Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1902-11-06
GREAT TRAIN ROBERlES
How the DaltOnS and Other Gangs
Worked Big Hold=ups

took place, but it was during Governor
Stones administration, for I remem-
| train. Wilson was a telegraph opera
| tor and had held various jobs on the
i Frisco system. He was from Lebanon,
| Mo.
Wilson boarded a Missouri Pacific
| t:ain Lear Grace Summit and made his
| way to the engine, where he held up
| the engineer and fireman. He then
| made them uncouple the engine from
the train and back the coaches two
miles down the track. When this was
done he ordered the express messen-
ger to let him in the car. The messen-
ger refused to unlock the car. Wilson
showed stick of dynamite against it
and blew it off it's hinges. He entered
TIE car and secured two sacks of sill
,erware valued at $1,000. He then
made the engineer fasten these pack
ages on his back 1t was about all
that he could carry.
Pursuit was at once instituted
Not far from the place of the robbery
several pieces OF the silverware were
found 4 satehel was also picked up
not far from the place of the robbery.
IN this was Wilson name and address.
Wilson walked from Grace Summit to
Lebanon where the officers arrested
him with the booty next day. He said
that the only reason that he commit
ted the robbery was to secure money
for his father to pay OF a mortgage
on the old homestead. He was sen
1enced to twenty years in the peniten-
Jiary.
No there is no profit in train rob-
bring. said Chas. r. Teas, superln-
tendent OF the Missouri division OF
the Nells-Fargo Express company,
we generally manage to get our man.
Occasionally it takes time, but 1t is
only question of time.
An instance illustrative of this
came under my observation some time
ago | think it was IN 1896. A man
boarded the Kansas City Southern
train at the Grand Central station IN
Kansas City. Soon after the train was
out Of the city he went forward to the
EXPRESS car and asked the messenger
if he could take package to Joplin.
The messenger agreed and reached out
to get the package, only to be confront
ed with a pistol. After being satisfied
that the messenger would offer no re-
sistance the man produced some cords
from his pockets and proceeded to tie
his Victims hands and feet. When
this was done he found S26 in paper
money and some cheap jeWelry. he
then pulled the bell cord and jumped
off the train Taking the messenger s
pistol with him.
"A year later a Kansas City police
man arrested vagrant at Union ota-
ton. On being searched two CORDS
and the messenger S pistol were found
and the suspect was later idenufled
as the man who held up our messenger
near Kansas City. He Was taken 10
iail but just before his trial he Sc
cured poison and killed himself.
AS a matter of fact, continued Mr.
Teas, the express companies do not
make a cent on the transportation OF
money. All the profits are consumed
in providing a proper guard for IL.
All money in large amounts is placed
in charge OF men who VIII not hesl'
tate to shoot And those men are not
easy to get.
During the famous DeadWood days
my company had a quartet OF men
who acted as guards for the stage
from Deadwood to Shadron, dis
tance of 100 miles. This trip had TO
he made every week with from SlbO,-
600 to $4,000 in bullion IN the stage.
"The guards were: Scott Davis, for
mer sheriff of Deadwood; Billy Sem
pie Bill Lynn and S. Hawkins. The
EXPRESSION hands up was something
thew did not understand, aud the cap
| ture of. their stage meant that all OF
them had to be killed. Brayer men
were not to be found than that old
sheriff and those three cowboys.
Davis deserves description, as MS
ltype is fast passing. 1t was a slght
| worth travelling far to see him and the
! others ride into DeadWood on top OF
| the stage Like all brave men, DAVIS
vas extremely quiet. and it was with
the greatest difficulty that he could be
made to narrate any of his adventures.
| "On one occasion Davis and the
"naras were attacked and two of the
/ ~ l.;