The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1893-01-13

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Selling Disguised at the way the profess
.ioual robber has degeneratcd into a
,ouch. In nv time. when was an ex-
mss messenger on the old q. & +. X.
= vour robber was q sharp, shrewd
man. who perhaps carried plan in his
head for six months. lie sometimes
worked with ''pal," but as for six or
.;ght Of them banding together and
holding up q passenger train like q
Gang Ct Mexican brigands, they had
tao much chivalry about them. had
been employed in the Buffalo Office
|orer a year before I got the run
east NV instructions were simply
to look out for everybody" l
was twenty three years old and pretty
well posted on the way crooks worked
lie express cars. There were lots of
them about and banks and express
passengers were their big game.
|uish 10 explain TO you that the con-
tracts with the railroads in those days
Iouly called for onc-third or one-half
HE baggage ear. Rates were high and
|uo. one twentieth part of the staff now
kapped went by express then. Some
.ines had nothing at all except the
mall iron safe in which the money
was carried. The baggageman there
fore occupied the same car and the
rouductor and brakeman were privi-
e.pd to pass through or sit down on the
trunk for chat and a smoke. knew
he conductor of the train on which
s.t Buffalo very well. and during the
Fzn to Elmira l became acquainted
kiih the baggageman and brakeman.
We had stop Of twenty-five minutes
EIIi-z for supper and 90 receive
FzFress and passengers from other
roads Two messengers came to the
ar with money packages and other
gh, stuff. and we checked off and re-
sp:ed. Before they came aud almost
) soon as we stopped the baggageman
eft the car to get his supper. not
prly saw him drop Off the steps. but
t'oss the tracks and enter the dining
pom Five minutes later, while busy
9TH the other messengers, the man re-
nrnec- ! took notice that he had
|ece Q! PIE in his hand. having only
ought lunch. He began moving
uax about and gave him no more
|xnton until the messengers had
pred. Then rs ! was placing the
t1ages In the safe and checking
each one / suddenly missed
marked 1.-TWO thousand dollars. =
vas sure it had been at my
Fsas hand a moment before, and l
Frany mp to see the baggageman tust
prg out ! overhauled him on the
KS and seized him without a word.
NJ after lively scrimmage on the
s'sorm he was secured. Well. who
You think he was? Instead of being
aek White. the real baggageman, he
as well-known crook named Walter
oTd. whose nickname was sly
oyd-" He was about Whites height
p build. and he had got suit of
o;hes and a cap just like Whites. lie
p watched operations until he knew
y how things went at Elmira. and
fElng made one haul he thought he
Fala do another just as easy. Had he
away / should have been willing to
PEAR that il was Jack White who
me into the car. As Jack sat at the
f7er table with the conductor for
= twenty minutes he could have
wed his absence. Then the company
0uld have believed me dishonest and
saould have believed the two men
re equally guilty of the robbery.
lloyd had the package on him when
'ared- He was an old offender and
1aa'ed" in half dozen places.
iae fact OF new messenger taking
run must have been passed around
ny the crooks pretty extensively,
! soon discovered that they were
= me from all directions. The next
y put up on me ended in tragedy
opened the eyes of express COM
A'es very vide. As the time table
! then arranged we had supper at
1snamton on the return run. After
''ain had drawn up to the station
'et the passengers OF it side
sAed TO coal and water the engine
give the eastbound express the
y track. There was q delay Of
' forty minutes, and after receiv-
ay express matter locked the car
vent to supper. being absent from
'out twenty minutes. Some crook
nave got on to the programme and
ec Tor his opportunity. One dark
amy evening as the train was side
sa man who was never identi-
Esan work on the express car.
rear lefthand corner was always
'Aup 70 the messenger. and the safe
faced against the side Of the car.
Eng brace and bit and a saw
low cut square section right
.he car around the safe, and he
~ above fifteen minutes doing it.
eaking a lot of gold out on that
"n Inc safe was a weight for two
y men to drag across the car. The
vas only a mcdium-sizcd man.
80 evidently alone. He at
~ 20 pull the safe out on his
70 carry 1t on, but the weight
M MN down and in falling his
sruck the rail and his skull
Maceured. When I entered the
Y !. Jaw the hole and noted the alb
.ne safe my heart seemed TO
rrsnng Tor n moment. Then |
M. No.. out TO give the alarm, but rs
- A..'veiy turned To look on that