The Olneyville tribune. (Providence, R.I.) 1893-189?, 1893-10-21
THE FIRST TRAIN ROBBERY.


occurred at Gad'S Hill, Mo, In 1874
Al that point and time an Adams eN-
press car, presided over by Messen-
ger Wilson, was held up on the Iron
Mountain road by the James boys and
looted. The Adams company lost
several hundred dollars, and the
United States mail car was robbed as
vel. AS most OF the living world
knows the story OF the James band,
the sequel 10 this primordial incident
may be guessed.
II was not the only train, however.
that was held up oy the James and
Younger brothers. All the after
years OF their outlaw experience were
stained by deeds OF which express
robbing was entirely the mildest.
Their example was also copied by
other ambitious intellects OF an igno-
rant but bloodthirsty turn.
A Reno gang sprang up in Indiana
and made their headquarters at Sey-
mour where the senior Reno aud his
family lived. Their operations COW
cred Southern Indiana from New Al
bany 10 Indianapolis. About fifteen
years since they began holding up
trains along with their other minor
enioyments.
In their operations as train robbers
only one messenger, according TO the
memories of several gentlemen,
figures. His name was Joe Dresbach,
aud for number OF recent years he
ran into St Louis. but now has
moved hence. The incident in Ques-
tion occurred when he was a messsen-
ger on the j., NJ. X l. road, running
from New York TO Indianapolis. One
night the Reno gang boarded his
train at a water tank, eighteen miles
south OF Seymour, Ind, and broke
into the express car. One OF the
gang had taken charge OF the engine
and was running the train. Dres-
bach refused TO comply with the pre-.
arranged details, and for his heroic
obstinacy was thrown of the train.
1t was purely accidental that he es.
capped death, for the train was NOV
ing swiftly, and the grading OF the
road was anything but smooth and
level. AS it was he was laid up for
months. Perhaps il will afford some
satisfaction TO many To know that
this same miserable gang perished ac-
cording TO their deserts Three
swung from beech three three miles
east OF Brownstown Ind, and seven
more OF them were taken by Jail
storming mob from the New Albany
prison and Justly hanged.
The work OF the starr gang in In
dian Territory was cruel enough, and
every one knows OF the many train
robberies that figured in il. The ex-
press messengers who surrendered To
human devels would have rammed
the cold barrel of Al down a vic
TINS throat and blazed away into his
anatomy before they would have been
interfered with.
Those who have read the exploits
OF Evans and Sontag can imagine how
a le2s messenger with a spark of OBJ
lection in him would fare at their
hands. Those two coOl-headed mur-
derers lived strangely dual exist.
ence, pretending TO he quite honest
citizens OF California, while making
a record OF crime that appalled, the
nation.
The desperadoes who push dyna.
mite sticks under expreSs-car doors or
stand erect upon the tender of fly
Ia engine and level the siIvered bar
rtS OF their revolvers straight upon
the cab crew In the shadowy glare OF
an engine furnace fire or moonlight
beams are fully determined and ell
thused. Like some crouching feline
Of the jungle, with the odor OF blood
in its nostrils, the desire OF gold is IN
their hearts, and neither the sight OF
human woe nor the thought of eter.
nal perdition could stop them.
In 1876 the Adams Express Com.
pany was plundered just beyond
Greenvllle, Ill, at lonely water
tank. In this case the messenger
fought the robbers off and was
wounded, though not seriously.
In 1881 Kellogg Nichols, a mes
senger OF the United States Express
Company, running on the Chicago,
Rock Island and Pacific road between
Chicago and Davenport. was killed
by express robbers The bandits
came upon the train between Mans.
field and Joliet, Ill. Nichols was
alone in the express car and back OF
him rolled baggage car, the master
OF which has ever since been con-
sidered an accomplice in the murder
How the robbery was conducted is
not known. The flying train never
stopped nor was any struggle heard.
Yet when the train pulled into Joliet
Nichols was found bruised and dead
upon the car floor, the express safe
looted and the robbers fed. lie had
been beaten 10 death with large
iron poker that lay near by.
The great Pacific robbery OF 1886,
wherein Messenger III. ID. Forthing-
ham and Fred Witrock, alias jim
Cummings, figured, is still a matter
OF public interest Iotheringham
took into his express car one Jim
Cummings, who bore a letter from
Superintendent Damsel. OF the ;slams