The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-02-22
BILL CANADA TERROR
TO TRAIN ROBBERS
For % Years Always Ready to
Take the Trail After
Holdup Men.
CHIEF OF FIGHTING BAND
"Bandit Train" Carried Men
and Fleet Horses to Scene
Of Trouble.
CHIEF OF FIGHTING BAND

OMAHA, N.b, Feb ,i-Bill Canada
who did more than any other one man to
rid the West OF desperadoes. train rob-
beers and two gun men," Ia going back
to his boyhood home In Kentucky to look
up Old time friends there. He has just
been retired on a pension from tho Union
Pacific Railroad.
Canada has been head OF the secret
service department Of the Union Pacific
for a quarter OF a century. during which
period 1t was his duty to see to the safe
guarding OF the gold and bullion ship
ments. the million dollar" silk trains and
the mails.
W. T. Canada came from Smithland.
Ky. few miles from where the Cum
berland flows into the Ohio. At the
outbreak OF the civil war he was IL
years old At the age ~ II he ran
away and Joined the army At Is he
was "a lieutenant. promoted for bravery
on the field OF battle. Then he came
West.
Ten years later he was employed by
the Union Pacific. The line had Just been
completed through from Omaha to san
Francisco, and thousands OF workmen
had been discharged. The West was
fun OF unemployed men Also the gold
mines Of California, oregon and Montana
and the great silver lodes OF Nevada
Utah and other Western States were
pouring out millions OF dollars worth of
bullion To be- transported
II was the most natural thing In
the world that there grew up along the
line uf the road half "A dozen bands Of
desperate train robbers. Nobody knows
Just how the railroad came to pick out
the quiet, slow spoken Canada to OPP
pose these bands. but II did and gave
him carte blanche.
Within few months F1atnose George
Curry and his band of five Of the worst
/ men n'the West swung a red lantern
In front ~ the overland Limited as II
went whizzing through the Red Desert
of Wyoming. The train stopped and the
desperadoes boarded II and robbed the
passengers, dynamited the express safe.
took everything OF value and Ned south
across the colorado state line.
A few hours after the news OF the
holdup reached headquarters special
train consisting OF one sleeping car and
~ baggage car reached the scene. Eight
men jumped out Of the sleeper and I'M
shipped from the baggage car eight
horses. few minutes later mounted
on the horses. the men were put on the
tran OF the outlaws, who, feeling secure
In the knowledge that II was 200 miles
to Cheyenne. were taking their time
The eight men were Bin Canada and
| his command. The chase lasted a few
days and extended over many miles. At
the end six graves marked tho line Of
1 NHtrF III ruCll kIANS was 4 DhnQlt.
Canada kept his bandit train at
| Cheyenne lie had eight OF the best
| known fighters and eight Of the fastest
horses he could secure. There was a
| telegraph operator always in the train
and his ofiice was as movable as was
| the train itself. When news OF q holdup
! came an engine was hitched to the
/ train, which had the right OF way over
| cverythinE 81 in few hours this band
/ ~ trained fighters was at the scene OF
/ the trouble. The pursuit lasted as long
az the bandits did. Then the hunters
| came back To- their train and waited for
! the next attack.
In 1900 n Union Pacific train was held
NJ by two men at Hugo. Col, and o
passenger was killed The robbers. well
mounted. Ned northeast. Canada and his
men followed and ran them down in a
farmhouse near Goodlands Kan. and
fired the house. ON. bandit jumped from
a window and was shot dead the other
shot himself and fell back into the fire.
Next day the railroad sent the farmer q
check for his house and furniture
There was holdup at Upton. Wyo..
one night by L.onny Curry's gang. Lonny
3 was a brother OF Flat Nose George.
. Within forty-.lght hours he was run down
and killed.
Didn't get his hands up quick enough"
was the verdict Of the Coron.r's jury.
During cauada's time only two men
took part in the robbery OF Union
Pacific train and survived. one. Ben Kill
patrick. spent ten years in prison after
hr recovered from his wounds. ON his
release he went 10 South America To
/ join HarVe Logan, who had robbed a
! Union Pacific train and escaped. The
| two mon are now In Chile.
/ Canada has been exalted ruler OF the
/ Omaha Lodge OF Elks At the time of
the san Francisco earthquake and fre.
whom Grand Exalted Ruler Robert Brown
OF the Louisville. Ky, Timcs. put 10000"
~ cash IN grip and started for the
stricken city to assist brother Elks IN
med, Canada went along ~ his body
guard