The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-10-31
a TRAIN HoLD-UP RECALLED NJ
THE WRECK At GARRLSoN'S.

tempt tn Rob the Bunsio special Would
ne. aud was Frustrated BY the Unexpected
Action or tho Head Brakeman OF the Train.
CDR. Dcpoyy's suggestion that tho wreck OF
tho Buffalo special at Garrlson's tho other
night was possibly the work OF train wTeckcrS
VINO were after tho $35O,OO0 or more in tho
safes OF the express company IN tho express
car recalls TO me-" said an old railroad man who
has seen u good deal OF service In the West,
"a desperate attempt of n gang Of road agents
to hold up tho Overland Flyer, cast bound, on
the Union Pacific road, near Rawlins, Wyo,
in the fall of 1888. This attempt was frus-
trated by tho unexpected action OF tho head
brakeman.
st will be remembered about this wreck Mt
Garrison's that just before the crash came the
engineer shut Off steam and started to apply
the air, at the same time letting go three sharp
whistles. 1t occurs to mo that 1t is po 'siblc
that he saw the train robbers ahead OF him
and thought that they were tramps on tic
track and that no was in danger OF hitting
them. Ho may have shut of and whistlcd and
they may have got off tho track. Then hc may
have opened tho throttle and gone ahead. TO tho
disaster. In that case the wrcckcrs saw the
terrible effect Of their use of dynamite and re.
allied that tho only thing for them 10 DO was
to get out of the country as quickly us possible,
all chance of booty having gone into the river
with the train.
"Tho affair near Rawlins was just about as
nervy as an attempt to hold up the Buffalo
special would have been. 1t was understood
that there was about $3.50, 900 coming east in
the express car of the Overland Flyer that day.
Overland Flyer-No. ., as she was known ON
tho train schedule OF tho Union P~acidc-was
tho biggest train on the road. the only fast
through passenger from the Pacific coast. She
usually carried from nine to eleven coaches,
including the slccpers, and was always heavily
loaded, 80 that road agents attempting to rob
her had to reckon on holding up or standing of
n good many men, and III that country, where
nearly every man carries u gun, 1t was a risky
+ -Four miles this side of Rawlins there was n
tank where No. = used to stop every night for
water. She reached there about half past = i'll
the morning; The night on which this at
light nj Sht in August. No. . pulled up ut the
tank and tho engineer jumped down to oil
around, while the fireman climbed out on the
tender and turned on the water. There were
two baggage and express. cars, II smoker, two
t paSiSshss ar I ,he tFain an stop ,oef the IleeR head 1 bra iue
man dropped Off, and, with his lantern SWING
ing on his arm. walked over to the engine to
gossip with the engineer. Just rs he set his
lantern down beside the engineer two men rose
out OF the ditch with rifles; One commanded
other covered the fireman, who was standing
upon the coal In the tender. But there was no.
body 10 cover the brakeman. He was the UNI
train robbers went TO pieces. Incidentally it
demonstrated the toolishness of cndcavoring to
pull off u hold up with rifles instead of revolt
vers. With II gun, as Western men call the re-
vo.ver, one man can cover several others, but
body can always tell whether the rifle is pointed
at him or not.
"As these two men covered the engineer and
fireman the rest of the. gang scattered along
down the train were beginning preparations for
the actual work of robbing tine express car.
calculated softly 10 himself, Well, this is no
place for me-, and stopped over as II TO pick UP
lantern lay q big lump OF coal. The brakeman
saw it.. recognized his opportunity, and took it.
He picked up the lump of coal instead OF the
lantern, and. as he Strengthened p,swung round
and with all his force hit the fellow who was
covering the engineer on the head and STAYED in
! his skull. Tho man foil with n groan, and the
other bandit let go at the fireman standing up
on the tender.
slant. He dropped his oil can and jumped into
his cab. and, with his heavy torch, smashed
ering the fireman shot once at the engineer
and. then turned to the brakeman, who. instead
started to run back 10 the front platform of the
first baggage car. Just Us the brakeman climbed
rifle caught him through tho hip. but he
at the first shot from the man at the en-.
ginc the other fellows along down the train
opened up in~discriminately.. shooting through
the car windows. The engineer wasted not q
second. As soon as his lights, were out, so that
he gave the robbers, no mark, he tipped over
his reverse lever and opened the throttle. He
realized that it was possible that the robbers
had placed some sort OF obstruction ON the track
ahead OF him and the best thing for him to DO
was 10 20 back; besides it was nearer 10 Raw
nm b srd" = M he s canT2 % = With t n" IRAN }rsi ne roh TSmI
firing rs long as they thought they had any
WHEN the train pulled into Rawlins the
brakeman was found hanging to the first plat
form OF the baggage car. The fireman had
crawled down over the coal into the cab before
they got to Tawlins. His right wrist was
broken, and the brakcman's right hip was
t nrokG w. dnne M UTc pra ao,na !, , hat Inc bm1 aI IN tEc
cars. 1t just happened that not a passenger
was hit. They were u mighty frightened lot
that got TO tawlins. If it hadn't been for tho
GOODNESS and quickncss of the brakeman the
probability is that the thieves would have got
the money in the express car. as well as the val
uablcs OF the passengers. That was just about
as nervy as i; would have heCn to try to wreck