Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-01-15

tne car, tnen OaSn IOrWdfu INTO the CdO
could move 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 I could hardly
hope to acquire speed in time to leave
them behind. Again, having put on
steam I could fight. 1 had no arms,
but 1 could use Jumps of coal. Ali
this was folly. but / had been seized
by a mania for carrying out my
scheme, and hundred devils could not
have stopped me. Besides was push
ing forward. Happenings in my favor
might arise.
Anyway. l resolved to 60 to the rear
of the express car. What I would do
when l got there 1 didn't know. I
found the conductor and several men
passengers who. freed from the pres
ence 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 not got their
Courage up to point where they could
use them. and they had no plan or
leader. Without stopping to inquire as
to their armament, said:
Here, you men! I'm going forward
to get on the locomotive, which is de-
serted One of you go up there where
you can see me, and when / give a
signal uncouple right here Then all
who have firearms go forward, and
when put on steam send all the bull
lets you can in among the robbers on
the front platform"
"Goodr' cried the conductor. who
would have done something before
this IL he had had a plan.
scurried forward, keeping close I'M
der the car, passing the front platform
in the same way, and in a quarter of
a minute was in the cab. A man
stood where he could see me. nod
ded to him and waited. 1t seemed to
me an eternity before the car was IN
coupled. 1 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. I gave 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 fourth got away. l did
not know of this at the time. 1 only
knew that no one interfered with me-
1 had the express treasure behind me
and did not stop till had reached the
next station. There armed men got
aboard the locomotive, 1t was switch
ed away from the express car and
rushed back. But the fracas had all
been over before I had made a hun
dred yards.
So it was that the maddest scheme
that ever entered the brain of farm
er's boy was made practicable by cir
cumstances. Indeed. when the rob-
bers left the rear door of the express
car to concentrate their efforts on the
forward platform - possibly because
there they could be near 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 action.
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 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 do for your
II don't know
Leave it to me. We have need of
! such men as you on this road and we
want you. If you like, | will educate
| You to fill any position we have"
That's exactly what l would ask"
replied.
But to do that you must begin at
the bottom and work up. You will
commence as a brakeman on q gravel
train, to be promoted as you learn the
duties Of each successive position"
/ was delighted with this plan and
| acceded to it at once. When l left the
president he handed me a check |
| didn't look at the amount, telling him
to invest 1t for me. which he promised
to do, and left him, having agreed to
report the next week for work.
AS soon as l returned to the farm
went to see Julia Gadsden. who had
bound up the cut on my finger l told
her that since she had kept me daily
ing the exact time required for me 10
meet the held up train. she was entJ-
tied to part of my reward We set.
tied 1T by enjoying 1t together
That was long ago. occupied every
position on the railroad, from the low
est to the highest, then became a re-
tired capitalist. / am now rich and
attribute my success to opportunity
and an ability to take advantage Of
that opportunity.