The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1888-10-17
A TRAINS SPEEDY TRIP.
ENGINEER POSTS DARING RUN TO
SAVE A MANS NECK.

ENGINEER POSTS DARING RUN TO
SAVE A MANS NECK.
DashinG over Rough Track at
lightning Speed-A Lynching
that was Only Postponed.
zone of the best and withal the most
daring engineers on the Union Pacific
was, and still is, Fred Post of Cheyenne,
said one of the Rocky Mountain dele
gates to the convention of the Brother
hood. "When Post is on an engine he
doesn't seem to know what fear is. He
has had passenger engines dozens of
times, but it wouldn't be long before he
would make some reckless run, just for
the daring of the thing, and then he
would be sent back to freight run
again. It seems to be almost impossible
for him to run on schedule time-he
isn't happy unless he can let her out for
every revolution there is in her. One of
his flash runs was from Cheyenne to
Greeley, Colorado, and over to
Fort Collins, and then back again
to Cheyenne. A special was made upin
Cheyenne to 60 over to Fort Collins after
O murderer named Moshler. Post was
ordered to take old 40O,' the fastest en-
CINE on the road, and way car was at
tached for the party of officers. Among
the passengers were Sheriff Sharpless,
several deputy sheriffs, some newspaper
men, few prominent citizens, and MIR.
Deuel., the Superintendent of the road.
The train had the right of way, and
everything was ordered on the side
tracks until the special passed. Yousee,
the case was IN important one, and, as 1t
resulted in one of the most famous lynch
lngs ever known in the far West, is worth
telling.
1.-The man Moshier was low-lived
assassin who had shot several people. He
was tramping over the lonely trail be-
tween Cheyenne and the Black Hills one
day when he met o freighter, who picked
him up and fed him and let him ride to
Cheyenne. The freighter also had
passenger in a young man who had lived
near Fort Laramie, and who was on his
way to his former home in Iowa. The
outfit consisted of big prairie schooner
a trail wagon, and sixteen mules. When
the end of the journey was reached the
party camped on the prairie, about three
miles from Cheyenne, and near the Gov
ernment post of Fort Russell. The
freighter intended to come into town
early the next morning, load the wagons
with goods for the Black Hills, and come
back in the evening to the same camping
ground. The mules were turned out to
Craze on, the rich upland grass, and, as
the night was threatening, all three men
spread their blankets in one Of the big
wagons. During the night Moshier got
up, and, taking an axe, struck the Sleep
ing freighter blow on the head. Sup
posing he had killed him, he next
struck the passenger, fracturing his skull.
' But the man raised up, and, wounded as
he was grappled with the murderer, took
the axe away from him and threw it out
of the wagon, Moshier then shot the
man three times. A soldier at the post
going out on duck hunt passed not far
from the wagons and heard the shooting.
Returning to the post he obtained as
sistance, and an investigation resulted in
finding the bodies of the two men, but
Moshier had fled. The freighter was
Unconscious, but the passenger, although
mortally wounded, was able to make
dying statement to an Episcopal clergy
man and to the prosecuting attorney.
Unfortunately, he didn't know Moshier's
name.' He died that afternoon. 1t came
out that the murderer intended to kill
his benefactor and his fellow passenger,
dump their bodies into one of the
wagons, hook up the mules, and drive
off with the whole outfit. At night he
would bury the bodies, build big camp
fire over their graves to hide the spot,
and take the wagons and mules to some
part Of the country where he could sell
the outfit, which was worthabout $3, OOo.
"Thc people were indignant over the
dastardly crime, and the other freighters
were wild with anger. Big rewards were
offered by the Territory and by pri' ate
citizens, and hundreds of men galloped
over the country in search of the muir
derer. Three days aftcrward, and much
to the surprise of everybody, the frelghter
reeained consciousness. He told who the
murderer was, and then many people
knew the man they were pursuing.
Several days after he was captured by
Sweeney, OF Fort Collins, Colorado.
"The Sheriff of Cheyenne feared a
lynching, and so a special train was
secretly made up to 60 to Fort Collins,
and get back before daylight. Engineer
Post was in his element, for he was ex-
pected to make fast time. The section
of the road between Grcely and Fort COL
lins was new and rough. There were sta
tionary seats on each side of the way-car,
and a few common chairs sat on the
floor. In one-half of the car were hunks
for the use of the train men, and the
Sheriff and the Superintendent laid
down on these to sleep. Post had about
regained his standing from his last esca-
pade, and had chance to distinguish
himself in the presence of the Supcrln-
tendent, but instead of running with
express speed he turned her over for
every stroke there was in her. odd 400
plunged into the night Kissing and roll
inc like demon and maniac in one.
The way-car rolled from side to side SO