Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1897-06-14
TWOADYENTURES OPATRAMP
INTO WHICH, ALSO, ENTERS A TRAIN
ROBBER OR TWO.
Nate silvia, Who Recently Broke Jail,
las an Oklahoma Record
That Makes Breezy
adi

ether night, and slipped away in the dark
Eess. Although Silvia is unknown TO gen.
eral police fame in Missouri. he has a
reputation down in Oklahoma that more
than compensates for his lack of police APP
probation in this locality. Deputy United
States Marshal Chris Madsen. of this city.
is well acquainted with Silvia, having met
him on the bounding prairies of the South
west during the days when the six-shoOter
was the arbiter of the majority Of the
differences that arose between the resi-
dents of that portion of the universe.
While Silvia was not a member of the
Dcolin or the Dalton gang. he was inti-
mately acquainted with them and occa-
sionally took a land in the work of halt
ing and looting trains down near the Salt
Fork of the Arkansas.
Along in the spring of 1894 Silvia. Feel
Young and several other choice spirits
planned to rob the south bound passenge.
train on the Rock Island road, their in
tention being to halt the train just south
of Pond Creek. which was then one of
the flourishing towns of the recently
opened Cherokee Strip. and rob the express
car. Silvia and Young were passengers
on the train when it pulled into Pond
Greek between 10 and IL o'clock that night.
Jake Harmon the train guard, was sitting
in the smoker talking to Young. A tramp
FAo oAA NAAC BA1AAD Al - AAAC bAo
gage car next to the tender. Just as the
train began to pull away from the depot
two men leaped to the platform beside the
tramp and when the town had been left d
mile behind they drew handkerchief masks
from their pockets and adjusted them over
their faces. Three miles south of Pond
Creek station was Pond Creek, the gov
ernment town and the county seat. which,
at hat date, was without a depot because
of a difference between the railroad Of
ficials and the government. As the train
GlGpd through the county seat one of the
men said to the tramp:
There is going to be some fun down
here and the best thing for you to do when
the train stops is to get or and run as
though the devil was after you"
Half a mile further on the men climbed
over the tender and covered the enginee
and fremen with their revolvers. The en-
gineer was ordered to stop the train. He
did so, and one of the men peering from
the cab windows ripped out an oath and
ordered the engineer to go ahead. The
train was run fifty yards further and
stopped. Two or three men appeared out
of the arknesS and with the men from the
engine attacked the express car, the mes
senger refusing to open the door. With dy-
Mantle one side of the car was blown out
and one OF the robbers was preparing TO
enter the car when a bullet flashed through
his heart and a fusillade of shots put the
gang to rout. It was Jake Harmon; of
the train slowed down the first time his
suspicious were aroused and he started for
the car door. Young asked him what was
80 LAN 49, WV N~ASNAs
Train robbers"
Give me a gun and I'll go with you,'
said Young.
Harmon paid no heed, but when the train
finally stopped he got off and kneeling,
took deliberate aim and toppled over the
robber nearest the car.
In the meantime the rear brakeman had
dropped from the train and hurried into
Pond Creek the government town. and
spread the news of the robbery. \ barn
stOrming company had given a show there
that night and it had just let out. The
younger men started for the train with a
whoop. One eXcitable fellow rushed to his
cabin and grabbing his Winchester ran to
the track and waving the gun above his
head shouted
Anybody who's got some cartridges fol-
low me-"
Three or four hundred men were racing
down the track at a breakneck, speed
of a man running up the track from the
train. Instantly the crowd parted and fold
ed about the man, making him prisoner.
1t was the lone tramp. He was at once
hailed as one of the robbers and cool coun-
Gil was needed to save him from being
lynched.
When the train had come to a standstilI
the tramp had followed the robbers in
junction by s%pringing from the platform
and running as though he were pursued
by the red fellow with the horny tail. His
course lay to the west, and he ran for
probably a mile. when he became con-
fused and turned back to the track and
started for Pond Creek just in time to be
captured. To say that the crowd of harum
scarum young fellows who comprised the
bulk of the town population in the early
days of the Strip were elated with their
capture is putting it mildly. He was TAX
en- to the train and placed in a coach
while his captors discussed whether 1t
would be better to hang him with the bell
rope to a telegraph pole, or take him to
Pond Creek and make a daylight exhibit
ton of the event.
All this time the tramp had never said a
word. His face was as white as the dirt
on II would permit and a look Of abject
terror blazed from his eyes. 1t was finally
decided TO take him back to the city,
where everybody could see him. The dead
rohber was chucked into a car as though
he were a sack of corn and the train
jail and the dead man was placed in a
feed store, there being no undertaken in
the place. A strong guard was thrown
about the jail to prevent a l%ynching. When
morning came the tramp still preserved tt
rigid silence. He seemed to try to speak,
but his tongue failed him. 1t was twenty
TOUR hours later before he was able to tell
his story. He had been assured during
the day that no harm would come to him
that he would be given a trial 'ac-
cording to law" always a strong phrase in
a newly settled community. The wonder
full cowardice shown by the tramp placed
the stamp Of honesty on his story and it
was generally believed, although a num-
ber favored hanging the tarnal cuss for
being such n coward"
The identity of the dead man was never
maue public, although 1t was finally estab-
lished that his name was Bob" Hughes.
a brother of the Hughes who went over the
with his boots on down on the Santa
read a year or so before under much
the same circumstances. Detectives went
to work on the case and arrested Young
and Silvia, and locked them up in the Pond
Creek government town. Jail. a stone af-
fair with a big cell in the center of one of
the two rooms. The other room was used
for an office and sleeping room by the
father of Robert Hagar. the sheriff. who
had been appointed to the place from Pot
Lawatomie county, old Oklahoma, by Hoke
Smith, then secretary of the interior. There
were two or three murderers in the Jail, a
thief or two, and a miscellaneous as
m of scalawags, to say nothing of
the tramp and the train robbers.
Jailer Hagar had been a farmer all his
life. and never knew what responsibility
was until his son became sheriff of L
county, b'gosh," M then he awakened to
the fact that public office is considerable Of
fed. and seemed content. One Sunday aft
arnoon they got into a noisy argument, and
boxed and sang like a lot of pickaninnieS
)n the levee. Jailer Hagar encouraged
hem to have as good a time as possible.
There was method in their noise. however,
Tor while all the prisoners but two made a
racket. the two silent ones were indus
-riOusly at work cutting a hole through the
iail wall. When finally silence reigned. a
big stone had been loosened and the dirt
piled on top of the cage, and all was ready
1t was 5 o'clock Sunday hight. Jailer Ha-
gar was sitting in his office reading the
rottawatomie County Agriculturist when
Jail door opened and a man entered
from the street and sat down not far from
he taller, who paused in his reading.
ooked over the tops of his spectacles and
said:
Good evening. sir"
How do you do" replied the man, rather