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to visit his niece. With a reserve tempered by many Mr. H. E. Pierson, District Passenger Agent
years of financial decision making, he related in a for the Southern Pacific, was also one of the robbery
stentorian voice that: "It was really quite an victims. Checking the quality of the railroad's
experience. I had begun to think all these tales passenger service, he soon came to the conclusion
of your wild west were fiction, but now I can see that these kind of things were certainly not con-
they are based on fact. It was my first ride in ducive toward increasing Southern Pacific's pas-
this part of the country." Mr. Bennett did not senger traffic. Mr. Pierson placed his business card
so state, but it would involve little speculation in his currency hoping that the robber would over-
to assume that this was his last trip through such look it, and that it might become a clue as to
uncivilized country. the identification of the bandit. This quick think-
Incredulous though it was, the robbery pro- ing was to pay dividends when the dragnet was
gressed and the bandit stated that he was a local finally formed.
rancher and was interested in money only. He Working his way toward the rear of the train,
kept a running conversation with his victims, and the nervous gunman came to a locked car door.
for reasons known only to himself, often re- W. S. Higgins, Southern Pacific employee from
moved his cloth mask and exposed his face. The Stockton, California was credited by passengers
passengers noticed a hole in the pocket of the in one car as having saved them from robbery.
robber's coat, and through the rent saw another Higgins was on the train with his wife. Looking
pistol held in reserve. Needless to say, the one outside immediately after the crash, he saw a
held in hand produced the desired result as he suspicious looking man running alongside the
moved from person to person extracting their wrecked Limited, illuminated by the dim reflection
money with much expertness. When the final of the car lights. Turning away from the window
tally was made, it was disclosed that he had and back to the passengers he cried: "Hide your
actually robbed 12 persons, and the total loot was money and valuables. This is a train robbery."
between two and three hundred dollars. He had Higgins then had the porter lock the doors at
completely ignored jewelry and watches, but did each end of the car and the robber was unable
take a woman's purse, which was used to hold to enter. Among those who profited by Higgins'
his accumulation of illegally procured wealth. Lit- quick action were Mr. J. W. Maynard, Stockton
tle did he know at this time, but this purse was produce merchant and his wife, and Mrs. J. J.
one of several clues that would eventually ensnare Hooper, wife of a Stockton street car official.
him in a web of evidence that resulted in his When the bandit found that he could not enter
prosecution. the car, he felt that time ceased to be his ally,
Entering one car, the vandal said: "I want and he dropped from the train and melted into the
currency. Folks, get your money quick. No time! darkness from whence he came. Ironically, the
No time! You folks stay where you are, my mate rather small amount of money collected by the
is up at the other end and I left my horse up on bandit was insignificant with respect to the many
the road. I am a rancher here, never mind the thousands of dollars that it eventually cost South-
jewelry, I want currency." ern Pacific in damages. His timing was perfect
The reference to the horse injected the Dalton whether intended or not. He was swallowed by
Gang influence into the case and the whole affair the silence of the autumn evening just a few
assumed the proportions of a Hollywood "flicker." minutes before the deputies raced to the scene.
Actually, the passengers described the bandit as Things were happening fast. On the heels of the
possessing a mild, soft voice without a trace of deputies came constables from Newhall and police
distinguishing accent. They said that he was deeply from Central Station, Los Angeles. The alarm for
tanned and was of gaunt, wiry build. He was about the wrecker was urgently broadcast. After the law
5'6" tall, weighing about 135 pounds, and was enforcement officers arrived on the scene, an in-
thought to be about 40 years of age. He was also tensive search was launched, and all motor roads
described as wearing a two piece suit of brown or in the area came under strict surveillance. Due
grey, the pants being darker than the coat. The to the fact that the area was so rugged and the night
passengers said they would be able to identify the so dark, the search was ineffectual at best, and
man if and when he was captured. There was was called off until the next morning. Southern
also a consensus of opinion that the "baddie" had Pacific officials estimated that the railroad would
penetrating blue eyes, sunken cheekbones, a sharp be opened to traffic in five hours as crews from
thin nose and a smooth face. An opinion was Los Angeles and Mojave labored to build a tem-
expressed by some in regard to the removal of his porary "shoe-fly" around the disabled engine and
mask. Some persons said that he evidently had cars. As promised by the bandit, the passengers
a subconscious desire to be identified and punished. were taken aboard the last five cars and hauled

TH REE BARRELS OF STEAM 42