Omaha daily bee., 1899-06-11

sides of tue car, relieving the passengers of
everything valuable. The passengers had
been ordered to hold up their hands and they
did so, especially after a pistol shot through
the roof Of the car emphasized the command.
The first man plucked was a drummer
from New York named Morris, who had $3.50
and a gold watch. He gave these up with as
little remonstranCe as the ether passengers
handed over similar articles. The women
were not forced to give UP anything, how
ever, nor was a cripple, who happened to be
on the train, molested in any way. A few
saved some valuables, among them a post.
trader by the name of A. T. Feay, who had
$500 in the sleeve of an arm he was holding
in the air. Mr.. Cummings of Omaha eluded
them very neatly by slipping his pocketbook
with $500 in it into a lady'S work basket in
the next seat. christening his watch and
chain he let them down to the floor behind
his valise. He then had nothing but $40 in
change with him. Even this he saved by
Slipping across the aisle to the other side,
which was being worked by a much more
rapid bandit than the one on his side and
had already been done past where he was.
1t was said that Mr.. Cummings was the only
man in the car who did not lose anything.
The hold-ups tried to get into the sleeper,
but the door was locked on the inside. Be
fore anything could be done to force it open
the headlight of an approaching freight train
was sighted and the robbers made hasty
, preparations TO leave. Conductor Patterson
asked and was given permission to go back
and flag the freight, being guarded by the
| robbers until he had passed the sleeper.
There was nothing more for the outlaws to
do but gather up their sacks Of plumber and
| get to their horses, in waiting not far away.
A Startling Message.
Conductor Patterson. without allowing
even time for talking over the exciting
event, ordered a freight engine cut loose
from its train and run to Ogalalla, eighteen
miles distant, whence news of the robbery
might be telegraphed to the proper authori-
ties. But. not waiting even for that short
run, Agent Barnhart ingeniously brought
the two ends of the wire on his desk to-
gether and licked off the following message:
"No. 4 has been robbed at this station of
$50, 900"
This startled the agents of the road at
Cheyenne, ut North Platte and at Union
Pacific headquarters in Omaha. From nearby
stations relief parties with telegraph
instruments were sent out and long before
daylight the full particulars had been fur
nished the officials at Headquarters. They
were taken to the residence of 5. II. H.
Clark, general superintendent OF the road,
who hurried to his office and at once noti-
fed all the police and detective offices in
the country, offering a reward of $40, 900 for
the apprehension of the robbers with their
booty, or a proportionate amount for either.
But the man who had the most to do with
the final capture Of the robbers was e. NJ.
Morsman, then superintendent of the Pacific
Express company.
Andy Riley Gives the CIew.
Naturally several theories were advanced
as to the identity of the robbers. Many
believed them to be a remnant Of the bands
OF Jesse James and the Youngers. while
others supposed them to be the same gang
that mad been operating on the stage coaches
in the Black Hills, But none of these theo-
ries was Of any value to work u9on and
Superintendent Morsman rejected all Of
them. But he was fortunate in having the
best Of clews from Andy Riley, the passen-
ger mentioned above. who had positively
identified the leader OF the gang, despite his
mask. Riley had met the mar in the Black
Hills when he had been posing as a cattle
trader, and had happened to spend son time
in his company. He was positive that the
leader was Joel Collins.
Collins home was in Ogalalla, and to oga-
lalla Superintendent Morsman went as fast
as a train could carry him. OF course he
did not find Collins there, nor had he ex-
peeted to. But he found, what was very