Famous FTRA killers page

Robert Silvera's home page

Back to the Famous FTRA killers page

Side Track

AKA:

Robert Silvera's home page

BORDER="0">

Has confessed to four killings last time I checked,maybe more by now!

 

SRC="frntjack.jpg" WIDTH="266" HEIGHT="230" ALIGN="BOTTOM" BORDER="0" NATURALSIZEFLAG="3">SRC="backjack.jpg" WIDTH="326" HEIGHT="242" ALIGN="BOTTOM" BORDER="0" NATURALSIZEFLAG="3">SRC="sidetrack.jpg" WIDTH="380" HEIGHT="100" ALIGN="BOTTOM" BORDER="0" NATURALSIZEFLAG="3">

---

Conspicously absent from these tags and from Silveras jacket are any of the swastikas
and SS lightning bolts for which according to media fiction FTRA grafittie is supposed
to be so famous for!

---

NATURALSIZEFLAG="3">BORDER="0" NATURALSIZEFLAG="3">

---

According to this new FTRA dude:

"Side Track is a dip shit. He was old FTRA and probably did kill, however,
I think he was a Psyco not typical because hitler was a killer doesnt mean all black
headed men are killers. I'm new FTRA I'm not the old wore out FTRA bums."

---

According to Dective Quakenbush, Silvera is
the Leader of the FTRA

---

some good info on how they caught
Silvera in roseville who is suspected of 20 murders

---

Silvera who is already doing two live sentinces gets a third life sentence in Kansas.
Since he was only killing train bums nobody really gives a shit about spending the
money to put him to death. Click the link to read the original or read my copy below

http://cda.net/stories/1998/May/21/S393956.asp

March 21 1998


`Boxcar Killer' convicted in Kansas

Man already sentenced in Oregon slayings

Associated Press

The so-called ``Boxcar Killer,'' linked to a series of hobo killings in seven
states, including Washington, pleaded guilty Wednesday to first-degree murder and
was sentenced to life in prison for the bludgeoning death of a man at a state park.

Before he was sentenced by Ellsworth County District Judge Barry Bennington, Robert
Silveria, 39, apologized to relatives of Charles Randall Boyd, who was beaten to
death in a collapsed tent at Kanopolis Lake's South Shore State Park.

Court records show Boyd, who was in his 40s, met Silveria in El Paso, Texas, while
Boyd was building a bunk house for a youth ranch managed by Christ is the Answer
Mission. Silveria returned with him to the ranch and later traveled with him to Kansas.

When Boyd's body was discovered in July 1995, Silveria was nowhere to be found.
Also missing were Boyd's identification, personal belongings and vehicle.

Silveria was arrested by a railroad police officer eight months later in Auburn,
Calif. He had Boyd's credit cards with him, prosecutors said.

The judge ordered Silveria to serve his sentence consecutive to two life sentences,
both without parole, that he already faces in Oregon for his convictions of two killings
there.


A serial killer provision in the Kansas death penalty statute allows capital murder
charges for the premeditated killing of more than one person in two or more acts.

But Ellsworth County prosecutor Joe Shepack said he did not pursue the death penalty
because of limited resources.

``Part of it is cost. Part of it is not necessarily dollars and cents, it's applying
fairly stretched law enforcement resources and prosecutorial resources elsewhere,''
Shepack said Wednesday night in a telephone interview. ``Do I feel comfortable with
three or four life sentences? Yes.''

After his arrest in California, Silveria was ultimately linked to more than a
dozen homicides in seven states during a 15-year period.

Most victims were killed in their sleep for their identification and other belongings.
Police say Silveria used birth certificates, Social Security cards and the names
of his victims to obtain food stamps and other public assistance.

Oregon prosecutors were the first to file charges against Silveria, accusing him
of robbing and killing William Avis Pettit, 39, of Salem on Dec. 1, 1995. Pettit's
battered body was found in a boxcar.

In Florida, Silveria is accused of killing Willie Clark, 52.

It was uncertain Wednesday whether Florida officials would seek Silveria's immediate
extradition or if Silveria would return to Oregon.

 

---

Boxcar
serial killer' pleads guilty

By Wayne Wilson

Bee Staff Writer

(Published Feb. 8, 1998)



Robert Joseph Silveria
A boxcar-riding transient who confessed to killing more than a dozen men in railroad
yards across the country has formally pleaded guilty to two slayings in Oregon and
will soon be on his way to prosecution in Kansas or Florida.
Robert Joseph Silveria, 38, was arrested in Roseville by an alert
railroad cop in March 1996 and, during a 10-day stay in the Placer County jail, provided
investigators from seven states with enough detailed information about a series of
homicides to become known as the "boxcar serial killer."




