Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1890-03-14

utstaHSC vi elgutccl IliieS. III WV
small stations between were not on our
time card. The train sped along at q
rate of forty miles an hour, and pretty
soon out went the safes. Then the men
ran out ut 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 l rose up
and took flying leap straight
| out into the darkness after tho
money. There was long pile of
gravel on that side, and struck into
this, turned over aud over half u
dozen times, and finally brought up i'll n
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 | could free my
mouth aud eyes of dirt started down the
! track. found the first safe on the edge
of the ditch, and the second II hundred
feet away beside stump. dragged
mine down to the paymastcr's, then got
out my revolver and hid behind stump,
and pretty soon heard the fellows com
ing down the track They had brought
the train almost to a standstiil, aud then
signalcd it to go ahead aud jumped.
They were hunting along the ditch rs
they came, and waited until they wcre
within five rods before opened fire and
jumped up and shouted. 'IIcrc they
arc, boys; shoot them dosn!"
They didn't stand for second, but
went OFF rs fast as they could heel it. fol-.
lowed by my bullets, aud half an hour,
later | had the safes aboard of freight
train. An investigation proved that
Goodhuc was blind drunk OH that night
He had accepted I'm offer TO drink with
a stranger, and had been piled with liquor.
until he fell down OH the street. The
robbers must have known him we'll, and
have also been familiar with our way of
working. Who they were we ncvcri
knew.
In November, 1854 when began the
run between St. Louis and Chicago there
was scarcely a week that something did
not occur to arouse my suspicious. The
hcft OF the money went South, but there
was always enough on citlc' run to-
tempt robbcr to take desperate chances.
had middlc-agcd steady going man AS
assistant, ami it would have had to be II
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 a man along
to act as special guard. These mem
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 Mt the office, Il
military looking man, who claimed to be
Il paymastcr, entered and arranged to
express his safe to St. Louis. Its con-
tents were said to DC upward of $500. 900,
and he applied for permission to send
two trusty soldiers along in the car L
heard this much without having taken
any special interest in the case. When VIC
came to receive our stuff from the wagons
there was Il paymastcr's safe, aud a little
later ON ii man dressed in the uniform of
IL Sergeant of infantry, and accompanied
by Il private soldier. presented an order
permitting them to ride in our car ms
IL guard.
While everything was regular, did not.
like the looks Of the men. They seemed
to me to be tough characters, and when.
| got Il 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 rcvolvcrs where we!
could grab them OH the instant, and -
we worked over our way bills we kept a.
weather eye open for signs. For time;
! it looked us if we had done the men an.
! injustice. One took seat on the safe
and the other in chair. Each lighted III
cigar, and their conversation, rs we over.
heard word now and then, related to-
military matters aud was honest and,
straight When Graham and had fin.
ishcd 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 ut them from under the
vizor of my cap, both arose, stretched
themselves, and rs 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 shy whether the fight lasted
one minute or five, but when it ended 1
had flesh wound in the left arm, rake
across the cheek and bullet hole in my
cap. Graham had an car split by Il
bullet and another embedded in his
shoulder, aud the car was in darkness. |
struck Il match, lighted candle and
1 IL - IL,