Evening journal., 1903-07-11
Robbfr16 the
Express
copyright, 1908, BY c. B. Lewis. ]

were simply 10 look out for every.
body" l was twenty-three years old'
and pretty well posted on the way
crooks worked the express cars.
l wish to explain to you that Nthe,
contracts with the railroads in those
days only called for one-third or one
half the baggage car. Rates were
high, and not one-twentieth part of the
stuff now shipped went by express,
linen. Sometimes ! had nothing at all
except the small iron safe in which
the money was carried. The baggage
man, therefore, occupied the same car,
and the conductor and brakeman were
privileged to pass through or sit down
on the trunk for chat and a smoke.
AS the run was at that particular
date, we reached Susquehanna, going
west, at 10 o'clock at night and re-
mained about thirty minutes. After
receiving my express matter / was
free TO lock the car if the baggage
man was not there and go out for a
cup Of coffee at the lunch counter. If
my companion was too busy to get
away, as was often the case he kept
his eyes open on my corner. AS the
safe was locked and chained there
was little fear of anybody getting
away with it,
on April 2G, 1850, had about $780,
600 on the run west. AT Honesdale,
where we had a six minute stop, two
strangers got into a wrangle with the
baggage man about trunk and nearly
killed him by a blow from a coupling
pin. He had TO be left behind, while
a brakeman took his place. / had not
yet spoken to The latter, and we
scarcely knew each other by sight, as
his station was at the tail end of the
train and he had been on that run
only two or three weeks.
As the train stopped at Susquehanna
/ ran back about n square to a small
restaurant after my usual piece of pie.
l had got it and turned to go when a
man who was going in struck me a
blow under the ear and laid me out
He explained 10 the restaurant man
that | had insulted him and then walk
ed away. Ii was fifteen minutes be
fore / recovered sufficiently TO make
my way back 10 the train, and then l
speedily discovered that there had
been put up job all around. The
quarrel with the baggage man had
been brought about to get him out of
the way. | had not been absent over
three minutes when a man, whom the
brakeman supposed TO be me from his
general appearance. entered the car,
with a sandwich I'm his hand. sat down
on my stool and ate IL and then asked
him TO help get the safe Off and into a
wagon backed up to the car. He knew
nothing of the express business and
readily complied and saw the vehicle
drive off with me seated on the safe.
Il was bold piece of work, as you'll
admit. and il was the bOldncss Of Il
that disarmed suspicion. The wagon
had been gone ten minutes when | en-
tered the car. and 1t took me another
FIVE minutes to convince the brakeman
that ! was not an impostor BY the
time 7 had hunted up the conductor
and we had found an officer the wagon
had about half an hour start Of us.
The only clew 10 be had was from a
boy lie had noticed the wagon. which
was drawn by one horse. come NJ
about q quarter Of an hour before train
time He had noticed It because the
driver almost drove over him and ther
swore at him; also because the tire OF
one OF the hind wheels was loose. and
the man pounded it on with n stone
while waiting and tried to find water tC
pour on the wheel. He had seen the
outfit backed up 10 the car, but had no
noticed it drive off.
To say that was half crazy would
not be an exaggeration. / set off M
the street leading TO town without any
definite idea Of where I was going o.
what I was going to do. 1t was alb
surd, of course. TO think Of overtakinl
the wagon, but / hurried on Just thu
same. When reached a public square
and found four streets branching off
took the one TO the left and made NJ
halt l had gone about four block
from the square and was running il
the middle of the street when a DO.
called TO me from the sidewalk
"Say, mister, are you after that 'er
hoss an wagon which went up tina
wayy
Yes. yes. Did it 20 this wayf'
"She did. an the fellows had to 81
down here an fix wheel Wha
made You git leftT'
, l pushed on without stopping to an
swer the question. If obliged to sto
for the tire I might overhaul them
my wind held out
p was out of the town and into TIA
country in half mile more. and as
ran on suddenly came upon the hofs
and wagon-the horse tied to the roaC
side fence and one OF the wagol
wheels completely gone. The tailboar
Of the wagon was down, and rigl
there the rail fence had been fun
4 aside 10 open a passage. The nigl
e was not so dark but that could max
o out the trail Of the safe as it wa
e dragged along There was a strip {
e plowed field and then forest. and g
sight of the men midway of the field.
ran directly at them. shouting an
! firing my revolver as I advanced. an
they took leg bail for it and disal
q peared in the woods.
a one Of them was arrested two weel
/ later. and through him we learned Il