Cheyenne County, Nebraska -- presented by Genealogy Trails

Cheyenne, March 11 – A bold and successful robbery of gold bullion occurred at Sidney, Neb., yesterday, while the Union Pacific express agent, Snyder, was at dinner. The amount taken is estimated at $120,000 to $200,000.

The Entrance was effected through the floor of the express office. The robbery was evidently planned in advance of the arrival of the treasure coach from the Black Hills.

The bullion had just been transferred by Luke Voorhees, superintendent of the stage line, to the express agent of the stage line, and consisted of bricks and bars from different mills in Lend City and Deadwood Gulch.

Robert Law, superintendent of the Mountain division of the Union Pacific, accompanied by T. Jeff. Carr, of the Rocky Mountain Detective Association, started from here on an engine at 3 p.m. to direct the pursuit of the robbers, who are reported to have gone in a northerly direction, well mounted.

A telegram from Sidney, just received, states that the treasure has been recovered, except $13,000. It was found under a pile of coal near the Union Pacific track, where the track man saw the robbers conceal something in the afternoon. One of the missing bricks, valued at $8,000, is from the Esmeralda mine, Blacktail Gulch, near Deadwood, partly owned by Hibbard, of Cheyenne, and the Black Hills telegraph company. Of the balance, $2,000 is in an express package, the rest bullion.

The special train with Supt. Law and detectives made the run to Sidney, one hundred and two miles, in two hours. Supt. Law has now in active search every available men at that end of the division, and hopes to bring the guilty parties to speedy justice.

The bullion was taken from the truck in the express office, which adjoins the telegraph office. A hole was made in the floor of the office, and much have been made by experts, as no unusual noise was heard by the operator, who was in the adjoining room during the absence of the express agent. The immense weight of the treasure – 480 pounds – prevented the robbers from carrying it off, and they were compelled to conceal it at the first available spot.

As one of the new side issues of railroad building in Western Nebraska, there is now a proposition on foot in Cheyenne County to divide the county in two very nearly in the middle on an east and west line.

At present Sidney is the county seat, and is located near the center of the south half.

The occasion of the movement is the building of the new Burlington's Alliance extensions first down to the new town of Bridgeport on the North Platte River, and from there branching, one line to the northwest to Hartville, Wyoming, and perhaps further, and the other south to Brush, Colorado. This will then make Bridgeport a junction town, about forty miles southwest of Alliance, and almost the center of the north half of Cheyenne County. Thus the efforts to divide the county, with Bridgeport as the county seat of the north half a good sized county in itself, for it would have thirty six townships and an area about 1,310

It is argued that it would be very inconvenient for the people in the new Burlington towns to get to Sidney, while population area and convenience would make it just right for the proposed new county with Bridgeport as the chief town.

By December 10 rails will be laid, and trains will be running from Alliance to Bridgeport which will be terminus of the extension for the winter. Although grading has been nearly completed to Hartville it is figured that the weather will be too severe for a few months to permit track work. By December 10, the wagon and railroad bridge connecting Bridgeport with Camp Clark on the south will be finished.