Sullivan republican. [volume] (Laporte, Pa.) 1883-1896, 1890-02-14
ime, and while 1 was at the. office,

tlme, anu Wnlle was ut Inct OIlce, u
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 alongiin the car. l,
heard this much without having TAKEN
any special interest in theicase. When weI
there was a paymaster's safe, and little
later on man dressed in the uniform of
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, l did not
like the looks of the men. They seemed
to me to be tough characters, and when
I got chance to speak to Graham, my
assistant, found that he entertained the
same opinion and had become suspicious
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 a time
- l. l. ~
injustice. One took seat on the safe
and the other in chair. Each lighted
cigar, and their conversation, as we over
heard 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 sudden, while
l 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. can't say whether the fight lasted
one minute or five, but when it ended l
had flesh wound in the left arm, rake
cap. Graham had an ear split by
bullet and another embedded in his
shoulder, aud the car was in darkness. /
struck match, lighted candle and
found we were alone. Not exactly
alone, but safe from further attack. The
Sergeant lay dead ON his back, shot
through the head, and beyond him was
one of the men who had been admitted,
SO near dead that he gasped his last as
we raised him up. The door was open,
and the other two had leaped from the
platform. One of them at least was
badly wounded, as trail of bleod
proved.
The train had made It's run by the
time we had sized up the situation, and
a doctor was put aboard to dress our
hurts as we continued the journey. Both
corpses were carried into st. Louis for
inquest and Identification, but they could
not be identified. As you have surmised,
the paymaster's safe was dummy. 1t
did not contain one dollar. The whole
job was put up to get hold of express
money, and the fellows didn't propose to
give us any chance to save our lives by
giving it up. | think that one Of the
robbers who jumped also came to his
death, as a man was next day found at
that spot who had been cut in fragments
under the wheels. Some parts of this
adventure reached the press, but the ex-
press company hushed matters up in
every way possible, and in this effort they
were aided by the Government. 1t was
afterward said that every member eff the
gang was Chicago crook, and that the
man who personated the paymaster at
the Office was the Sergeant aboard my
car.-Neao York Sun.
A Bird of Freedoms Fury.
An eagle attacked peacock on the