
in the hills back of Verdi, assembled at
the station short time prior to the ar
rival of the express train from San Fran
cisco and just as the conductor slgnalled
the engineer to pull out of the station,
Squires and four of his men stepped up
on the platform between the baggage
and express cars, and Davis, Parsons
and another man got aboard on the plat
form of the mail car, next to the locom-
olive tender, covered the engineer and
f. eman with shotguns and ordered them
to keep quiet and obey orders
Meanwhile Squires and his men had
been observed to step on the forward
platform of the baggage car, and
brakeman, thinking they were tramps,
followed them and ordered them off lust
as the train started. Squires quietly
dropped the brakeman on the ground
from the opposite SHE of the train while
it was in motion.
Meanwhile the conductor, baggage
master. and a brakeman opened the for
ward door of the baggage car to see who
was on the platform, but were ordered
to close it by Squires, who held the
muzZle of a shotgun in dangerous prox-
unity to the heads of the employees, re-
marking as he cooked the weapon that
too strong a draft came through the
open door
After he train had got about three
miles east of Verdi. Squires cut the he i
cord and pulled the pin between the
baggage and express cars, and the en-
gineer was ordered to pull out for the
quarry side track
Up TO tn time the robbers were not
aware that the west bound train was be-
hind time, but thought it had passed ut
Verdi. On arriving at the switch the
engine and the two cars were side
trarked, and ells-Fargos messenger,
opening The door to see what was the
ma. ter, found his person covered with
three shotguns.
He was ordered to throw up his
hands, and Sguires and three of his
companions entered the car and after
move the coin from the safe They got
away with $3.50, 900 altogether. Pend
ing the removal of the coin from the
express car the mail agents were sum
moned to the door of their car, and
covered with guns until after it was &C
complished. The coin was put in sacks,
siung across the backs of horses ready
saddIed, and when the signal was given
the gang mounted and rode rapidly
away across the bridge in the direction
of this city
After the west bound train came
along and the east-bound was bac ed IN
to y erdi, the gang recrossed the bridge
and bivouacked in the hills on the
Pearthe road The coin was divided in
two parcels. One half was given to
SIuires and Davis, which the former
cached in the hills. seven miles north of
Reno, after the other members of the
gang dispersed.
The story of the confession of Gilchrist
and subsequent capture of the gang and
recovery of most of the coin is too
familiar for rehearsal. Squires served
eleven years and ha.f in State prison.
and Davis was killed several years O
while attempt g to rob the Tvbo stage
In the eastern part of the State
After his release SquiIes returned to
this city and called upon Mr.. Fender
CAST, a. ent of \ ellis, Fargo & Co. He
approached the counte and ,ked Pen
dercast if he recognized him. Being
answered in tine negative, he requested
Pendergast to take good square look,
"My name is Squires; have Just
been pardoned out Of State rison after
serving nearly twelve years for robbing
tie express car at Verdi. | uuders, and
that you have emp Dyed spies to watch
my movements, and | want you to keep
a sharp look out for me-"
Squires, in conclusion, says that he
called at the Office several times subse-
Guent to the above conversation with
the agent, but Mr. p always disap-
peared in the back room when he en-
tered the premises and kept out of sight
until he passed out.
In a subsequent interview Souires said
that if Gilchrist had not squealed the
gang would have got away with the
swag, and the entire crew would have
escaped arrest. He stated that he was
suspicious of Gilchrist's sand" from
the start. but if he had not been let INTO
the scheme he would have squeeled any
how
Squires intimated that he intends
hereafter to earn an honest living. He
is man of more than average in elli-
gence, and has wonderful faculty for
planning, disclos ed in the train robbery,
which, ii directed in another channel,
mi sht have made him famous.
III Is a man of medium stature and