The Dickinson press., 1889-06-01
UTAH CHARLEY'S LAST.
HE RIDES IN A COFFIN A LITTLE
BIT AHEAD OF HIS TIME.

Fellow M"urncrs-The Is"aggageiman Who
Was Afraid of Being Called u Tender
fnOt-A Itailroudcr's Thrilling: story.
Let me relate to you some of my carly OK,
pcricnccs, said Conductor Frye, of the Bur
lington, when | was running baggage on tho
Union Pacific. 1t was back about ten years
ago We were coming east from Ogden, and
ut n small station n box supposed to contain a
corpse was put i'll the "SnrcSs car, consigned
to Lincoln, Neb Bill Axley, now on the
Santa Fe, was express messenger, and as we
elevated the box into the car he remarked
that it did not fit the coffin well, as he felt n
rcacting jar us the article was put in tile car
There were TWO men fairly well dressed,
and showing no signs of suspicion. together
with what We tool; To bean aged woman, who
accompanied the remains. She was repre-.
serted US Icing the mother of the deceased,
and the two men were the latter's brothers..
Tho woman, or man, rs she turned out to be,
WAS anxious tn remain with the corpse in the
car Shcalsodesircd that her two sons might
he by her side. This was against tho rules,
and they were informed that transportation
would only he allowed the corpse in the ex.
press car, and accordingly they agreed to
take seats in Il coach.
REX fpNDEkOlS FOOT.
Just before the train pulled out Bill said
to me that lie thought the gamo was q
connected robbery, and was determined to
have the box handed out and inspected before
the train started. But what if it were n real
corpse The boys would have hooted Bill Off
the road for his cowardice. This said to
Bill, and he finally concluded to let the worst
come if it must. Tho conductor signalcd the
trni, tn St,rf .,-,l Rill i,,,,,l ;,to H., o..
and ! got into mine. but the more | thought
of the situation the moro | found that Billy's
suspicious were not %unfoundcd. Finally, at
the next station, we stopped to await n clear
track, and, Bill not being in his accustomed
place at the doorway of his car, | decided to
ascertain where he was.
AT the door there sat Bill with n face as pale
as a dead person, and with large dropsof per.
SEPARATION standing on his forehead. | was about
to laugh, but Il sudden motion of his hand
prompted me to refrain. Finally lie walked
close To tho door and with one eye on me and
the other on the box he said: There's n man
in that box alive and ] know it. You had
better keep your eye OIL those other fellows
or we're their game sure" ! paused for u
moment | did not want to make q blundcr
by informing the conductor and being called
a tendcrfoot, but supposing that tho box
contains n live robbcr, there was the point.
| meditatcd and | finally said to Bill to
watch further developments, but he refused
and said that if | did not come to his assist
ance he would call Ill somebody else. | saw
that he was frightened, and he did not have
much the better of me. Taking hold of tho
car door ! entered it and we both stood and
gazel Mt the box. 1t was sealed and neither
of us had a right to open it. | finally called
the conductor and informed him of the case.
YES" said lie, land ! noticed that tho old
lady who is weeping in the coach back there
has Il ponderous foot for a woman." But we
all agreed to await developments, and I
agreed to ride in the express car with Bill.
THE rRAP DIDN'T WORK.
We again pulled out, but we had not gone
far before the bell rope was pulled and tho
train began to slacken up. AT this juncture
Bill did not rush to the door to sec what was
up, but set both eyes on the box. A moment
of amazement and suddenly the cover of tho
box flew off and II heavily armed bandit ut
tempted to rise, but Bill had him and in al
instant tho ball vent whizzing through the
fellows neck and he fell over. Guard the
door" shouted Bill, and the words had not
fully escaped his lips when the individual in
email attired appeared and was about to
enter the car when ! leveled my revolver and
said, woman or man, throw up your hands
or III shoot" In full range the individual
could not do otherwise, and one of the hands
while suspended clutched u fine specimen of
firearms.
held the strange guest at the point of my
revolver and was surprised to see u little
gray haired man come out of the next
coach with the two alleged brothers heavily
shackled. The little man who subdued the
two companions was a United States mar.
shall who was on board the train at the time.
The conductor was covered and ordered to
pull tho bell rope, but before tho train was
fairly stopped the little officer had both men
in irons. Tho supposed female turned out
to be a man in female attire. The feigned
corpse was converted into u real one, and his
companions were sentenced to the peniten-
tiary for twenty-one years each, and are now
at Joliet, Ills.
The victim of Bills craftsmanship was
Utah Charley, one of the most daring train
robbers that ever infested the plans. We
put the box and body off at the next station
and they were disposed of i'll a manner which
! never learned. Anyway. Bills temerity
was the means of breaking up band of train
robbers that had terroriled the west, and his
craftsmanship sent Titan Charley to another
homo where he could not stay in a pine box
long. Bill had about S35, QUO in charge ut the
time, and after making that trip no turned
over his keys and abandoned the servico.-
Omaha Bee.
Tho nOp Cr.,zc.