The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1912-08-23


Wort, ~ the none 4 .. Tho sang
wanted Z big Doodle, and 90 long ~
~ we're on to their game suggested
that We should not give the gang the
tip until there was really q big load
Of dust on board the express car. just
to give the gang the laugh when they
got the throw-down for losing such
a dandy bundle. :.
The day was finally set for the rob-
berry. Thompson succeeded in getting
all the details, so that it made the
work dead easy on paper. The sig
nal to hold up the train, It was ar
ranged, would be given after leaving
Port Jervis on the Erie railroad, which
would be the signal for US to do our
little act and land the gang.
The train with the Red Star car was
booked to leave. the Erie depot at 6
o'clock In the evening, and in the
morning sent four men to Port Jervis
to take up a position where the red
light was to be given at night I got
a telegram that they had landed all
right and in the evening, when the
train pulled out of the depot, I was
aboard with six lusty fellows. who
would rather fight than eat.
saw Thompson before the train
started but did not speak to him. He
indicated by nod OF the head that
their gang were on board the train in
the front cars, and everything looked
rosy. The train pulled out on time.
and we went humping along at q live
ly rate, as we were on the fast ex-
press. I had given instructions to my
men what to do when We got to the
holding-up place.
knew every foot OF the ground on
the Erie, and when We got within q
few miles Of Port Jervis began to
feel just little bit nervous. While
was running all the details OF the at
tack over in my mind the train SLOW
ly pulled up, but did not come to 4
full stop. I looked out Of tho win
dow, but did not see anything. In =
moment we were pushing up the hill to
Port Jervis at full speed. When we
pulled up at the little depot jumped
OF the car to take q final look at
things, and az passed the Red Star
car l heard moan. listened and it
was repeated several times. could
not understand 1t, but felt that some
thing had gone wrong.
I did not want to make a foolish
break Of any kind, so l first went to
the engineer and asked him what he
had stopped for before reaching Port
Jervis. He said that he saw a red
light swinging on the track, and
slowed up. The light had disappeared
before he got to it, and he could not
understand it. knew the meaning of
it, and saw the game in q second. The
gang had fooled Thompson by giving
him a wrong description Of what was
going to be done. This was verified
when reached the Red Star car. The
lock had been broken OF, and inside
the car was Thompson, lying on his
back well done up.
He was partly conscious, and knew
enough to tell that the thieves had
fooled him, and had dumped the safes
on the track about three miles east
Of Port Jervis. They had Jumped OF
the train when it slowed. But II
Thompson had been fooled he had
fooled the gang also, for he had flung
the kit of tools which was to be used
to open the safes of the car. and it
not be able to find them.
got an engine at the depot, and in
ten minutes l was on the way back
with my men. Before reaching the
place I noticed lanterns flashing along
the track, and ordered the engineer
to run past the lights a half mile or
so before slowing up. AS we went
by the spot I saw the gang at work
carrying the safes to a wagon. We
stopped after turning a curve and
started back on foot.
The thieves, concluded, had dis
covered the loss Of the tools. and in
stead Of trying to open the safes had
decided to carry them away and break
them up at their leisure. When we
got back to the place tho gang were
about ready to move and I ordered my
men to wait until they all got into tho
wagon before making the attack
We stood in the shadow Of the trees
on the roadside until the wagon came
up, and then I gave the signal. One
man seized the horses head and
turned him into a fence, and the rest
of US covered the gang with guns.
Two Of the gang jumped and were
shot. The others threw up their hands.
We took the whole outfit to Port
Jervis, and Walt Herrick died on the
way Durand was shot in the chest,
but recovered in time for the trial.
With the conviction of Johnny Dobbs,
Jim Brady, Bob Furey and Pete Dur
and one of the most notorious gangs
of safe breakers was broken up.
TripoIi Women at Home.
There is a vivid picture Of home