The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-02-19
Found the Money Missing When
They Returned to Take
It Away.
FELL INTO RARMEN's HANDS.
Sensational Evidence at the Examina.
tion of the Man Who Squandered
the Loot.

SACRAMENTO, CAL, Feb. 1S-The
examination of John 2. Harmen. the
tramp who found the loot OF the Yolo
train robbery, and who had been posing as
an embryo millionaire i'll San Francisco
until captured in that city ten days ago,
was commenced in Judge Henry's court
to-day. The proceedings created more
than ordinary Interest from the fact that
Brady, one of the participants in the rob-
berry, who was brought down from the
Folsom penitentiary to testify, made q
confession OF the manner in which the
robbery was performed and detailed in
full all the incidents which occurred.
This is the first time Brady admitted COM
plicity in the robbery.
A large crowd was in attendance at the
hearing. The defendant, who is repre-
sented by ex-senator T. S. Sprague, is a
short. stocky. well-dressed man, whose
face indicates that he possesses more than
usual cunning. His hair is gray and
scant, and he wears gold trimmed glasses
that tend to give him rather arlstocratic
air. The morning session was consumed
in hearing the testimony of the various
agents of Wells Fargo & Co. as to the
amount of coin that had been shipped
on the train that was stopped, and the
story of J. D. Paige, the express messen-
ger on the train.
In the afternoon Convict Brady made
his appearance in the courtroom and was
placed upon the stand He testified that his
name was Harry Williams, but that he
was better known as Jack Brady, gave his
present residence as Folsom, and then
continuing he said
ION the night of the 11th of October 1
and man named Brown held up the
overland train about six miles from Sacra-
mento, in the direction of Davisville. We
had secreted our arms the night before
near the scene where the robbery took
place and left the city shortly before dark
to walk TO the spot. On the way
we met and stopped a trackwalker who
We stood up, and after taking his watch
and money we made him stop the train.
He did so, not daring to resist, as he was
almost frightened to death.
Brown went on one side of the train
and l on the other. 1 heard Brown say:
Come out of that, youp and then saw the
engineer get down from the engine. Then
[ made the fireman get down and we all
went back to the express car. We told the
messenger 10 open the door, but he refused
and began firing through the door. Then
Brown and I fired back through the door,
and in a minute or so the messenger
seemed to think better of it and opened UP.
Then we all piled into the car, and while
held the messenger up Brown went
through the local boxes. Then we COM
pelled the messenger to open the safe and
Brown took out four sacks of money, and
while doing it the messenger looked at
him, and Brown said: Turn around there
or I'll fix you,' and he obeyed.
1--WE took six packages in all, making
the engineer and fireman carry them to
the engine, which we uncoupled from the
train. Then we got on the locomotive
and pulled out. We kept going until we
came to sign which said, One mile to
the drawbridge.' Here we stopped took
the money off and then, reversing the en-
gine, sent her back toward the train. We
then went into the thick brush short dis
tance, dug a hole and planted the larger
sacks, retaining the smaller one, which
contained about $500 or $170O. Then we
hid our rifles about twenty or thirty feet
from where we buried the stuff and
skipped.
''At that time we both had bicycles and
had no trouble in getting away. We came
back six different times after hiding the
money, but of course could get no trace of
it. We always came on bicycles, conceal
ing them in the brush while prosecuting
our search"
After being arrested Brady had gone to
the spot where the money had been
secreted with Detective Thacker. He then,
by aid of a rough diagram, showed where
the robbery had occurred and the money
been secreted, claiming that he had been
told by the real robber. The hiding-place
of the money was just $50 steps from the
track. On the stand to-day Brady said
that he and Brown had carefully laid their
plans for the robbery, but were greatly
surprised to find they had captured such
large amount. He had shot into the car
for the purpose OF frightening the messen-
ger and with no idea of hitting him, as it
would do no good to do that.
While he was uestifying Brady acted as
though he was proud of being train-rob-
Der and rather enjoyed the notoriety he
had achieved. He appears hale and hearty.
as though prison life agreed with him, and
he showed no hesitancy in answering any
questions which were propounded TO him.
Ex-senator Sprague, who is conducting
Harmen's defense, is in doubt as to
whether he will introduce any testimony
ON the part of the defense or not and the
examination vii. probably be concluded
tomorrow.