The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1890-01-03
A WESTERN ADVENTURE.
How q Courageous Fireman Broke up
Band of Train Robbers.

How q Courageous Fireman broko up
Band of Train Robbers.
was engineer of the through Pacific
express on a leading Western railroad,
and had stopped my train at a water
tank that stood by the track in lonely
spot far from any prominent station
Just as my fireman was swinging up the
pipe after filing the tender from the
tank, man stepped suddenly into the
cab of the engine with revolver in each
hand, and said, in low, determined tone:
''Pull out, run to the woods and stop
there"
recognized at once noted desperate
for whose discovery reward OF a thou
sand dollars had been offered. knew II
was as useless to discuss point with
the revolver he held at my head as 1t
would have been for him to dispute the
right of way with my locomotive II he
were on the track below, where heart
lily wished I had him. The woods were
four miles ahead, and, of course, his
confederates were hidden there, waiting
to rob the train. I knew that the ex'
press car contained good many thou
sand dollars that day, and that any
gang of train robbers such as the des-
perado beside me would belong to,
would think nothing of killing the mes
senger in charge if he resisted, or even
hesitate for an instant to do their bid
ding. Then, besides the mail and bag
gage cars full of plumber, there were the
ten passenger coaches filled with pas
sengers, well toward a thousand people,
such as ride on frst-class express
train, and are sure to have a large
amount of money and other valuables.
made as hard and slow work of get
ting the heavy train under Roadway as
could, so as to gain time to think; and
while we drew too rapidly nearer and
nearer the woods where 1 must stop my
train and deliver all up to the robbers,
I canvassed plan after plan in my mind,
rejecting one after another as imprac-
ticable. The wrong end of a revolver
barrel close beside your head is a new
factor that seriously complexities many
an otherwise simple problem.
Meanwhile my fireman had quietly
kept about his business, appearing to
accept the situation as something that
could not be avoided, and for which he
was in no way responsible. Yet ]
thought he betrayed little nervousness
by his manner of firing. He would bring
small shovelfuls from the tender, going
to and fro more times than were neces-
sary to put that amount Of coal on the
fire, and, besides, would do this in q
sort of shutting, uncertain way, as if his
mind was so much on the trouble al
hand that he only half attended to what
he was doing.
A hammer lay on the bottom of the
tender, that was used for breaking
Jumps of coal that were too large. II
had handle two feet long, but COM
paratively small head. 1t was much
like an ice-pick, with a short Ratchet OF
wedge-shaped head on one side and a
point or spur on the other. I remember
noticing, without much thought except
that he did not seem to know what he
did, that every time he came from the
tender with coal he hit this tool with
his foot and moved it nearer the engine.
We came in sight of the woods, ap-
preaching them with express speed, and
my heart chilled as I thought of what
the next few minutes must bring forth,
when, quick as a flash, he caught the
hammer and dealt the outlaw blow in
the back of the neck at the base of the
skull that dropped him dead across the
foOtboard. The revolvers had hardly
touched the floor before each of US had
one in his hand. We emptied every one
of the twelve barrels into the woods as
we flew by, hoping that some stray shot
would go where it would do the most
good and secure our departing passen-
ger congenial company for his long
journey on the other line.
Within week afterward my fireman
was passing rich" with the thousand
dollar reward.-N. Y. Ledger.