The daily silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1903-1907, 1903-11-26
PIRATES ON
THE RAILROAD
How Organized Gangs of Out
laws Are Working in the
State of Nevada

Carson Appeal, Nov. 70; A rev Gays
ago the sheriffs of Humboldt and Ell
ko counties were called to this city
on official business. They were natur-
ally interested in the outcome of the
fate of the four men condemned to
death for the murder of Welch, and
talked over the condition of affairs
at the sheriff's office in this city. They
we're both of the opinion that the four
men are only small proportion of
the bad men that are to be found along
the line Two of the men under SEN
tence were in the custody of the Elko
sheriff shortly before they were i'm
prsoned at winnemucca for the muir
der charge.
1t seems that there is a gang of
railroad pirates operating along the
line of the Southern Pacific. The gang
opens local freight cars, and when an
article of any value is found. II is
tossed out of the car into the sage
brush, when it is gathered up by some
If the other operators.
A regular business has sprung up
stolen goods into the brush, where
they are hidden for time and event
Ially they are taken to some market
where they are peddled for a small
sum.
In many cases the officers of the
counties along the road have found
many valuable articles. They are re-
turned to the railroad, and if an own
er can be found they are returned. AT
the depot at Elko and Winnemucca
there is vast store of all kinds of
merchandise that has been gathered
up and is in the hands of the railroad
Il is practically a dead loss to the
company as the owners refuse to take
the broken packages and when dead
horse sale is held, the company has
10 sacrifice the goods for what they
will bring On the other hand, the
merchant who has lost the goods puts
n a loss claim, which is paid and the
read loses the difference.
Recently over one hundred pair of
shoes were found hidden in the brush
near Elko. They were traced to an
invoice going west, but as the lot was
broken and the markings gone, it will
result in a loss to the road, who will
be- compelled to pay for the entire
outfit.
That there is a gang operating there
is no doubt. The same set of hobos
are seen to travel over the road and
in nearly every trip something is
missing A short time ago the Elko
sheriff arrested four men for this kind
OF work. Two were convicted ana
served a short term. The others were
released on lack of evidence, and
left on the east bound train. When
they landed in Ogden they were arrest
ed for the same kind of a crime and
one was convicted and is now serving
a sentence in the Utah penitentiary.
Naturally the officers are jubilanV
over the conviction of the four men
in the present case. They naturally
fear the class of men with whom they
have to deal, as they all go armed
| and both jails are filled with arms
that are taken from the railroad pir-
ates. They generally give up the
arms without protest and are glad to
make their escape on any pretext.
| That they will do murder is shown
and that they will steal is also evil
/ dent.
! Pirating is not confined to the high
seas, but is consirably in evidence
on the railroads, and Nevada has hel
share of the evil doers.