The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1914-09-18
A TRAIN
HOLDUP
BY RYLAND BELL

When l was q boy l lived Deslue ("
railroad. There was a bridge across
! the river near where I lived, and l
spent a great deal Of my time on this
! bridge holding a 1shpole over the wa
ter. l perched myself on an abutment
where / would not be interfered with
by trains, and when any OF the engl-
neers knew came along l would
wave nv hand to him, getting a NOD
in reply.
There was a time, when l was about
sixteen years old, that a train e
over the bridge carrying an express
car. The engineer was Josh McCur-
DIV, the best friend l had among the
brotherhood. When l was a little KID
playing about among the switches
where the men were making up trains
he had jumped from his a n
yanked me out Of the way OF a car
that was being backed right on to me.
AS / grew older l appreciated what he
had done for me and loved him ac-
cordingly. And he loved me the more
because he had done it.
In July and August l was usually
| fishing on the bridge nearly all day.
One morning when Josh McCurdy's
train was coming l heard a shot and
saw his train slowing up. But 1t
didn't come to a full stop till the engine
and forward cars had got on to the
bridge. l saw the heads of passengers
thrust out of the windows of the coach
es and other evidences Of excitement
which convinced me that something
serious had happened.
The shot l had heard. together with
the fact that l knew the train always
carried an express ear, suggested to
me that the train had been held up
by robbers. Boylike, l was curious to
see what was going on, besides being
solicitous about my friend the en-
gineer. So, instead of keeping out of
the way, l went as fast as l could go
over ties and stringers toward the
train. l was not likely to be noticed.
coming from the bridge; but, feeling
sure that my inference that robbers
were at work was correct, as l neared
the Kissing engine l dropped down on
to some supports below and made my
way along them.
was now over the bank, which
sloped from the abutment to the river.
l couldn't see what was going on In or
about the train, but one thing l saw
that set me to thinking. The locomo-
tive and one car-either the baggage
or express-were on the bridge. and l
could look up from under them. In
those days the old fashioned coupling
had not completely passed out of use.
and the cars of this train were linked
together with a pin.
A man was hammering with his fist
at the rear door Of the car above me,
but suddenly turned and ran down the
steps and disappeared from my view.
I was not slow in divining that he had
gone for something with which to
break in the door. an az or a tie. There
right over my head was the link that
held the car to the rest of the train.
hanging loose. A plan of action fash
ed through my brain. Catching a
stringer, l pulled myself up to where
[ could reach the pin and pulled it out.
Then. lowering myself. made my
way with a boys agility to the cab of
the locomotive and, climbing the steps.
found myself in it, alone. Opening
the valve, l let on steam, slowly at
first, but rapidly increasing the power
till l was we'll under way.
I expected to die for my act, for the
robbers could jump on to the rear plat
form of the car, come forward. and l
was defenseless. The reason they
didn't do this was that they had been
told off for different purposes. Two
were going through the cars robbing
the passengers. n was guarding the
engineer, who had been taken from his
cab. and the fourth man was hunting
for a tie with which to batter down the
door of the express car. He did not
see that the a was moving till it had
gone too far to be reached. walking as
he would have had to do on ties. which
is a slow process.
I crossed the bridge with my engine
and one a and was we'll on the other
side when. hearing a sound behind me.
| turned and saw the express agent
coming owe the coal in the tender.
He had taken in the fact that his car
had been hauled away and when he
saw me at the throttle Informed me
that in some mysterious way I had
saved the treasure for which he was
responsible. as we'll possibly as his
life. Without a word he threw his
arms about ME and Rugged and kissed
me till l thought he would smother me.
Then he fred a few short questions
ut ME. to which l fred back as short
replies. and the story was told.
We had no fear Of being followed
across the bridge. SO. pulling up at a
station not far beyond the river. we
t~elegraphed for Information. The news
came that the robbers had mounted
horses and gailoped away. 1t vas
some time. however. before we re-
ceived an order to. back across and,
when we did. found that no lives had
been lost, though the robbers had got
considerable plumber from the passen.
gers.
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