Thanks, Rupert. (My family knows not to ask about my research unless they have a huge block of time set aside.) I’ll just offer a tease—it’s all going in the book I’m writing.
The shooting victim was named Charles Pond. The article says he was a stockman, but there are conflicting accounts below the surface. His local paper said he was on a trip to Washington State for his health. (THAT didn’t go well!) In the book I’m writing (first I’ve attempted—I’m a retired reading teacher) I’m going to lay out this mysterious story. But some parts will remain unsolved due to the scant detail.
One of the tramps came from my area. He served time in Cincinnati, Ohio’s euphemistically named House of Refuge for stealing a box of sardines. He would return to Southwest Ohio 10 years later and take part in what is claimed to be the first bank robbery in Butler County. (About now is when my family’s eyes glaze over and they back away slowly.)
This thread has been extremely helpful for telling this section of the story more accurately. I can’t thank this group enough—detailed, clear explanations, incredible photos, and responses started coming in the day I posted. Thank you all.
I may hit you with some specific questions about railroad police, but it’ll be a while before I get to the section where they play a role.
DB
Dave
I’ve found an account of the shooting in the Omaha Daily Bee of 27 June 1897 Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, June 27, 1897, Part I, Page 8, Image 8 « Chronicling America « Library of Congress (loc.gov)
A report in the same newspaper the following day Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, June 28, 1897, Page 8, Image 8 « Chronicling America « Library of Congress (loc.gov) states that the man who was shot after leaving the train (G R Pond of Corning, Iowa) was a stockman. Apparently a number of tramps had tried to take his valise but he resisted and was shot. Six men were arrested.
Rupert Gamlen
I have two questions about an incident that happened in Chalco, Neb. In late June of 1897. A passenger on a train referred to in news articles as the Burlington fast freight (sometimes called a stock train but that definitely had at least some boxcars) was shot during an attempted robbery as he got off the train.
- If a person had a pass to ride a freight train, where would he or she ride? Would a freight train have a specific place for passengers?
- For a train called a fast freight, this particular train stopped in Lincoln, then again in Ashland, and again in Chalco, then in Omaha. Why so many stops? I would have thought a fast freight would have been straight through to a destination.
Thanks for any help. I’m pretty ignorant about trains—working on true crime. Thanks!
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