Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1897-03-04

cHARLEY PrERsoH.
press company, running between Chicago
and Omaha, Mt q meeting Of several old
time express messengers
Jake has seen 80 years of service with
the great forwarding concerns and is one
Of the veteran bullion carriers of the United
States. He has carried gold and silver
bricks sufficient to replace the famous good
Intentions pavement OF q place that shall
b namsless here. "And yet" he says, II
never let one slip out Of my hands.
"The nearest approach to anything Of the
Kind" continued the veteran, Twas one
night when, near Marshalltown, thought
! heard peculiar noise overhead The
train was rushing along at terrific speed,
but above the racket made by the wheels
there came occasional sounds that con-
WINGED me that some one was sliding along
the roof Of the car. Looking up discov.
ered, pressed against the glass Of one Of
the deck windows, . human face with eyes
trained on three bars Of silver ranged along
the forward end Of the car. Bullion Il not
placed In one position in . car. We scatter
tt hero and there 10 that the weight will
not rest on one side of the car or over one
truck. IL 10 happened that the fellow could
see the three bars In the corner, and 10 aft.
erward developed that he was figuring ON
getting possession Of one or more Of them.
Al present market price . silver pis u
worth about 600.
when the train stopped, I called o
brakeman, and we went after the fellow
overhead. We induced him to climb down,
and the brakeman caught him by tho foot.
Suddenly, without giving us an inkling Of
his intention. he terked his foot out Of the
boot, and, leaping from the opposite side Of
tho car, he ran like whitehead. In the
boot, however, had been secreted an object
wrapped in channels skin. II was pulled
out when the foot was 30 hurriedly extri-
Gated. IL was pair Of bits and . small
himself with brace, and with the tools
had intended to cut hole in the end of
che car near the silver bullion. He could
have easily lowered himself on the forward
platform and made the opening between
the regular stops of the train. He evident.
~ figured that the bricks could be raked
out and then probably thrown from the
train near stopping place, from which
the thief could go back and pick them up
or sccrete them until opportunity to dis.
pose Of them offered ITSELF"
While present shipments Of silver bullion
arc small as compared with other DAYS,
the old timers tell Of heavy cargoes Of the
white metal handled by them. While q
bar IL rarely missed, the value Of the
freight" requires care and attention only
second in importance 70 the handling OF
coin and currency. A messenger carefully
counts the bars 1t least twice when Il Il
taken into the car People who stand
around IRE naturally curious and askques
tions at the rate Of hundred In . second.
Others want to feel It and rub theip finger
over the surfaces. while there are still 9th.
efs who would be willing to give up dol
lar for the poor privilege Of Juggling an &c
pound pig about the platform.
Gold bullion Is never exposed to Wow.
svsn at transfer points The bars, Of vari
Gus weights. are sewed up in canvas OF
chnmois skin and are slowed away In Che
stationary safe In the car, which can b
opened only at certain points. There arr
nover moro than five or six barr Of gold In
. shipment, but few Of these are required
20 represent . value Of elO0,0 900. Some ol
them weigh ITO pounds, others $50, whil<
they run down TO small bricks weighing
only IS pounds. AZ transfse stations they
are placed In steel chests and trueked from
one train 10 another heavily guarded.
II used 70 think it . grand thing 70 b
put IN charge Of . cargo Of bullion" sAid
Charley Pierson, another messsngee on
the Chicago and Northwestern between
Chicago and Omaha. IT was then . boy
living at Amboy, Ills. J'dwandsr down 4
ths Illinois Central depot, look into tn
cars under packages IN which I'd catch {
glimpse Of what had been told was purs
silver. Then ia look up % the mcssenge,
In his overalls and bingham blouse and
~: NY, what Il must be to Be . messen
- and have all thas stun n charge
0uo0 Ill be . messeuge1.' Ard hege an
- jumpers myself.
''Bus there was one time when I wishet
"a chosen another business. One nib,
Uhen had big load Of both gold and 81
. ~ bullion there came shaFp, short blast
fFom The engineer, aud knsW th0U wa
49, sort Of trooble. Soon therO came 9
Aammering at the door, and I recognized
- voice of tho CONDUCTOR
"sl.Ook ous for your valuah1esp b ri.
= - = we're going 10 b hsaa upr
"And right then was Alled with IN.
GnGaon that comes only 70 IN expgessmar
oWav cut On . louesoms psaisie, whsrs {
uGG1sn0w n suppossd to soaud betwesn Z
1nuo1t With q calibee revolver and u
uun1ous ltslgho a n sxpreo company.
ssVugd cane - ~ that the water tanl
{ - Yall, n, had bssn sst ON IRE and thu,
. 800 a outlaws had stolsn the hand ~
+ - wrsc making their vay 70 mest u and
~ ~ sxpeu0 -. 49, - think tha'
"a - abeut - ssaliss so0s q ~ bcyisl