The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1894-10-13


Securing the Country in All Df-
rectioDs Without Result.
San Francisco Oct. 1.-THE bandits
who held up a Southern Pacific over
land train a few miles west of Sacra-
mento last night and looted the Wells,
Fargo company's express car, secured
over $4,000. They seem to have elud-
ed the officers and escaped with their
! plumber, which was nearly all in gold
\ coin and consequently heavy burden.
| Beyond the mere supposition that the
bandits are railroad men who have
been in the employ of the Southern Pa
cific-and their supposition is based
only on their apparent familiarity with
railroad methods and their ability to
successfully handle a iocomotive-the
pursuing officials have little to work
upon. The astounding success of the
hold-up was not known until this af-
ternoon. Earlier reports of the rob-
berry gave the amount of money taken
as $780, When inquiry was made
this morning at the general offices of
the Wells, Fargo company in this city,
Manager Cooper declined TO state how
much plumber the robbers had secured,
declaring ii was simply a matter be-
tween the express company and the
consignees Of the treasure. He refused
positively to give any information on
the point. The truth came out, how
a lever, when the Southern Pacific COM
N pany issued a circular offering a re-
ward of $4,000 for the arrest of the
gTs~o robbers and the recovery of the
Il plunder. In this circular it is stated
that the bandits plundered the express
car OF over 900 in gold. The circu-
lar aHnounces that the Southern Pa
ciic company and the Wells Fargo
company, will pay $1,000 for the cap
cure of each robber and $1,000 for the
recovery of the money, or a proper
tonate amount for any part ofe the
whole.
At Sheep Camp Crossing.
The robbery occurred about seven
miles beyond Devisville, at crossing
known as Sheep Camp, and was a
daring crime. Four sacks of coin were
secured from the express car. Mes
senger Jack Paige barely escaped with
his life. The loot amounted to about
$1,000. Engineer Bill Scott, of the Og-
den overland. that left San Francisco
at p. M, and his fireman were forced
at the muzzles of rifles to carry coin
sacks from the express car to the en-
CINE. Then the robbers uncoupled the
1t was well planned and skilfully eX-
ecuted robbery.
The robbers waylaid the trackwalker
on his bicycle about 9 O'Clock, tied him
hand and foot. stole $3.50 from him
and left him HELPLESS at the side of the
track. The trackwalker was just pull
ing out from Sheep Camp and the Over
land already in sight. With the track
walkers lantern the robbers signalled
No to stop. Scott slowed up, but did
n not come to a standstin until the ex-
plosion of dynamite bombs under the
engine warned him that it was useless
to risk further disabling his engine.
BY this two robbers were on the en-
CINE. They sprang on from opposite
sides and began shooting at once. The
passengers and train hands say quite
a number Of shots were fired before
anybody knew what It was all about.
The robbers made the engineer and
fireman 6ismount and walked them
back with rifles at their heads to the
rear of the express car, where the vic
Tins were ordered to uncouple the
t3,ain. This was done speedily and be-
fore the express messenger or the mail
clerk or any of the other trainmen
-><lknew what vas up, the engine was
a speeding ahead and drawing only the
= two forward mail cars and Wells, Far
go & Co.'S express car.
Sublime Nerve of the Robbers.
They went ahead about five miles.
with the robbers and the engineer and
fireman on the engine. The rest Of the
train remained at Sheep Camp in i'm
rninent peril Of being telescoped by the
Oregon train in the rear.
When the captured cars We're halted
Engineer Scott and the fireman were
marched back to the express car, where
the robbers made a demand on Messen-
ger Paige to open the door. He refused.
"By -, we will shoot the engineer
and fireman if you don't open in hur-
~" said one robber. the tallest of the
two. while the other masked man held
two dynamite bombs UP to view in the
clear moonlight and threatened to blow
the express car to pieces unless ii was
opened at once. Still Paige hesitated,
end some shots were fired through the
y glass door OF the car at him, one OF
which graZed his temple, and filled 1t
with bits of broken glass. Then the en-
gineer called out TO Paige to open the
door,
Were covered with guns. and they
will kill us if you don't OPEN" said
Scott.
Still Paige desisted, and began to fire
through the door, but his aim was wild.
and again Scott, in fear of his life,
called upon the messenger to open, say
ing that the robbers would surely blow
him up unless he gave in.
The messenger finally opened the
door. one rOnDer Inen covered the mes
senger and the engineer and fireman
With his rifle, while the other searched
fe the coin. He found four sacks. one
III tanning 5000 in silver and small
Deange, another filled with small silver
d two bags of gold.
"There was a good Geal of treasure on
y the train, however, which the robbers
did not secure.
II was about out of ammunition
said Messenger Paige, land Scott was
so radly frightened that 1 opened the
door then to save his life. | am sure
they would have killed him if 1 had
held back a moment longer"
When the door was opened the en-
ginSer and fireman were ordered to
Jump into the car. The robbers fol-
lowed them. Train No. 10 was close be-
hind and the bandits knew that time
was precious. The engineer and fire.
man was made to carry the booty to
the engine and deposit where directed
~ Kindly Returned the Engine.
The robbers mounted the engine and
4 rode OF, leaving the engineer and fire.
man behind. They went down the road
seward Sacramento and then they re-