Verdi Train Robbery

The Verdi Train Robbery was the first train robbery in the West.  I visited Rock Island, Iowa a few years ago, where they have a plaque claiming the first western train robbery took place there, carried out by Jesse James and his gang.  However the Verdi robbery predates that by a couple years.  The robbery was planned and lead by Gentleman Jack (A.J. Davis) who was a respected business man, but had been robbing stage coaches for some time.  He ran a mill where he would reprocess his booty.  In total there were eight men involved in the robbery.  It was well planned.  They had received word of a gold shipment, to make payroll in Virginia City.  In addition to Davis, other members of the gang included John Squires, E.B. Parsons and Tilton Cockerill (seasoned criminals) as well as James Gilchrist, a miner and John E. Chapman, a Sunday School superintendent.  Chapman had traveled to San Francisco to gather information. 

The train left Oakland November 4.  It was running behind.  Verdi is just over the border in Nevada.  The train had stopped to top of water and fuel.  As it slowly started many of the bandits boarded the slow moving train, while others made a barrier in the tracks a few miles towards Reno.  The robbery went off without a hitch.  They detached the rest of the cars from the engine, tinder and express car which housed the money.  The engineer took them a mile further, where the bandits stuffed pre-made bags with the money, and went their separate ways. 

If not for the sharp wits of a California woman, they may very well have succeeded in their robbery.  However this woman, who helped run a hotel with her husband in the Sardine Lakes area, saw three residents acting suspiciously.  Two went on their way, but James Gilchrist remained.  The woman spied him hiding gold coins in the outhouse.  When the sheriff arrived he was asleep in his room, and captured without incident.  Deputy James Kinkead took the lead in the investigation.  Based on the description provided by the woman, and a distinguished foot print of one of the men (almost like a high healed print which was popular with gamblers in that day) he was able to track them down.  Within 48 hours three of the accomplices had been captured.  They were able to confuse Gilchrist to the point he confessed the crime and implicated many others, including Davis.  Sol Jones, when captured also gave information on other participants.  Sol Jones received a light sentence for cooperating.  James Gilchrist and Chat Roberts were freed for testifying against others.  The rest received sentences of ten to 24 years.  Jack Davis received a lighter sentence, which was reduced when he did not participate in a jail break and in fact supported the guards.  He was released after five years, but did not enjoy his freedom long as he was killed while attempting to rob a stage coach.

Much gleaned from a two-part article in Tahoe Weekly by Mark McGlaughlin, June 2017

Adair Iowa: Site of First Successful Train Robbery

Site of the first train robbery in the Western United States was in Iowa in 1873.  This was conducted by the James Younger gang and resulted in the death of the engineer.  Wikipedia tells the story briefly: On July 21, 1873, the gang carried out its first train robbery, derailing a locomotive of the Rock Island Railroad near Adair, Iowa. Engineer John Rafferty died in the crash. The outlaws took $2,337 (equivalent to $38,000 in 2015^[3]) from the express safe in the baggage car, having narrowly missed a transcontinental express shipment of a large amount of cash.

The track goes through a narrow wooded gorge.  It would have been easy to ambush.

This pictures is taken from a bridge which was not there in 1873.

San Joaquin City: Ghost Town

Old San Joaquin City was located just south of where the Dunham Road goes over the San Joaquin River on the River Road, now Kasson Road.  It was on the west side of the road.  It originally was a ferry town, the Dunham Ferry crossing about where the bridge is now.  It later became a river time and at one time had 1500 residents.  Today there is one farm house in the area, and everything else is farms, or brush area leading to the river.  These pictures were taken on the east side of the river going towards Sturgeon Bend.  They are of the East Side Slough, but hopefully in the area where George Williams lived.  He was a resident who pioneers electricity in the area.  He also had the first wireless.  He had come up with an idea for smokeless gun powder.  In an effort to get money for his project, he attempted to rob a train in Manteca.  This went array when a hobo came from under the train and started George.  He ended up shooting him and killed him.  He was convicted of train robbery and sent to prison.  He was later paroled and returned to live long the river.

This picture is from the other side of the river where the city was actually located.  In the early days the boats would tie up to the trees.  Grain and wood were hauled from here to Stockton.  The landing helped the west side of the valley develop the wheat industry.  Today the channel of the river has moved east some yards.  The plaque is now missing, having been stolen at least five years ago.