That description was solidified when Silveria tearfully pleaded guilty before
Marion County, Ore., Circuit Court Judge James Rhoades to the December 1995 aggravated
murders of William A. Pettit, 39, and Michael A. Clites, 24.



In a prepared statement read to the judge Jan. 31, Silveria wept as he admitted
causing the deaths of both men by beating them for the purpose of robbing them.



Pettit's body was found in a parked boxcar on Dec. 3, 1995, in Millersburg, Ore.,
and Clites' was discovered in a freight car near Portland, Ore., on Dec. 6, 1995.

The judge promptly sentenced Silveria to two consecutive terms of life imprisonment
without the possibility of parole, and because of his pleas, he may not appeal the
judgment, according to prosecuting attorney Diana Moffat.



A hearing will be conducted Feb. 16 to determine if Silveria is willing to waive
extradition to Ellsworth County, Kan., or to Tallahassee, Fla., which have filed
warrants charging him with murder in their jurisdictions.




In Kansas, Silveria is alleged to have killed Charles Boyd, 46, in Kanopolis State
Park on July 28, 1995. In Florida, he is charged with the April 28, 1994, bludgeoning
of Willie Clark, 52.



According to Moffat and the chief investigator on the case, Mike Quakenbush of the
Salem, Ore., Police Department, solid evidence also links Silveria to the April 9,
1989, beating death of Anthony Garcia, 62, in West Sacramento; the Aug. 2, 1994,
killing of Michael A. Garfinkle, 20, in Emeryville; the April 21, 1995, homicide
of Roger Bowman, 38, in Salt Lake City; and the Oct. 15, 1995, slaying of Paul W.
Matthews, 43, in a hobo camp outside Whitefish, Mont.



While Silveria's statements permitted detectives to clear those homicides, formal
charges have not yet been filed and may never be.



Another dozen or more killings were addressed by Silveria during his stay in the
Placer County jail, but there is insufficient evidence to confirm his involvement

---

From the LA times


A key break came with the arrest last year in Roseville, Calif., of Silveria,who subsequently confessed to a string of boxcar killings from Florida to Montana
between 1981 and 1995. A native of San Jose, the 38-year-old Silveria occasionally
held down odd jobs but appeared primarily to have made his living knocking off fellow
train riders for their welfare and disability checks, authorities said.

Silveria, who has the word "Freedom" tattooed on his neck, purportedly
explained his spree in a series of letters to a former Placer County jail mate, later
filed with the court. He pronounced himself "the leader of my nation: the homeless,"
and added: "I could have tortured others of your world, but I chose to torture
my world, because I preyed on the weak.

"People always said I looked like the devil when I was beating the s--- out
of [someone]," he wrote.


Silveria has subsequently denied FTRA affiliation, and
authorities say he now claims that purported confessions were coerced. His lawyers
have declined comment.

---

Silvera allegedly identified other FTRA members in numerous killings, including
Spokane resident Hugh ``Dog Man Tony'' Ross, who rode with Silveria for years

---

Subject: Re: Train-Hopper Killer

Date: 1996/03/18

Newsgroups: misc.transport.rail.americas


In article <4htlo8$6mv@nntp.crl.com>, Silas Warner <silas@velo.com>
wrote:

Reprinted and abridged from the San Francisco Examiner for March 9.

This article can be found on the San
Francisco Examiner web page at:

http://www.sfgate.com/examiner/index.html

AUBURN - Authorities now suspect that a transient accused of preying on fellow
boxcar riders may have committed at least 12 homicides and possibly dozens more.
Police are inquiring about 37-year-old Robert Joseph Silveria.

Court documents say he confessed to an unspecified number of murders and provided
"exact and specific detail" on slayings in California, Arizona, Kansas,
Montana, Oregon and Utah.


Silveria, who rode the rails using the nickname "Sidetrack", is a member
of a loosely organized "gang of thugs" known as the Freight Train Riders
Association, investigators said. Silveria told an uncle by marriage that he had
killed 47 people. "He said it was caused by a deep anger in him.
He said that after the first one it just got easier and easier."

So far, Silveria has been charged only with the murder of William Pettit, Jr.,
39, whose body was found in a boxcar in Millersburg, OR.

