On the evening of February 15, 1900, New Mexico & Arizona Railroad Train No. 1 stopped at Fairbank, a small station on the San Pedro River about eighteen miles south of Benson.

Three masked men were waiting.

According to the first newspaper report, the holdup began at approximately 6:10 that evening. One robber climbed onto the locomotive, covered the engineer with a six-shooter, and ordered him not to move until given permission.

The other two went for the express car.

Inside was Wells Fargo messenger Jeff Milton.

The Express Car

Milton had opened the express-car door to conduct his regular station work when the two masked men approached. They ordered him to throw up his hands.

Milton appeared to comply.

But his pistol came up with them.

Milton opened fire.

The robbers immediately returned it.

What followed was a heavy exchange of gunfire around the express car. The first report estimated that approximately twenty-five shots were fired.

Milton was hit and wounded.

One of the robbers was hit as well. The station agent reportedly saw the man fall, but after the shooting ended he could not be found. His companions had apparently carried him away.

That wounded robber would soon be identified as Three Fingered Jack Dunlop.

Milton Holds the Car

The first report gives few details about exactly what happened inside the express car once the shooting began. It states only that Milton exchanged fire with the robbers, was wounded, and that one of the attackers fell.

Later reporting adds another detail.

After the suspects began to be arrested, newspapers reported that Tom Yoas, also known as “Bravo Juan,” had a wound in his leg. Yoas claimed the injury resulted from an accident, but authorities believed it had been caused by buckshot from Milton’s gun.

That later account indicates that Milton apparently used a shotgun as well as the pistol mentioned in the initial report. It does not establish exactly when during the fight he changed weapons.

What the first account makes clear is that Milton opened the fight with his pistol.

The Robbers Flee

The attack had failed.

One of the robbers had been badly wounded, Milton was still alive, and the men had not gained control of the express car.

The first newspaper report could not yet determine what had been taken. It stated only that the loss to the railroad and express companies was believed to be small.

The robbers gathered up their wounded companion and fled from Fairbank.

Behind them they left a wounded Wells Fargo messenger, a train and station shaken by gunfire, and witnesses who had just watched one of the attackers fall.

The Alarm Goes Out

Cochise County Sheriff Scott White was notified almost immediately, and a large posse started from Tombstone in pursuit.

The first newspaper account was optimistic. Because the fugitives were burdened with a wounded companion, it predicted that they were almost certain to be captured before daylight.

They weren’t.

The train was backed to Benson with the wounded Milton aboard, and arrangements were made for a special train to carry him to Tucson for medical attention.

Meanwhile, somewhere beyond Fairbank, Three Fingered Jack Dunlop was being carried away by his companions.

The robbery was over. The pursuit had begun.

Source Note

This account is based primarily on the immediate newspaper report of the Fairbank holdup dated February 15, 1900. That report identified Train No. 1 of the New Mexico & Arizona Railroad, placed the robbery at about 6:10 p.m., described three masked robbers, stated that Milton raised his pistol when ordered to put up his hands, and reported approximately twenty-five shots exchanged.

A later newspaper account reported that Tom Yoas had a leg wound authorities believed was caused by buckshot from Milton’s gun. Because that report was published later and used the qualified phrase “it is believed,” it is treated here as supplementary evidence rather than used to rewrite the sequence described in the first report.

Behind them they left a wounded Wells Fargo messenger, a train and station shaken by gunfire, and witnesses who had just watched one of the attackers fall, severely wounded.

The Alarm Goes Out

Cochise County Sheriff Scott White was notified almost immediately, and a large posse started from Tombstone in pursuit.

The first newspaper account was optimistic. Because the fugitives were burdened with a wounded companion, it predicted that they were almost certain to be captured before daylight.

They weren’t.

The train was backed to Benson with the wounded Milton aboard, and arrangements were made for a special train to carry him to Tucson for medical attention.

Meanwhile, somewhere beyond Fairbank, Three Fingered Jack Dunlop was being carried away by his companions.

The robbery was over. The pursuit had begun.

Source Note

This account is based primarily on the immediate newspaper report of the Fairbank holdup dated February 15, 1900. That report identified Train No. 1 of the New Mexico & Arizona Railroad, placed the robbery at about 6:10 p.m., described three masked robbers, stated that Milton raised his pistol when ordered to put up his hands, and reported approximately twenty-five shots exchanged.