Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1904-11-25
Robbin& the
Express
[Copyright. 1903. by C. B. Lewis

For two years after receiving the
appointment of express messenger J
had the best luck in getting through
without adventure. My instructions
were simply to "look out for every
body" l was twenty-threc years old
and pretty we'll posted on the way
crooks worked the express cars.
wish to explain to you that the
contracts with the railroads in those
day; 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
then. Sometimes had nothing at ali
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 smoke.
AS the run was at that particular
date, we reached Susquelanna, going
west, at 10 o'clock at night and re-
manned about thirty minutes. After
receiving my express matter l was
free to lock the car if the baggage
man was not there and go out for
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 26, 1860, had about $50
000 on the run west At Honesdale,
where we had six minute stop, two
strangers got into a wrangle with the
baggage man about trunk and nearly
killed him by blow from a coupling
pin. lie had to be left behind. while
q 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 RUIZ
only two or three weeks.
AS the train stopped at Susquehanna
| ran back about square to a small
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 to the restaurant man
that had insulted him and then walk
ed away. 1t was fifteen minutes be-
fore I recovered sufficiently to make
my way back to the train. AID then
speedily discovered that. there had
been a put up job all around. The
quarrel with the baggage man had
been brought about to get him out Of
the way. l had not been absent over
three minutes when man, whom the
brakeman supposed to be me from his
general appearance, entered the car,
with sandwich in his hand. sat down
on my stool and ate it 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.
1t was bold piece of work. as you'll
admit. and it was the boldness Of it
that disarined suspicion. The wagon
had been gone ten minutes when l en-
tered the car, and it took me another
five minutes to convince the brakeman
that l was not an impostor. By the
time l had hunted up the conductor
and we had found an officer the wagon
had about half an hour start of u.s.
The only clew to be had was from a
boy. He had noticed the wagon, which
was drawn by one horse. come up
about a quarter of an hour before train
time. He had noticed it because the
driver almost drove over him and then
swore at him: also because the tire on
one Of the hind wheels was loose. and
the man pounded it on with a stone
While waiting and tried to find water to
pour on the wheel. He had seen the
outfit backed up to the car, but had not
noticed it drive off,
To say that l was half crazy would
not be an exaggeratiOn. I set off up
the street leading to town without any
definite idea of where l was going or
what I was going to do. 1t was alb
surd, of course, to think of overtaking
the wagon, but I hurried on just the
same. When l reached public SQUARE
and found four streets branching off
took the one to the left and made no
halt. I had gone about four blocks
from the square and was running in
the middle of the street when boy
called to me from the sidewalk:
"Say, mister, are you after that ere
boss an wagon which went up that
way?'
Eyes. yes. Did it go this way?"
"She did. an the fellows had to git
down here an fix wheel. What
made you git left?''
I pushed on without stopping to an
swer the Question. If obliged to stoE
for the tire l might overhaul them if
my wind held out
l was out of the town and into the
country in half mile more. and as
ran on suddenly came upon the horse
and wagon-the horse tied to the road
side fence and one Of the wagon
wheels completely gone. The tailboard
Of the wagon was down. and right
there the rail fence had been flung
aside to open a passage. The night
was not SO dark but that could make
out the trail Of the safe as it was