The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1891-12-12
TRAIN ROBBERS.
Engineer Jim Tells of the Express
Messengers Fidelity.

messengers tldellCy.
We were sitting in the sun on the
South side of the Montana union depot,
in Butte. when Jim told the story.
There was a tremor in his voice and a
moisture in his eyes that marked how
deeply his feelings were moved by the
tale a chance remark led him to tell.
Everyone who knows Jim Cook-and
who doesn't know the rugged engineer,
one of the oldest men in the Union Pa
cific scrvicc?-knows that his heart is
built in proportion 10 his massive
Touch him right, and no wom-
an could be more tende.; rifle him, and
no grizzly could be mor> fierce. Jim
has seen exciting times in :he service
of the Union Pacific, and his mind is
stored with "reminiscences of the early
days of transcontinental r~ailroading.
We had been chatting in Il rambling,
desultory way of snow-bound trans,
when the subject vas suddenly shifted
and happened to mention the robbery
OF a Northern Pacific train near Fargo.
Jim's manner changed instantly.
He had been leaning forward, resting
his elbows on his knees and supporting
his chin with the palms of his hands.
Now he sat bolt upright; his eyes
flashed and his whole seemed
to Indicate that his brain was c~onceiv-
ing a flood of eloqucnce his tongue
could not fashion into words. One
could see tragedy in his face, but the
next minute the expression changed to
one of pity. Then he began to talk. |
wish an adequate idea of his manner
of telling it could be given with his
story. lie seemed to see the thing he
was describing.
Hold up said he. Il never was in
but one, and never lear of one that
doesn't call upthe ghost of poor Charlie
White 10 haunt me. Charlie was an
express guard in the early days \
pluckier little man never hrcathed. He
had been 4 telegraph operator in 'Fris-
before he got on our run. and |
knew him first rate. Knew his wife.
too. for he was marricd-a little pink
and white wax-doll sort of woman who
looked like a saint. We had long runs
in those days. Our division-Charlic
changed with m~e-cxtended from 'Fris-
CO to b" 1--we forgotten the station
named by JIM
''One aftcrnoon-we left at 2:2O-as
were pulling out of the depot at
/ got the bell. As ! brought
her to a stand | saw the Wells-Fargo
run up TO the express ear and
hand Charlie Il square tin box with a
grip handle. Looking back as she got
her head again | saw the express agent
make Il motion to Charlie. Leaning
half out the door Charlie slapped his belt
and smiled.
Just beyond them | saw something
rough-looking. bearded men,
swinging up one after another on the
platform of the last FAR. Then |
thought nothing of it: afterward !
they had been shadowing the
express agent
".All afternoon / had an uneasy feel ,
ing. Every engineer is a bit supcrsti-
| suppose, and | remember that
| wondered if my uncasiness wasn't a
premonition of bad luck. We ran along
mishap during the early even
ing, but when we stopped to take water
about nine o'clock | caught sight of a
lark figure stealing along in the shadow
Of the express.
Il called to Tom, my fireman, to see
Nho it was, but when he turned it was
zone. This didn't bother me much at
he time: it might have been n brake
1r the conductor, but hadn't noticed
my lantern.
While we were tearing away again
It a pretty good pace suddenly caught
clicking sound like the putting on of
1t was a trifie up grade at
hat point and ! hadn't called for 'em.
Tom to keep going as. she was,
climbed back over the tender to see
what was the matter.
Just as | got to the rear | noticed
widening gap between the tender and
he express and realized that we were
lncouPled and that the bell rope had
cut: al the same time | saw mi of
bearded men standing at the brake
Wheel of the express lie had me COW
rcd with a six-shooter.
As | clambered back to the cab |
Il shot: then half a dozen of them
n quick succession. Road agents.
yelled in my ear as ! took the
ever. I brought her up as quick as
could and held her ready to IL for
ward oil backward a circumstances
%ht decide.
The train had almost come to a
tandstill. when | saw a CLEAN of light
Mt through the night about midway
f the car. Then that streak of light
darkened by the heightened
hadow of Il which moved cross
Use OF the train and seemed to melt !
nj into the night. 3.
Get back, Charlie.. ! yelled. for
he was about to look ont for
he cause of u stopping. .
" Open your head again and I'll /,