The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1889-09-25
f. f. Dayton the Train RObber, Interviewed by
Lady.

Upon going to the county jail yesterda.
afternoon and requesting to see the incaT
cerated train rohber. we were kind,
shown to the cell by Sheriff Belnap ant
Deputy White. who asked the prisoner t.
come into the gaslight and allow a lad!
representative of THE HERALD to see
real sure enough, train rObber. UpOI
which invitation the Young man stepped
into the corridor as far as his chains would
allow and smilingly said: well, there:
not much to see about me-" - am not 81
anxious to see you, Mr.. Dayton, as to have
little talk with you; am sorry to see vol
here, but the public are interested in yOul
case, of course would like to ask you {
few questions if YOU don't mind answering
them. Where did you come from"
Where was born! Way back east il
"a pause) Massachusetts
is that so! That is my state and it's {
good one TO come from, too. My native
place is WinchendOn. Where in Massa-
rhusetts? Or would you prefer not to tell:'
Il would rather not say, but near Boston
very near, in the suburbs"
Are your parents living!"
No: my mother died when ! was five
and my father when l was two and half
years of age
Where and how have you spent your life
mostlyln
With nv relatives at school near Bos-
ton, till fourteen, then left home and went
to Texas, where l have been most of the
time since.''
'What have you been dOing:'
s'Most of the time l have been in the
stock business, a cowboy; part OF the time
= mining"
= Did YOU own stock yourself. or work for
others?'
..IGTl,,lvo7 Gov. o+Lo, mon mostly. o,,-Dad .,
few horses; own some now"
'Have you any brothers or sisters except
this one who is under arrestE'
q He is rot my brother. That is false
Statement made at the start. have two
brothers and two sisters; one sister is mar
ried. One Of my brothers, l don't know
where he isl
Il believe you acknowledge the crime
of rObbug the train, don't you! Where
you one of a gang, or did you do the work
on your own responsibility"
Il didn't acknowledge at first, but l do
now. / robbed that train. planned It all
myself"
''How old are you?'
twenty-five years the 18th of last
April"
s'You don't look as old as that. guess
you wont ever undertake such robbery
again viii yOu!''
well Qaughing), no, guess not; not if
was out now l wouldn't; but then time
works wonders. can't tell what l might
do''
Il should think little time here would
change any one a good deal Well, you
have had so many in this afternoon won't
ask any questions, but will come again.
Thank you for answering so explicitly.
Good bye
Dayton is a fine looking, dark complex
toned young man, showing quite an air of
refinement intermiXed with Il rather de-
liant darll-blue eye. remarkably good
looking Texas cowboy he must have been.
DAYTON had Just been receiving the Rio
Grande Western train men who were on
the Inflated train when it was attached.
The conductor, engineer and express mes
senger had an opportunity of freely con-
Versiug with the prisoner, who is quite
communicative to all now that the facts
are out.
Heremarked to the messenger who had to
lie fiat to escape his bullets: u didn't
mean to hit you, but might have come a
little too close for comfort"
Sheriff Belnap has thoroughly worked up
tins case and is still at it. and surely de-
serves the $1,000 each which the road Of
fered, but is now constituting into 81 900 for
all Mr.. Belnap after his long trip to the
place where the booty was hidden, was,
after reaching Ogden, sums ned to appear
before the grand jury at BS8tS Before
leaving he made up his mind p fSome
! facts to the prisoners and await 20 result.
YGoing to the cell he said to Dayton: Il
nave Just returned from a long trip, and
will tell you a few things that you can
think over tonight. There were three of
us. We found the desert a remarkably
easy place to track anything In one place
we found watch; little further on some
irenwood, with tracks as if some one might
have been hunting for stick for raulrod.
Farther on we found the ra1rod
a little ways from here two
shirts IN the rocks, one a striped
one which was cut down the front: that
belonged TO the man who took the engineer
from his engine to hold the bag. The
other shirt belonged to the other robbern
'.He has given it all away" was the in
corruption.
The prisoner certainly does not seem
very pertinent but he may feel differently
19ter his confinement. He expresses him |
self as much pleased with his treatment by
the sheriff and deputies
The above interview is the first time he |
has told bit of personal history. We saw |
the tribune man looking wistfully inside |