The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1893-12-15
A TRAIN "H0LD UP"
A RAILROAD MANS OBSERVATIONS OF
THE RoBBER GANGS METHODS.

Il have been connected with railroad
matters to a considerable extent, and
in 1892 travelled over 10000 miles as
special auditor of the Atchison, Tope-
ka and Santa Fe road. During that
time l often wished that might be
enabled to witness a regular hold up.
but / never had the opportunity. /
had little experience in Montana this
summer, however, and l know when
I've got enough"
The speaker was Mr.. Thomas III.
Higham, Of this city. The event to
which Mr.. Higham referred was the
sensational train robbery which took
place on the Northern Pacific road.
near Graycliff, Mont, in the latter part
OF last August, the sequel to which oc-
CURED n few weeks ago, when the
train robbers We're surrounded In q
hut and killed by posse which had
been In pursuit Of them. Both Of
these events We're chronicled in the
news columns at the time, but the ac-
counts published contained only the
meagre facts, and none of the interest
ing details.
II left Boston," Mr. Higham said,
"on July 20, and arrived in Livingston,
Mont, on August Z. l found that I
had an errand to the town of Billings,
IN that State, about 100 miles from
Livingston, and / took train for that
place ON the evening of August 26.
Ihls train was known as the No.
Eastern express on the Northern Pa
clfic, and it left Livingston at 6:15
O'Clock in the evening. 1t consisted of
the engine, an express car, few coach
es, and two Pullman sleepers. These
sleepers We're attached to the end of
the train, and in the last one had q
berth. There were eleven passengers
In this car, and four We're women. We
left Grayclff, small station about
siXty-five miles from Livingston, about
9:10 o'clock
About nine miles from this station
the train came to sudden stop, and
when we put our heads out of the
windows we were greeted by q shower
OF bullets, and were informed by some
persons outside, who emphasized their
remarks with plenty Of curses on our
curiosity, that if we had any interest
In living we had better keep under
cover. We took the advice at once.
and the next incident was the passage
of the conductor through the train tell
Ing us what we had already surmised.
that the train had been held up by
robbers, and advising us to hide our
yaluables If we did not want them
taken from us.
Il didn't have great deal of money.
but what i did have / did not feel like
making present of to bandits. so I
pulled out my pocketbook, in which /
had about $3.50, picked out a few small
Dllls which | placed in my vest pocket.
ana then slipped the rest of the roll
inside the collar of my shirt and let it
slip down. | thought that as safe n
place MS any for it. Then | unscreWed
500 diamond stud which was wear
ing in my shirt front and sent it to
Keep company with the money. / was
also wearing a gold watch and chain.
worth about 500, and this | deposited
In the same bank. / then awaited de-
yeiopments, which We're not long in
coming.
III seems that when the train left
Graycliff two of the robbers got on TO
the front of the express car, and after
the train had got fairly under way
they masked themselves and crawled
over the tender and down into the
CAB. The engineer afterwards told me
that the first he knew of the matter
he felt n Winchester rifle pressed
against his head and heard q man say:
,Pull down the road until you're tagged
by light. Then stop, and if you
make suspicious move it will be your
ilst.' He obeyed orders, and about
nine miles from Graycliff he saw the
light described and brought the train
to a full stop. There two more mask
ed men boarded the train, took the
engineer and fireman from the cab,
and, after searching them for firearms,
marched them to the express car They
ordered the fireman to give the signal
for the opening of the car to the mes
senger inside, and he did so. Then
the crowd got In and proceeded to
Investigate
There were two safes In the car,
one a small One known as the way
safe and large one, called the
through safe The little safe is used