The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1912-10-03
HoldingUp|
a Train
Mode of Operation Described
by an Expert
BY o. II e N RY
Copyright. 1911. by Doubleday. Page
Il Co

II the southwest ana IOl!OWeT Ol lilS
pursuit he so frankly describes His de-
'cription OF the modus operandi should
prove interesting. his counsel of value to
he potential passenger in some future
aodup, while his estimate of the pleas
lres of train robbing will hardly induce
any one to adopt 1t as profession l give
the story in almost exactly his own words.
o. IL
Most people would say. if their opin-
ion was asked for. that holding up a
train would be hard job Well, it
Isn't; it's easy. have contributed
some to the uneasiness of railroads
and the insomnia Of express COM
panies, and the most trouble ever
had about holdup was in being
swindled by INSCRIPTIONS people while
spending the money got. The dan
ger wasn't anything to speak OF. and
we didn't mind the trouble
One man has come pretty near rob-
bing train by himself. two have sue
ceeded few times. three can do it If
they are hustlers, but five is about the
right number The time to do it and
the place depend upon several things.
The FIRST "stickup'' | was ever in
happened in 1890. Maybe the way |
got into it will explain how most train
robbers start in the business. Five out
of six western outlaws are just cow
boys out of job and gone wrong.
The sixth Is a tough from the east
who dresses up like bad man and
plays some low down trick that gives
the boys bad name Wire fences
and "nesters'' made five of them:
bad heart made the sixth.
Jim s. and | were workin. on the
1Ol ranch in Colorado The neSters had
the cowman on the go They had
taken up the land and elected officers
who were hard to get along with. Jim
and rode into la Junta one day. 80
ing south from a roundup. We were
having a little fun without malice to,
ward anybody when farmer admins
tration cut in and tried to harvest MS
Jim shot deputy marshal. and Kind
of corroborated his side OF the argu
ment. We skirmished up and down
the main street. the boomers having
| bad luck all the time. After awhile
we leaned forward and showed for the
| ranch down on the Ceriso
Well. there wasn't anything we coulf
get there. and, being mighty hard up
| we decided to transact little bnsi
ness with the railroads. Jim and
ioined forces with Tom and Ike Moore
two brothers who had plenty OF san'
they were willing to convert into dust
We selected a place on the Santa F.
where there was bridge across
deep creek surrounded by heavy tim
ber All passenger trains took waite
at the tank close to one end OF tn
bridge. 1t was quiet place. the near
est house being five miles away.
The Santa Fe flier was due at tn
tank at 11:l5 p. m. At II Tom and
Law down on one side of the track. an
lin and Ike took the other AS tn
train rolled up. the headlight f'ashin
far down the track and the steam his
ing from the engine. turned weak.
The engine had hardly stopped whe
: l jumped on the running board on or
: side, while Jim mounted the other.
soon as the engineer and firemen sa
our guns they threw up their hant
without being told and begged US nj
to shoot, saying they would do an
thing we wanted them to
"Hit the groundr' ordered. and thu
both Jumped off We drove them
fore us down the side Of the trai
While this was happening Tom al
Ike had been blazing away. one
each side of the train. yelling III
Apaches so as to keep the passenge
herded in the cars.
Bv this time all my nervousness W
gone. | felt kind of pleasant excl1
mept as II l were at a dance or Il FRO
y of some sort The lights were all o
in the coaches. and as Tom and
gradually quit firing and yelling 1t
to be almost as still as graveyard
Il made the fireman get iantel
8 and then | went to the express ear Il
yelled to the messenger to open up
Il get perforated He slid the door ba
and stood in it with his hands
"Jump overheard. son" ! said. and
:; hit the dirt like lump OF lead The
! were two safes in the CARA big q
and a little one BY the way. hrst
! Gated the messengers arsenal "A az
ble barreled shotgun with bucksl
cartridges and 3S calibpr in dr;l
er. drew the cartridges from
: shotgun. pocketed the pistol ana q
! ed the messenger inside. J shoH
; nv gun against his nose and pnf
; to work. He couldn't open the
; sefe. but he did the little one. Tn
was only 5000 in It, That was misl
/: small winnings for our trouble. so
! decided to go through the passenger
~ There were very few people III
!. dav coaches at that time of night.
we made a slim haul until we got
the sleeper. l saw Jim coming in
other door. and | hollered for eve
body to climb out and line up
on They commenced to scramble do
les and for awhile we had three rim
|rk
circus.
= The ladies' didn't stop to dress /
IS were 40 curious TO see real. i've q
robber. bless 'ein. that they just WI
ped blankets and sheets around 10
selves and came Ou! sque;'ky
6dgety looking They always 81
m,oro cnrinsitv and sand than the q