The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1890-01-29

distance OF eighteen miles. Inc t"o
small stations between were not on our
time card. The train sped along at a
rate of forty miles on hour, and pretty
soon out went the safes. Then the men
ran out at the end of the car, set the
brake, and pulled the bell cord. That
was what they did, but did not wait to
see or hear it. They were no sooner
clear of the car than I rose up
and took a flying leap straight
out into the darkness after the
money. There was long pile of
gravel on that side, and struck into
this, turned over and tover half a
dozen times, and finally brought up in a
potato patch on the railroad strip, badly
shaken up, but not bone broken. The
engine was whistling for brakes mile
away, and as soon as I could free my
mouth and eyes of dirt I started down the
track. I found the first safe on the edge
of the ditch, and the second hundred
feet away beside a stump. dragged
mine down to the paymaster's, then got
out nv revolver and hid behind stump,
and pretty soon 1 heard the fellows COM
ing down the track. They had brought
the train almost to standstill, and then
signaled it to 90 ahead and jumped.
They were hunting along the ditch as
they came, and 1 waited until they were
within five rods before I opened fire and
jumped up and shouted: "Here they
are, boys; shoot them down"
They didu't stand for q second, but
went off as fast as they could heel it, fol-
lowed by my bullets, and half an hour
later had the safes aboard of freight
train. An investigation proved that
Goodhue was blind drunk on that night.
He had accepted an offer to drink with
a stranger, and had been piled with liquor
until he fell down on the street. The
robbers must have known him we'll, and
have also been familiar with our way of
working. Who they were we never
knew.
In November, 1864, when I began the
run between St. Louis and Chicago there
was scarcely week that something did
not occur to arouse my suspicious. The
heft of the money went South, but there
was always enough on either run to
tempt q robber to take desperate chances.
had middle-aged steady going man as
assistant, and it would have had to be q
sharp man who could get the better of
him. Now and then, when we were
carrying big money for some army con-
tractor, he was allowed to send man along
to act as a special guard. These men
were generally Chicago detectives or po-
lice, and they rode on an order prepared
by the Chicago superintendent. One
afternoon, about two hours before train
time, and while I was at the office,
military looking man, who claimed to be
a paymaster, entered and arranged to
express his safe to St. Louis. Its con-
tents were said to be upward of 5000, 900,
and he applied for permission to send
two trusty soldiers along in the car. I
heard this much without having taken
any special interest in the case. When we
came to receive our stuff from the wagons
there was paymaster's safe, and little
later on man dressed in the uniform of
a Sergeant of infantry, and accompanied
by private soldier. presented an order
permitting them to ride in our car as
a guard.
While everything was regular, I did not
like the looks of the men. They seemed
to me to be tough characters, and when
got chance to speak to Graham, my
assistant, I found that he entertained the
same opinion and had become suspicious.
I therefore gave them the other end of
the car and whispered to Graham that
we must keep our eyes open. The first
thing we did after the train pulled out
was to place our revolvers where we
could grab them on the instant, and as
we worked over our way bills we kept
weather eye open for signs. For time
it looked as if we had done the men an
injustice. One took a seat on the safe
and the other in a chair. Each lighted
cigar, and their conversation, as we over
heard a word now and then, related to
military matters and was honest and
straight. When Graham and had fin
ished our work we sat down at the
other end of the car and the quartet of
us rode in this fashion, with only break
now and then, as we stopped at station
and put off something billed there.
Our longest run was between midnight
and one o'clock. We then passed two or
three small stations without stopping,
making the run about nineteen miles. If
the men were not what they represented
they would show their hands during this
run. They appeared to be sound asleep
when we entered upon it, and Graham,
who sat near me, was nodding in his
chair. They had the end of the car next
to the engine, and all of a sudden, while
was looking at them from under the
vizor of my cap, both arose, stretched
themselves, and as the Sergeant started
for my end of the car, the other unlocked
the door and admitted two men. Things
moved like lightning. Both of us saw
what was up, and as we sprang to our
feet every man in that car began shoot
ing. I can't say whether the fight lasted
one minute or five, but when it ended I
had flesh wound in the left arm, rake
across the cheek and bullet hole in my
cap. Graham had an car split by
bullet and another embodied in his
shoulder, aud the car was in darkness. I
struck a match, lighted candle and
found we were alone. Not exactly
alone, but safe from further attack. The