Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1914-07-30
Road-Agents And Fireworks.

My first nun as express messenger,
writes a Companion contributor, was
through the lonely country of the Okla
honla and Texas pan-handles. We often
carried large SUMS of money out of Kan
sas City for the pay-rolls OF some large
mines and construction companies. The
shipments usually came twice a month,
about the twelfth and the twenty ninth.
Some OF the divisions farther north had
suffered from raids by "road-agents,
but they had not bothered us.
We left Kansas City the night OF June
10Th. Among other stuff. we carried
lot OF fireworks for the town of Amarillo,
where they were to have an especially
glorious Fourth. There was also large
amount of currency IN the safe, consigned
TO the bank at the same town.
My assistant was chubby young fel-
low, whom we called "the Infant" He
had had a busy day, so told him to turn
in about nine O'Clock. He unroled
comforter, and was soon asleep on the
floor OF the car.
Our car was one of the first all-Steel
coaches put in the express business. 1t
had poor ventilation, and the night was
hot. ia have opened door a bit, but
that is against company rules. Suddenly
| heard couple OF track torpedoes ex-
plode, and the train came to a jarring
stop. Then | heard a volley OF shots,
and knew that il was the road-agent at
last. Soon the engine was started again;
the rest OF the train had been uncoupled; ;
our car was the only one attached to the
engine.
Rousing the Infant, told him the Situ-
alton. In spite OF the warm night, |
Shivered when thought Of the cash in
that safe. did not have the combina-
ton, but the Infant and could not prevent
their blowing the safe. We had firearms,
but should we use them? That would
mean almost certain death for both of us
Suddenly the warning, Explosive
With Care" on box of fireworks Caught
my eye. pointed TO it, and the Infant
looked at me inquiringly. "lf we could
set of that stuff, these robbers wouldn't
know what had struck them," | said. We
both jumped over, and began TO tear the
covers off the boxes. epiled excelsior
on the floor from door 10 door, and bank
ed it up solid with boxes. Then we put
all the fireworks we could get at on top
OF the excelsior, and left few unopened
boxes in the center of the car.
Besides the two side doors, there was
small dour in the end next TO the tender,
and that we unfaStened except Tor one
bolt. Last OF all, we blew out the lamp,
and in the dark | poured the kerosene
over the excelsior. Then we waited, but
not for long.
The engine slowed down, and stopped.
The robbers began TO pound on the door,
and demand that open it. called cut
that the bar was stuck, and when ! heard
them begin to force the door, touched
match to the excelsior.
Then we both ran for the little end
door. Just as we got there the first box
OF giant crackers caught fire, and at the
same moment the robbers got the side
door open. Such a racket you never
heard Under cover OF darkness, the In
fant and crept round the end OF the car
into the brush. where we could watch
things.
After the giants, a box OF rockets and
some green fire went off. A tan man
rushed up the door, and fell headlong as
big sky-rocket hit him fair in the chest.
Roman candles began TO illuminate the
night, and bombs were exploding every |
few seconds. The robbers lost courage. |
Most OF them had bad burns TO nurse,
and they knew that every settler for
miles round would soon be on hand TO |
see what was going on. ! could hear
their talk; no one understood what had
happened. They thought it must be
some new protective contrivance, and
were quite confounded by it. The light
from the car, which was now on fire, in
creased momentarilY, and heard the
robbers mount their horses and ride
off. A few minutes later, four or five
settlers came up, attracted by the racket.
We soon smothered the fire with dirt
and sand. Everything combustible in
side the Car had burned, but there was
little OF value compared with the con-
tents OF the safe, which was unhun. The
engineer backed up to the train little
later, and took the car along 10 the end
OF the division in safety.