Other slaying vicims may include Michael Garfinkle, 20, who was found beaten to
death Aug. 2 in Emeryville.


Silas Warner

---

Right it supports my contention that the greatist danger on trains if from other
train hoppers. How many dead tramps per year do we have in the US. Notice that for
a really long time knobody worried to much about these bums geting killed. If he
had killed 47 lawyers I would think that the cops would have been on him quicker.

Eric Jackson

jaks@netcom.com

---

From North Bank Freds
Brooklen yard pages


Very chillingly, this photo illustrates the dark side of tramping, in the form
of a moniker left in 1996 by Robert "Sidetrack" Silveria, the alleged FTRA
boxcar killer. One could find this grafitto under the Holgate St. bridge over Portland's
Brooklyn Yard,


in the jungle area. UP painted over all of the jungle's graffiti in July 1997, so
this piece is gone. Interestingly, the grafitto used to say "FTRA" under
the "ACK" in the word "Sidetrack", and I happened to be in the
jungle when another FTRA tramp crossed it out, sputtering something about how Sidetrack
wasn't fit to be an FTRA member after all of his alleged crimes.

Who do the police say
Silvera killed

---

One of the answers came in August of 1994, when 20-year-old Michael Garfinkleof Tarzana, on summer break from college, strapped on a backpack and headed north
through California on the rails. Police say he met suspected FTRA member Robert Silveria
near Emeryville. Silveria later admitted killing the young man with an ax handle.

A longtime rail rider who reportedly has confessed to at least nine slayings,
Silveria walked up toward Garfinkle's camp, where the young man told him: "This
is my area," Emeryville police Detective Wade Harper said. Silveria apparently
disagreed.

---

Darren Royal Miller, age 19, killed July 8, 1992

And since his questioning began following his arrest March 2 in Roseville, Silveria
has been linked to the July 8, 1992, killing of Darren Royal Miller, 19, in Thompson
Springs, Utah.

---

Roger Bowman, 38, on April 21, 1995, in Salt Lake City,

---

Charles Boyd, 46, in July 1995, in Ellsworth County, Kan.;

---

Paul Wayne Mathews, 43, on Oct. 15, 1995, in Whitefish,Mont.

---

William Pettit Jr age 39,December 1995

Silveria is awaiting trial in Salem, Ore.,in
the bludgeoning of 39-year-old William Pettit Jr. in 1995. Oregon prosecutors
plan to introduce confessions to at least five other killings across the country.

Placer County investigators said that at the time of his arrest, they found in
Silveria's possession pieces of Pettit's personal property, articles of clothing
and a lock of his hair.

Oregon prosecutors have accused Silveria of aggravated murder and first-degree
robbery in the December 1995 death of William A. Pettit Jr., 39, whose battered body
was found in a boxcar in Millersburg, Ore., near Salem.

Here
is an article about him being take to oregon for trial

---

Michael A. Clites, 24, on Dec. 5, 1995, in Eugene, Ore.

---

two victims in Pima County, Ariz., who have yet to be found and identified.

---

California transient linked to murders of 14 drifters

Reuters
News Service

SAN FRANCISCO -- A transient being held in northern California has been linked
to the murders of 14 drifters who rode the nation's railroads, authorities said Saturday.

Railroad police arrested Robert Joseph Silveria, 36, a week ago at a rail yard
in Roseville, near the state capital Sacramento, on a warrant for violating probation,
the Placer County Sheriff's Department said.


Since then detectives have been investigating whether Silveria may have been involved
in a series of murders of male transients who ride railroad boxcars in the western
United States between 1981 and 1995, it said.

The victims -- drifters or job-seekers who catch rides on freight trains -- were
usually stabbed or bludgeoned to death and robbed of their meager belongings.

A statement from the Placer County Sheriff's Department said Silveria "has
been linked to 14 murders" in Oregon, Montana, Utah, Kansas, California, Arizona
and Washington state.

So far Silveria, who is jailed in Auburn, Calif., has been charged with only one
murder, that of William Pettit, 39, whose body was found last December in a boxcar
in Oregon.

Silveria appeared before a magistrate Friday on a Marion County, Ore., warrant
charging murder and robbery and agreed to be extradited to Salem, Ore.

The Sheriff's Department said detectives believe Silveria may be a member of a
criminal transient gang known as the F.T.R.A., or Freight Train Riders Association.

