The National tribune., 1902-07-31
GULCH BILLS LAST HOLD.UP.
Jet Of Sca1ding Water the Effective Mean
Of Putting Robber Out OF Business.

"Gulch Bill, the once notorious train
| robber. had been raising Cain with the
might express of the Air Line, before
took the run some years ago." remarked
Steve Williams, retired Western engi-
neer, ''but somehow after / was put on
the train his hold-ups ceased. He had
made several successful attempts at the
game, though. and had succeeded in TAX
ing the nerve out of most of the engineers
before he stopped operations. None of
them wanted the train after Jake Leach
got scared out, but l was young and look
ing for excitement. so L said I'd try my
hand on her. After Bills last appearance
the company gave the crew of the train
strict orders To go armed and be on the
alert always, which had u sort OF a lock
the barn ftcr-t he-horse-is-StOlen twang TO
me. But as everything went along swim
mingly, and no train robbers appeared for
Il month or SO. we began to fall back into
the old rut of things and leave our ord
nance departments home.
The night express was generally made
up of II or Il blind, or sealed, baggage
and express ears, with a couple of coaches
ON the rear for the accommodation of the
crew and the few passengers the train
| carried. All the crew had to do in times
Of peace was to sleep, as the train made
only couple of stops on the division for
water. The way Gulch Bill and his two
pals usually operated was to secrete them
selves in some way on the head end of
the train at one of the water plugs. and
ut an out-of-thc-way place they'd surprise
the engineer and fireman, cut off the head
car, which usually was the through San
Francisco ear. and make the engineer haul
it down to some obscure spot. where they
would crack it open and take out what
express packages they thought valuable.
and make the engineer get the car back
TO the train as best he could.
after | had been on the rUn about six
months, and no robbers appeared. the older
men on the road began to get sorry at be-
ing so chicken-hearted. and made kicks for
the train, as it was a snap-few hours on
the road and big money. But the Super
irtendent said that as / had taken the
train in troublesome times when all the
rest were afraid, could stay on there
ard he'd stick by me. One night as we
were leaving st. Loo Sam McCracken,
my fireman, says to me:
1T feels kinder like train robbers to
me- tonight. Shouldn't wonder if we'd
have visit from Gulch Bill somewhere
on the division. He must have blown in
about all the swag he got from his last
haul by this time
".Ah. gowan,' l says, hes far out of
this country by this time. l heard the
other day that he'd been seen in Chicago.
"'iou jest mark my words, says Sam,
he's jest layin' low to throw US off the
scent. He'll show up sOon.'
SANS guess didn't come true that
night. but a couple of nights later I felt
Gravity feeling down my spine a few
minutes after we had pulled away from
Stony Hollow water plug, and turned to
see three tough-looking customers drop
over the coal boards in the front end of
the tank and cover Sam and me quicker'n n
4 wink.
"'Whoa. there. Leach, or III make you
look like the top Of your mothers pepper