Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1888-08-28
A Fight with Train Robbers.


One of the bravest OF the frontiersmen of
the days of old, of the days of gold, is A. T.
Ross, who has had his share in whatever
was going that was rough and tough ever
since he went to the Pacific coast in '57. BE is
shotgun messenger for Wells Fargo & Co.,
and accompanies their treasure boz. with
one eye on the box and the other on his gun
over robber. haunted stage roads. Once in
Caaveras county, he was one OF 3 party of
twenty-five that held water ditch for TWO
days against 250 armed men, AT another
time in Montana. he was paid 500 day to
defend water ditch on a mining claim, and
held it against all assailants for week,
Then the work became too monotonous to
suit him, and he threw up the job. He says
that the most exciting time he has hnd in
his whole coast experience was in the ex.
press-car fight at Montello, New, in 1883.
He was the express messenger on the west
ward.bound train that reached Montello at
about o'clock On bright moonlight night.
While the train was stopped on switch to
allow freight train to go past, eight men
appeared, three of whom covered the engl-
neer, fireman, and conductor with their re-
volvers, while the Eest took possession OF
the train. While this was going on the
freight train was slowly pulling out, its crew
entirely ignorant of what was going on on
the other side of the passenger train. Pert
of the robbers then separated the express
CIR from the train, leaving it standing at
one end of the switch, while they pulled the
remainder TO the other end. Then they,
came back and began their attack on the
express car.
''First thing" said Ross 'they ordered
me to get out and give up the car to them,
told them I'd see them in hell first, and
during that entire night 1 didn't speak to
them again l had barricaded the doors
with the safe and the boxes, and was pre-
pared to make it lively for every one of
them. And 1 did, too. Six bullets came
crashing through the sides of the car, and
realized tnat whether or not l saw daylight
again was question Of pure luck. But
sent back as good as got, and with Garned
sight better aim. The robbers stood four on
each side of the car, and peppered at me for
all they were worth. During the night they
fred into the car at least hundred rounds
of six shots each, and / sent my compG
ments to them in fully as many more. l
had the advantage of them, because it was
dark in the Car and [ 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 off 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 a fresh round of bullets. Finally,
they began to carry wood with the intention
Grot 70 ho hot a
made it all day with me, and I just said to
myself; We'll, guess not, my fine fellows
and I made it 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 that tried it got bullet
in him. One of the men was so badly
wounded that he died before daybreak. All
this time the bullets were crashing in all
around me. One shattered by left hand
pretty badly, another one gave me flesh
wound in the thigh, and another grazed my
abdomen. At about o'clock the passen-
ger train came in from the other direction
and, without giving anybody any time to
inquire what was up, part of the men board.
ed it, and, with their pistols at the heads of
the conductor and engineer, ordered them
to move on. They did get out as quick as
they could, and went on 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 bad Job and gone. They had
kept it up until daylight, though, when they
quit and carried off their dead and wound
ed. They stopped about q mile oil, within
sight ofthe station, and buried their dead
man, and had only just got through and dis
appeared when the train came back. But
I was very glad to see it, all the same."