---

Another
story about how Side track used the victems ID's

---

Silvera
in excite

Search
for Silvera in hotbot

---

Back to the Famous FTRA killers page




-->

Become a Hobo - wikiHow

Become a Hobo - wikiHow

How to Become a Hobo

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit


Historically, many people have been forced into becoming hobos because of circumstances where jobs are so scarce that they have no choice but to travel from place to place in search of work. There are many theories of the origin of the word hobo (see Wikipedia's entry, listed in the Sources and Citations), ranging from a contraction of the words "Hoe Boys" to one of the words "Homeward Bound". In any case, the American Heritage Dictionary defines a hobo as "one who wanders from place to place without a permanent home or a means of livelihood." But the dawn of the Internet and increased dissatisfaction with the 9 to 5 routine have led more and more people to wonder if earning a living while on the road is a viable alternative to the daily grind. If you're thinking about becoming an opportunistic and resourceful transient worker, keeping your costs low, your responsibilities simple, and your freedom intact, here are the questions you'll need to ask yourself, and the preparations you'll need to make.

Steps

1. Take stock of your skills and experience. Historically, hobos have made a living through manual labor, but that doesn't always have to be the case. Any skill that is in wide demand and does not require an extended time commitment can be useful to a hobo. As long as you can advertise your services and earn people's trust (ideally through references), you can do anything. Some pursuits that lend themselves to this lifestyle are:
   
   • Landscaping and construction - Many migrant workers who cross international borders find work in this area, as it is the least demanding in terms of language barriers. Having experience is essential, however, as you'd be required to work with potentially dangerous equipment and machinery.
     
   • Farm hand - If you've ever thought about becoming a farmer, there are internships all over the world that offer housing, food, a stipend, and experience, in exchange for getting your hands dirty. You can follow harvest seasons around the country or around the globe. Progressive farms tend to provide better circumstances.
     
   • Fishing - Serve as a deckhand, cook, or fisherman as you travel the high seas.
     
   • Any web-based service such as writing, editing or programming.
     
   
   
2. Establish Plan B. This is a serious, life-altering decision. Don't abandon everything suddenly and disappear. You need something to come back to if your life on the road doesn't work out. Make sure all your debts are paid and responsibilities are handled before departure. If possible, have some savings set aside before you go, that you can access while you're on the road, if need be. Emergencies happen, and they cost money.
   
3. Be prepared. You may like the romantic idea of leaving with nothing but the clothes on your back and whatever is in your wallet, but that is a sure-fire recipe for disaster. You must assume that you will be sleeping, cooking, traveling, and essentially living outdoors, unless you decide to drive a car.
   
   • How will you get from place to place? Hobos are often associated with train-hopping, because this is what many hobos during the Great Depression did. A car can double as transportation and sleeping quarters, but keep in mind that gas is expensive, and upkeep on a vehicle is a major expense and if the expense bothers you, hitchiking is a good option since it's free. Some hobos prefer bicycles, but this will limit your range (to warm weather regions) and limit how much you can carry. A motorcycle can get you where you're going faster, but has maintenance requirements similar to those of a car, though not to the same degree. Buses are also an option: Greyhound, in the US at least, offers steep discounts when you purchase tickets a week in advance, and even more for still earlier purchases. Buy tickets at the station for the best deals; web purchases have an extra $3 or $4 tagged on whether the tickets are mailed or "on call".
     
   • Where will you sleep? Unless the place you work can offer housing, you will have to sleep in your car (if you have one), urban camp, squat in an abandoned building, or stay in hostels or motels. Another option is using the Communities Directory online to find urban co-ops, land trusts, and other alternative housing arrangements, which often welcome guests. See directory.ic.org. Yet another option is a traveler's network such as couchsurfing.com or globalfreeloaders.com, which offer free lodging to those who intend to contribute (in kind, or in other ways). Consider the costs and dangers associated with each.
     
   • Where will you take showers? Some campsites have showers, but many don't, so you may consider purchasing portable shower equipment. You can also obtain a membership to a national gym chain and use the showers there (provided you actually work out and maintain your appearance).
     
   • How will you defend yourself? A nomadic lifestyle is a dangerous one because you're constantly putting yourself in unfamiliar situations, and you're probably alone, both of which can make you a target for theft and assault. You'll need to outline some precautions you can take, such as always letting people know where you are, carrying a cell phone - and only going places where there's a reliable signal, having an alert system or weapon on you, etc. In addition, always know where you are so when you call for help you will be able to give them a location.
     
   
   
4. 
   
5. Make a list of connections. