Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1912-02-01
ed. Another ran forward and seized a


the locomotive stood and carried 1t to
the express ear.
| had not noticed this tie and my
heart stopped beating as | realized that
1t would have spoiled my plan and re-
suited in my death. The robbers took
the tie up onto the front platform of
the express car and began an attempt
the tie was six feet long or thereabouts,
while the distance between the tender
and the car was not as much. The
consequence was that the robbers had
not sufficient space In which to work
with it. Nevertheless they ~persevered.
Another plan. far more desperate than
the first, must needs pop into my head.
If | could run down to It, uncouple
the car. then dash forward into the cab
| could owe on. carrying with me the
express car. But must take the rob-
berS with me. They would climb up
over the tender and shoot me down.
Yet there would be chances for me
Firstly. on finding the train moving
they might be disconnected and get of.
But even If they did ! could hardly
hope to acquire speed in time to leave
them behind. Again. having put on
steam | could fight. ] had no arms,
but ! could use Jumps of coal. All
this was folly. but | had been seized
by a mania for carrying out my
scheme. and q hundred devils could not
have stopped me. Besides | was push
ing forward. Happenings in my favor
might arise.
Anyway, / resolved TO so to the rear
Of the express car. What | would do
when | got there ! didn't know. i
found the conductor and several men
passengers who. freed from the pres
ace Of the robbers, had got together
what arms were on the train and were
debating a possible use for them. But
it was evident they had no. got their
courage up to a point where they could
use them, and they had no plan or
leader. Without stopping 10 inquire as
to their armament, / said:
Here, you men! I'm going forward
to get on the locomotive, which is de-
" NCu. VIC vi yOu ~ UP ihIIC
you can see me-. and when ! give a
signal uncouple right here. Then all
who have firearms go forward, and
when l put on steam send all the bull
lets you can In among the robbers on
the front platform"
Good cried the conductor, who
would have done something before
this If he had had a plan.
/ scurried forward, keeping close un-
der the cal. passing the front platform
in the same way. and in q quarter Of
a minute was in the cab. A man
stood where he could see me. I nod
ded to him and waited. 1t seemed to
me an eternity before the car was I'M
coupled. / knew when it had been by
seeing my supports advance on both
sides Of the train. They had been
added to by the messenger, with
whom they had succeeded In commu-
nicating, and had got more arms from
the express car. l gave a jerk on the
whistle, threw back the lever and let
On steam.
The moment my supports heard the
whistle they opened fire, the locomo-
tive and express car moving at the
same time. The robbers were taken
by surprise. One man fell dead, two
were shot while jumping off the plat
form, while a fourth got away. / did
not know of this at the time. / only
knew that no one interfered with me.
l had the express treasure behind me
and did not stop till l had reached the
next station. There armed men got
aboard the locomotive, 1t was switch
ed away from the express a and
rushed back. But the fracas had all
been over before l had made q hun
dred yards.
So 1t was that the maddest scheme
that ever entered the brain Of o farm
er's boy was made practicable by cir
cumstances. Indeed, when the rob-
bers left the real door of the express
car to concentrate their efforts on the
forward platform - possibly because
there they could be hear the engine
victory was in the hands of the fright
ened group who afterward supported
me. But they had no one with suffi-
cient pluck or plan to fuse them and
put them In actiQa,
My exploit was not long in reaching
the general manager of the road, and |
received an invitation from the presi-
dent to visit him there. / found my
self on my arrival an object of curl
osity, the employees craning their
necks to get a look at me. When 1
reached the presidents office he grasp
ed my hand and asked me to be seated.
When we were alone he said:
"What can l do for youT"
II don't know"
"Leave 1t to me. We have need OF
such men as you on this road and we
want you. If you like, l will educate
you to fill any position we have"
'That's exactly what I would ask"
I replied.
"But to do that you must begin at
| the bottom and work up. You will
| commence as a brakeman on a gravel
train. to be promoted as you learn the
| duties Of each successive position"
I was delighted with this plan and
acceded to 1t at once. When l left the
-~~o~& h. hn~Had rnn n nhoak II