The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1892-04-03

GaSEp Ssss1y s5 Ii i
moved by the tale chance rcmarls 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 Pacific service?-knows
that his heart is built in proportion to
his massive frame. Touch him right,
land no woman could be more tender;
rile him. and no grizzly could be more
fierce. Jim has seen exciting times in
the service of the Union Pacific, and!
his mind is stored with "reminiscences
LOT the early days of transcontinental
railroading.
We had been chatting in q rambling,
,desultory way of snow bound trains,
when the subject was 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, rest
Hng his elbows on his knees and sup
porting his chin with the palms of his
hands Now he sat bolt upright; his
eyes flashed and his whole manner
seemed to indicate that his brain was
conceiving a flood of eloquence 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 be-
gan to talk
Hold up" said he. 'T never was in
but one, and never hear of one that
doesn't call up the ghost of poor Char
lie White to haunt rue. Charlie was
an express guard in the early days. A
pluckier little man never breathed. He
had been n telegraph operator in
Frisco before he got on our run, and I
knew him first rate. Knew his wife,
itoo-for he was married-a little pink
and white wax doll sort of woman who
looked like saint. We had long runs
IN those days. Our division-Charles
changed with me-extended from
Frisco to b" Owe forgotten the sta
tion named by Jim.)
"Onc afternoon-we left at 2:2O-as
we were pulling out of the depot at
Frisco got the bell AS I brought
her to stand saw the Wells Fargo
imam run up to the express car and
hand Charlie n square tin box with a
grip handle. Looking back as she got
her head again saw the express agent
make motion to Charlie Leaning
half out the door Charlie slapped his
belt ana smiled.
Just beyond them saw something
,else-two rou3h-loolsing, bearded men,
swinging up one after another on the
rear platform of the last car Then T
thought nothing Of it; afterward I
knew they had been shadowing the ex-i
press agent
"All afternoon had IN uneasy feel
ing. Every engineer is bit supersti-
ftious, suppose, and remember that
II wondered if my uneasincss wasn't a
lprcmonition of bad luck. We ran
along without mishap during the early
evening, but when we stopped to take
water about nine o'clock caught sight
of dark figure stealing along in the
shadow of the express
81 called to Tom, my fireman, to see
who it was but when he turned it was
gone. This didn't bother me much at
the time; it might have been brake
or the conductor, but hadn't noticcd
any lantern.
while we were tearing away again
at pretty good pace suddenly caught
clicking sound like tho putting on OF
brakes. 1t was trifie up grade at that
point and l hadn't called for 'cm.
climbed back over the tender to see
what was the matter.
Just as got to the rear noticed a
widening gap between the tender and
the express and realized that we were
uncoupled and that the bell rope had
been cut; at the same time | saw one OF
the bearded men standing at the brake
wheel of the express. He had me covered
with six-shooter
"As l clambered back to the cab
heard shot; then half dozen of them
In quick succession. Road agents.!
Tom yelled in my ear as / took the
lever. l brought her up as quick as !
could and held her ready to run for.
ward or backward as circumstances
might decide.
"The train had almost come tn a
istandstill when | saw a CLEAN of light
cut through the night, about midway of
the car. Then that streak of light was
darkened by the heightened shadow of
"a man, which moved crosswise of the
train and seemed to melt out into the
night.
"'Get back, Charliel' yelled, for ]
Ehought he was about to look out for
the cause of our stopping.
"'Open your head again and I'll blow
1t off, said voice beside me. Turning
saw man at each of the cabs from,
windows. They had jumped up on the
pilot and crept back alongside of the
boiler.
''There seemed to bo dozen of the
xobbers. Not more than two had come
on the train, / am sure. The whole
thing had been planned. Thosn nea,