The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-12-19
VIC. ELA'SHOLD-UP STORY
INDIANAPOLIS MANS EXPERIENCE
IN THE TRAIN ROBBERS DOMAIN.
How His Courage OOxed When He
Thought Himself a Shining Mark
for Western DesperadOes.

WASHINGTON, Dec. Nv. c. Ella. spe-
cial agent rural free delivery, OF Indian
apolis, spent last week in Washington.
Mr.. Ella was formerly and for many years
in the railroad service, and a recounter
of stories of that particular field of activity
ne is without a peer. The following ex-
perience was narrated by him to a group
or Indiana friends here, and for the dash
and frankness that characterizes it. is we'll
worth the retelling:
Along about the time / was twenty years
old was braking on a passenger train on
the Santa Fe out of Kansas City. At that
time hold-ups were the order of the day
and the trains usually proceeded under
guard. One evening. just as we were about
to pull out, word came that We probably
would be held up at siding some two
hours run distant. 1t so happened that
we had no guards available and there
wasn't any time to recruit any. The train
crew, of course, were all provided with
weapons. but paid to run the
train, not to fight. The engineer received
orders not to stop If he was tagged. We
were clustered around the locomotive as
he climbed into the cab. L tell you what,
boys, said he, If I'm tagged, you bet your
life I'm going to stop, orders to the con-
trary Notwithstanding. They may have a
rail UP or some obstruction on the track,
and 1t is better for lot of people to be
robbed than killed We pulled out and l
went about my duties, fixed my lamps.
lighted them, got everything in shape and
then sat down to think. We each had one
of those short repeating carbines that
carry a bullet as big as a lump of chalk
and belt with a brace of AIS attached.
1 figured out how L would take my stand
just around the corner of the water cooler,
where / could command the door OF the car
and not be seen myself i could pick the
robbers off one at a time as they came in.
and as buckled on my belt and stood the
gun between my knees l had a pleasing
vision of about cord of dead deSperadoeS
piled up on the platform
"As we got nearer to the siding, Ii all at
once occurred to me that the car would be
brilliantly lighted and that L would be
plainly visible through the windows to any
earnest marksman on the outside and as
i pondered over the possibilities, L felt my
courage begin to ooze out through the tips
of my fingers like sand from an hour glass.
There wasn't much time left for decision
but 1 didn't need much. Quick as flash.
1 unbuckled that belt, thrust it with the
revolvers under the seat, pushed the gun
after them we'll out of sight, 1erked on
my trainman's cap and threw 1t In the
rack, and then leaned back in the seat as
though sound asleep. AS the siding drew
nearer, my fear became panic, and
jumping up l ran back through the train
to the sleeper. There was niue room
with sliuing door to 1t. in which the por,
ter kept his things, and darting to this, !
tried to slide the door back. l could only
by great effort get 1t back few inches
when 1t would fly shut again. Finally IL
dawned on me that somebody was holding
II from the inside, and with an extra ef-
fort 1 forced 1t back and crowded my
shoulder in, only to come face to face with
no III.
that you; get in here quick he said In
tense whisper. i slipped In, braced my
foot against the handle of the door and
with my back to the wall, we waited
with the cold chils running up and down
my back at least. 1 think also can speak
for the conductor.
the whistle. which meant to us that the
train had been tagged at the siding and
was going to stop could feel my
soW maG to a's standstil n We waited for the
| riot to commence, but nothing happened
| Presently the train started again. After
| a minute two the conductor said, Ella
| stick your head out and see what's doing:
| positively and emphatically refused
| Finally the conductor slid the door bach
| and looked out Everything was apparent
| ly serene. We slipped out and started to-
ward the head of the train. The passen
| gers, who were ignorant of what had beer
expected, were all sitting comfortably in
| their seats. When we got to the smoker
there were a lot of section hands who wer,
| not there when we approached the siding
| They had been paid off and had Tagged
the train to go to the next town few
| miles away.
Reaching the baggage car, the conductor
reached into a box, pulled out a pair of ole
boots, distracted his gold watch and dia
mond shirt stud, replaced them on his per
son, and then turning to me said
/ 60 you, Ella, if you ever tell abou
this I'll kill your
"'Oh. you don't need to be worried abou
| my splitting / answered. I'm just Al
much ashamed of it as you are, but l cal
say this much, and that is, 1 was just al
brave as you were However, some months
after that 1t did get out. and it must hav,
been the conductor who told 1t, for 1 an
| still alive.
YES" Mr.. Ella replied to an interroga
| tory, "yes, l guess there is no doubt tina
| 1 am a coward, otherwise 1 would neve
| have told this story. G. A. G.