Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1888-09-22
A FIGHT WITH TRAIN ROBBERS.
Exciting Experience ola Messenger
of Wells, Fargo & Co.

One of tho bravcst of the trontlersnien
of the days of old, Of the days OF gold,
is a. II. Ross, who has had his share III
whatever WAS going that was rough and
tough ever since he camo to tho coast III
81. He is still u shotgun messenger
for Wells, Fargo Il Co., and accompan-
les their treasure box with ono eye on
the box and tho othor on his gun over
robber-lrlnnted slngo roads. Once in
Calavcras county, he was one OF n party
of twenty-five that held water ditch
for two days against $50 armed men. AT
another timo, i'll Montana, he was paid
500 day to defend n water ditch ON n
mining claim, and held it against all as
sailurts for week. Then the work be.
came too monotonous to suit him, and
he threw up the job. =.
He-says that the most exciting time
he has had in his whole coast experience
was in the express chr fight ut Montello,
New, in 1883. He was tho express mes
sencer on the westward-bound train that
reached Monticello atabout l o'clock on Il
bright moonlight night: While the
train was stopped on switch to allow a
freight train 10 so past, eight men ap-
peared, three of whom covered the en-
rineer. fireman and conductor with their
reyolvers, while the rest toook possess
sion of the train. While this was going
on the freight train was slowly pulling
ont, it's crew entirely ignorant OF what
was going on on tho other side OF the
passenger train. Fart Of the robbers
then separated the oXpross car from the
train, leaving it standing at one end OF
the switch, while thoy pulled the re-
maindor to the other end. Then they
camo back md began their attack on the
express car.
ordered me to get out and give up the
cur to them. L told them I'd see them
all darncd first, and during that entire
night L didn't speak to them again. l
had barricaded the doors with the sale
and the boxes, aud l was prepared to
mako it lively for every one OF them.
And did, too. Six bullets came crash.
inG through tho sides OF tho car, and !
realized whether or not saw daylight
again was n question of pure luck. But
/ sent back as good as got, and with 4
darned sight better aim. The robbers
stood four on each side of the cur, and
peppercd Mt me for all they were worth.
During the night they fired into the car
at least hundred rounds OF six shots
each, and L sent my compliments to
them in full as many more. L had the
advantage OF them, because it was dark
in the cur and 1 changed my position
frequently, firing first on one side and
then OH the other, and going from one
end to The other Of the car.
"They would bang away for awhile,
and then go of IL little way and consult,
and then come back and begin over
again. Once in awhile they would call
out to me to surrender and give up the
car, but all the answer / would give
would be fresh round of bullets.
Finally, they began to carry wood with
the intention OF setting fire to tho car,
That would have made it all day with
me, and I just said to myself: We'll, |
guess not my fine fellows, and made 1t
so hot for them every time they came
anywhere near the car that they were
soon glad enough to give up that plan.
Every one of them tried to gets bullet
somewhere in him. One OF the men
was SO badly wounded that he died be-
fore daybreak.
CAL this time the bullets were crash-
ing in all around me. One shattered
my left hand pretty badly, another one
gave me flesh wound in the thigh, and
another grazed my abdomen: At about
B o'clock the passenger train came III
from the other direction, and, without
giving anybody any time to inquire what
was up, part Of the men boarded it, and,
with their pistols at the heads OF the
conductor and engineer, ordered them
/ to move on. They did not get out as
quick us they could, and went OIL to the
next station, Where they got help and
then came back But they did not get
back to Montello until after daylight,
when the robbers had given it up for a
bad Job and gone. They had kept it up
until daylight, though, when they quit
and carried off their dead and wounded.
They stopped about q mile of, with
in sight OF the station, and buried their
dead man, and had only just got through
and disappeared when tue train came
back But was very glad to see it, all