The Kalispell bee. [volume] (Kalispell, Mont.) 1900-192?, 1902-08-05
oliver Curtis Perry Recalled by the
Tracy Case.
RoBBER HAD GREAT NERVE
His Sensational Looting of New
York Central Express Car-First
Train Robbery in the United
States.

has aroused the undisguised interest
of the entire country; for Americans
dearly love exploits involving dare
deviltry, and we are prone to look
only on the romantic aspect of out
lawry, forgetting the contemplate es-
capades of these men, who are re-
membered solely because of their
prowess in hand to hand fights with
officers of the law or for their cava-
1ier struggles against great odds.
Tracy's reputation rest wholly upon
his ability to elude his pursuers,
though he is regarded IS resolute,
cool headed and utterly fearless. In
these qualities he strongly resembles
Oliver Curtis Perry, as daring a Grim
inal as this country ever produced,
and the nerviest train robber in the
history of this ramitication of vii
lainy. The scene of his most sensa-
tional escapade was between Lyons
and Syracuse, in the most thickly set
tied portion of New York state. In
nerve and daring, it equalled any of
the exploits of the James or Younger
brothers.
Perry's career of crime was a re-
markable one. He was born In Am
sterdam, N Y, nearly 81 years ago.
He was a precocious youth When
but IA years old he was convicted of
burglary in his native town. He
was sent to the Elmira reformatory,
but he was so dangerous that most of
his term was served at the Rochester
penitentiary, N. Y. On his release
he went west, and in a short time he
was serving a term in the peniten-
tiary at Saltwater, Mimi, for rob-
berry. After this experience he went
further west and rode the cattle
ranges in Montana for year as a
cowboy. In a fight with another cow
boy he was shot through the wrist
and while undergoing treatment in
the hospital at Miles City, Mont, he
Drained another patient with Gus
pidor. His trial for murder resulted
in an acquittal After this escapade
he returned to the east and did some
L
Central, being employed as brake
man. 1t was while engaged in this
work that he planned his first traiI
ROBBERY.
1t was on September So 1891, tina
Perry robbed an American express
train near Utica N. Y. The trail
was No. 81, and was known to carr,
sometimes as much as 100000.
is not known where Perry boarded
the train. but he effected an entrance
into the baggage car by saving ava
a bit of the door He covered Agen
Moore with his gun and, after takin
what he wanted, backed out of tn
car, and when on the platform cut tn
rubber coupling, which put on the al
brakes. This slackened the speed c
the train, and when it slowed III
Perry jumped off Perry got $500
in cash and some jewelry by the rol
berry. The crime was traced to hiI
by detectives. but he could not b
found, and it was not until his Sc,
ond robbery of the same train BE-
tween syracuse and Lyons that hi
whereabouts became known.
Perry next tried to rob the Amer
can Express company's special trail
on Sunday, February 81, 1892 On
car of the train was known as til
money car In it is sent the spect
from the United States for Wester
banks. The train left Syracuse at
o'clock in the morning. The none
was in a car next to the rear coac
When they were nearing Weedspo
Perry, who had ridden on top of Il
money car from Syracuse, let himse
over the side of the car by means
rope. He smashed in the gla'
with his revolver and ordered Il
messenger to throw up his hand
The messenger shot at Perry. The
Perry shot him twice. Perry climbt
into the car and there was a despe
ate fight. The conductor heard ii
shots and stopped the train. Per-
looked out of the express car wht
the train slackened it's speed, sa
the conductor and shot at him. tt
conductor sent brakeman back
Jordan to telegraph along the lii
that they had train robber
board Then they went on to Pc
Byron. They stopped at Port Byrc
and took care of the messenger. wi
was badly wounded. Perry had d
appeared. At Lyons, where a ST
was made, there was a big crow
Perry was in the crowd. He HI
evidently jumped off the farther 81
of the train while it stood at the 81
ton. The conductor recognized HI
and made rush for him. Perry Ike
the crowd back with his revolver a
ran across the tracks to where a &C
train was standing. He uncoupl
the engine. jumped into the cab a
ordered the engineer and fireman
get out of sight. He then pulled t
thrOffIn oman coilad