The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-12-18

The trial Of James True, who is
charged with robbing Union Pacific
train which piled between Omaha,
Neb., and ogden, was begun in the
federal court yesterday afternoon, but
by adjourning time it had only pro-
gressed far enough for the prosecution
TO make the opening statement OF the
case.
About two hours was consumed in the
selection of a jury, and 1t was nearly
5 o'clock before the twelve qualheu.
Two indictments were out against the
defendant. but as the name of the
man on whom the assault was com
mitted lid not appear correctly in the
first one, Attorney j. N. Hamilton,
counsel for the defendant, consented to
its dismissal. The indictment charges
that the offense was committed on Oct.
Is. and that the defendant used a gun
on a railway postoffice clerk.
STORY OF THE HOLD-UP.
Judge Maginnis' statement of the
case showed that True's exploit was
about as daring a thing as any wild
eyed western bandit ever undertook.
On the night of Oct. 1S, said Attor-
ney Maginnis, train No. of the Union
Pacific, called the fast mail, was due at
Ogden at l a. TT. where it was Gus
tomary to transfer the mail. Twelve
miles east of Ogden at the Devils Gate,
some one came down over the coal in
the tender and called on Engineer
Daniel ROLAND and Fireman W. d. Nc
Farland, to hold up their hands.
The man had 2 cotton sack over his
head. The engineer started to shut or
the steam. but he commanded him to
desist and TO keep the train running.
Half mile east Of Uintah he COM
manded the engineer to stop the train,
and ordered the two men to get down
from the engine. After producing TWO
cotton sacks, he started towards the
long car, and in the meantime the en-
gineer escaped under the cars. He
went down until he reached the mail
car. He then ordered the fireman TO
uncouple the train, but he refused to
do this, saying he would get scalded II
he attempted it. The robber thereupon
shut off the steam himself and IN
coupled the train, an act which none
but an expert trainman could have per
formed. After running the engine
some distance from the cars, he got
into the express car and covered the
express man with his gun. He followed
this up by pulling out a bottle of nitro
glycerine and started TO set it off. Al
this point the express man retired with
great haste. but for some reason the
explosion did not occur.
The robber ordered the express man
to return, and turned his attention to
the mail car. re asked the express
man where the registered mail pouches
were, and when they We're pointed out
told him TO throw them out. The rail-
road man complied, and cutting open
the bags with a pocket knife, the man
took the registered mail and left. The
next day several letters were found
broken open and rified in an adjoining
field.
Judge Maginnis said they would
prove that the robber, in appearance
size and apparent weight was a coun-
terpart OF the defendant. Two witness
ses would say James True held up the
train. Another was willing to testify
that he met True q month later in San
Francisco, and that he exhibited con-
siderable money. AT that time True
proposed to him a scheme for holding
Up the Southern Pacific train. He also
stated then that he had held UP the
Union Pacific train at Uintah.
Court then adjourned until 10 O'Clock
this morning.