The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1905-12-10

7 HERE were thirteen men in the
smoker Of a train on the Sioux
City * Pacific railroad when il
drew out Of Omaha at 8 o'clock on Fri
day evening, Nov. 4, 1892, and started
on its eastward run. Among these
thirteen, sitting about halfway down
the aisle. enjoying a good cigar, was
W. q, Pollock of New York a travelling
salesman for ". L. Pollock 4 Co. of
the same city, dealers in diamonds In
the inside rocket of his vest he car
ried $4,000 worth of uncut diamonds,
While a leather satchel on the seat be-
side him contained a quantity of valu-
able stones i'm settings.
On the front seat of the car. just
behind the stove, sat a Stolid-lOOking
young man, who would have passed
Tor farmers lad. He seemed scarcely
over 20. having neither beard nor mus
tache, and a stranger would have put
him down as a rather stupid, inoneu-
sive fellow, Compared with Mr. Pol
lock, he was slighter in build although
AN inch OF so taller As he sat there
staring at the stove, the passenger ia
the seat behind him. J. II. Shaw. an
Omaha Well-digger, a bluff, hearty man
OF social instincts, tried to draw him
into conversation; but the young fell
The Well-digger Telapsed into silence
Presently, as the train was approaching
California Junction. the young man on
the front seat rose and started down.
The aisle. CuriOuSly enough, he now
wore a fun beard of black hair FIVE or
six inches long No one paid any at
tention 10 him until he stopped at Mr..
PollOCks seat. drew a revolver. and
said loud enough for every one in the
car To hear him:
Give me them diamonds"
Then, without waiting for a reply, he
shifted the revolver 10 his left hand,
drew a slungShOt from his coat pocket
and struck Mr. Pollock over the head
such a heavy blow that the bag Of the
slungShot burst, and the shot itself fell
NLc The floor Then he said again: Give
me them diamonds
Realizing that the situation was des-
perate. Mr.. Pollock took out his pocket
book and handed il to his aSsatlant,
saying: IT have only hundred dollars
here il is"
Pushing back the pocketboOk as if
unworthy Of his attention. the man
coolly aimed his revolver at Mr.. Pol
locks right shoulder and fired. Then
he aimed at the left shoulder and fired.
Both bullets hit and were followed by
two more which went whizZing by the
missing him. perhaps by accident but
probably BY design. as the men were
not three feet apart.
BY This time the other people in the
car had disappeared under the seats
like rats into their holes. To all in
tents and purposes Mr.. Pollock was
alone with his asSailunt The latter
evidently knew where the diamonds
We're secreted. for, ripping open his vie
g h.. l..
wallet i'm which they We're incIosed, aud
stuffed Il into his pocket. Wounded
though he was, Mr.. Pollock now grap-
pied with the thief who. using the butt
OF his revolver as a cudgcl, brought
down fearful blows on Pollock's head.
The latter, however, getting into the
aisle, fought the robber up and down
the car; but crushing blow at last
laid him senseless on the floor.
With perfect elf-possessi0n and
without hurry the thief walked back
down the aisle 20 Mr. Pollock's seat.
and took one of the two leather bags
lying there. bV mistake choosing
though. the one that did not contain
the mounted diamonds. Then he went
10 the end of the car pulled the bell
rope and as the train began 10 slack
Ell its speed i'm response to this signal.
jumped off the steps, rolled down a
u
Sharing. apparently in the general
CONSERVATION and terror inspired by
the young fellow, the conductor. in
stead Of holding the train To pursue
the thief signalled the engineer 10 go
ahead, and no effort was made for a
capture until the train reached Cali
fOrnia Junction, several miles farther
on. Meanwhile the paniC-stricken pas
SINGERS recovered, at their leisure their
! .ompOsurc and their seats. Had but
bnc of his fellow travellers gone 10 the
assistance OF AlT Pollock. the robber
might easily have been overpowered.
As il was, he all but murdered his man.
plundered him of his diamonds. and
escaped without the slightest Interior
ence When his pistol was picked up.
near the spot where he left the train.
IL was found that in the struggle the
cylinder had caught so that it would
have been impossible 10 discharge the
TWO chambers remaining loaded. Thus
eleven able-bodied men were held i'm u
state of abject terror by one slender
lad. who at the last was practically
unarmed
At California Junction the wounded
diamond merchant was carried from
the train. and the same night taken
back 10 Omaha. Nj Pollock. being a
member of Tie Jewellers Protective
union. a rich and powerful orgdniZa-
ton, established some years ago for tho
protection Of jeWelry statesmen against
thieves Was entitled 10 its aid.
When the detectives reached the
scene Of the robbery. the robh6r had
vanished as completely as il he had