The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-01-06
49, s@s
W(IIit Eagle

force, without
Selling disguised at the way the profess
Sional robber has degenerated into a
tough In nv time, when / was an ez-
press messenger on the old G. d Z. r
r, your robber was a sharp, shrewd
man, who perhaps carried plan in his
head for six months. He sometimes
worked with pal" but as for six or
eight Of ia en- banding together and
holding up a passenger train like a
gang of Ne xican brigands, they had
too much chIvalry about them. / had
been employed in the Buffalo Office
over a year before got the run
east. My Instructions were simply
10 'look out for everybody" I
was twenty-throe years old and pretty
well posted on the way crooks worked
the express cars. There were lots Of
them about and banks and express
messengers were their big game.
wish to explain TO you that the con
tracts with the railroads in those DAYS
only called for oue-third Or one-half
the baggage car Rates we're high and
not one-twentieth part Of the stuff now
shipped went by express then. Some
times had nothing at ell except the
small iron safe in which the money
was carried. The bzggageman there
fore occupied the same car and the
conductor and brakeman were priv
legged to pass through or sit down on the
trunk for q chat and smoke, ! knew
the conductor OF the train on which I
LETT Buffalo very well, and during the
run TO EImira l became acquainted
with the baggagemau and brakeman.
We had stop of twenty-five minutes
a. El0ira for supper and TO receive
express and passengers from other
roads Two messengers came TO the
car with money paSks ages AID other
light stuff, and we checked of and re-
ceiPSed- Before they came and almost
as soon Is We stopped the bagzGgeman
left the car to gas his supper. I not
only saw him drop eff the steps. but
cross the tracks and enter the dining
room. Five minutes later, while busy
with the other messengers, the man re-
turned. l took notice that ne had q
piece Of Pie in his hand, having only
bou-5 a lunch. He began moving
trunks, about and gave him no more
attention until the messengers had
departed. Then as I was placing the
packages In the safe and checking
OF each one I suddenly missed
ole marked 1.-TWO thousand dollars"
was sure it had been at nv
right hand a moment before, and 1
sprang up to see the baggaFernau Just
going out l overhauled him on the
steps and seized him without a word,
and after a lively scrimnaFe on the
platform he was secured. Well. who
DO you think be was? Instead Of being
Jack White, the real baFgsgeman, he
was wen-known crook named Waiter
Floyd whose nickname was sly
Floyd He was about Whites height
and build, and be had got q suit OF
clothes and cap just Ike Whites He
had watched operations until he knew
just how things went at Elmira, and
having made one haul ne thought be
could do another iust as easy. Had he
got away / should have been willing TO
swear that il was Jack White who
came into the car. AS Jack sat u the
Buppor table with the conductor for
over twenty minutes he could have
proved his absence. Then the company
would have believed me dishonest and
should have believed the two men
were equally guilty Of the robbery.
Floyd had the package on him when
captured. lie was an CID offender and
'-vvanted" IN half dozen places.
The fact OF a new messenger taking
lie run must have been passed around
sllolg the cr"os0s pretty e~to- siralv,
Tor 1 soon discovered that they we're
& ,r ms from al directions. The next
',i5o7 put up on ne ended N a tragedy
and opened the eyes Of express COM
-lnies very wide As the time table
:, II then arranged we had supper at
EinGhanton on the return run. After
the train lad drawn up 20 the station
and lee the passengers OF it side
tracked to coal and water the engine
ard give the east bound express the
depot track There was dslsv Of
about forty minutes, and after receiv-
ing my express matter looked the car
and went TO supper, being absent from
y
must have got on to the programme and
waited for his opportunity. One dark
and rainy evening IS the train was side
tracked a man who was never identi-
fed began work on the express car.
Tho rear lett-hand corner was always
given up 10 the messerger. and the safe
was placed against the side OF the car.
BY using a brace and bit and a saw
one fellow cut square section right
out Of the car around the safe, aud De
was not above fifteen minutes doing 1t.
was taking a lot Of gold out on that
run. and the safe was weight for two
strong men t. 5rag across me car. The
Eobber was only = medIurn-sized man.
and was evidently alone, He at
tempted TO pull the safe out on his
shoulder 70 carry il of. but the weight
crushed him down aud in falling bis
head struck the rail and his skull
was fractured When ! entered the
car and saw the hois and noted the all
sence of the Ssfe rlF heart seemed to
stop beating Tor e moment. THEN 7
staEgerea ONT 70 give ,sc al7-rn. bat IS
/ ilstinctively tur1lG 10 look on that
side Of the car I saw tae man ana the
safe On the ground lie was uacou-
scious, but not dead. lie lived three
or four days after being taken % .
hospital but nothing was found on his
person by which he could bs identified.
After that all express ears were ar
mored on the inside with sheet IRON or
boiler Plate, while q caTin and PAD
lock secured the SAFE % the foor-
One % tie easiest. sroCthCSt takers