Sam Bass and the Great Train
Robbery
The first and greatest
robbery of a Union Pacific Train took place near Big Springs on the
night of September 18, 1877. The legendary Sam Bass and five
companions, after capturing John Barnhardt, station master, and
destroying the telegraph, forced Union Pacific Express Train No. 4
to halt.
A reported $60,000 in new $20
gold pieces and currency was taken from the Express car, while
about $1,000 and a number of watches were taken from passengers.
The accumulated loot from this, the Big Springs Robbery, it is
said, was then divided by the outlaws, beneath the Lone Tree then
growing on the north side of the River. After making the division,
the robbers then split into pairs and fled their pursuers.
Joel Collins and Bill Heffridge were killed at Buffalo, Kansas. Jim
Berry was killed near Mexico, Missouri, while Tom Nixon and Jack
Davis were never located. After forming another band and robbing
four trains in Texas, Sam Bass was killed by Texas Rangers at Round
Rock, Texas, on July 21, 1878; it was his 27th birthday. His
epitaph reads, "A brave man reposes in death here, why was he not
true?"
Another piece of notoriety as
far as robberies in Big Springs, in 1965 Duane Earl Pope robbed the
Farmers State Bank. Killing 3 people and paralyzing the owner of
the bank, Frank Kjelgaard. Frank is still living, and Pope is
serving a life sentence in Nebraska. He got away with
$1568.
A little help on this one for
the find. Lots and lots of interference close to the cache. After 5
attempts at trying to get some good coords for the cache., I took
some averages and will check them periodically to try to get
closer. Anyway when you find the stump?? 6ft. to the north at the
'V' in the tree. (How's that for a hint?)
Other caches
close are 'Lot Lizzard' (Big Springs/I80), 'Where the Handle Meets
the Pan'
As usual hide as good or
better.
Current Caching Weather (Big Springs):
