Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1896-10-01
ROCEER IN A COFFIN.
Thrilling Experienced with a Gang
of DeSperadOeS,

The tightest corner ever got into"
! said the express messenger was when
! | WAS travelling on the Southern Pacific
road had Just woke up out OF "A nap
| in the eNpre-s-roOm when | saw some
| thing that froze the blood in my veins
| There wa. a colin in one end OF the
room. and could just catch ID glimpse
| Of "a cruel face turned toward me. 1t
| belonged 10 a tiaiurobber. l was sure,
| ald my rifles were on the other side of
| the car II | made Il step he would
shoot me dead. and then notify his
associates. who We're probably in the
passenger car.
| We had enough gold on board to
make Il man rich. felt the response
bility, and knew must act AT once.
! pretended to awaken by making two
or three movements with my hands.
aud to my intense relief the cover of
the pine box quickly dropped to its
place. Without making any buried
motion. rubbed my eyes, CAPPED once
or twice, and slowly rose to my feet
We'll, we'll" l said aloud, 1--WE
been asleep"
Then l proceeded o rummage
pened, but my nerves were not relaxed
an instant. Before the train had gone
five miles farther had some nails in
my pocket. A quick, careless glance
shove me hole in the side of the
box through which the robber was
undoubtedly watching every move
ment made.
l did not go near the revOlvers or
rifles. 1t would have taken but a
second for him to have raised the lid
and shot me, and knew he would do
so if approached them. Instead OF
that | carelessly assorted a pile of
| express matter near the box, with a
view to what was to do.
| was terribly excited, though I
tried 10 appear cool. When | was all
ready | threw several heavy packages
on the lid, sat down on the box, and
hastily nailed down the lid. | heard
a. bcioC WiLiiiiI anu lcib ID l)IcSSuEc DIS
my prisoner endeavored to raise the
lid. The weight was too great and
soon had all the nails driven in to hold
him fast. He was secured, but to
make sure OF him | surrounded the
box with heavy bundles and piled
upon it the heaviest boxes the car con-
tanned.
l sat down for minute to recover
myself: then. taking down a rifle, l
cooked It loud enough for him to hear
chow many more are there aboard
the train?' | asked, placing my mouth
to crack between the bricks.
In reply heard mut1led sound re-
scmbling curse, and rs all the holes
through which he might shoot were
covered with gold and silver l put my
mouth nearer and asked the question
again.
l received no reply, and going to
the other end OF the car | quietly
opened the door leading to the plat
form. The night air rushed in and
the noise of the train with it. making
din in my cars. We were running at
Il high rate of speed around the hills
that abound in that region.
l stepped to the platform of the next
car. 1t was smoSing-car The
train-robbers We're already at work.
Two men in the forward end, within
five feet of me. commanded Il view of
every passenger. with their levcled re-
volvers. and two more were going
down the aisles for the valuables.
1T was a terrible IN Jment to me. /
felt keen sympathy for the passen-
gers. whose terror-stricken faces /
could see in the dim light from the
lamps, but | was helpless; doubtless a
similar scene was being enacted in the
other passenger and sleeping ears.
l was hot and cold by turns. l
watched the villains going coolly on
with their work until began to think
OF my own safety. Charley Slate a
brakeman, was bound hand and foot in
the forward seat in Il few minutes
they would finish their daring work
ana come to my car. did not doubt
that the fellow l had imprisoned in
the pine box was an accomplice. and
II they should find the door of the ex-
press car locked they would break it
open to see what had become of him.
and kill me ii resisted.
This would enable them to take pos
session of the money, bullion, and val
liable packages and escape. l knew
they would not kill any one if he did
not resist. and inside OF five minutes
they would demand an entrance to NV
car
Already the two robbers had nearly
reached the farther end of the smoking
car Thousands of dollars were in nv
care: l must save it.
Without any more hesitation STEM
ped to the platform OF my car, Crashed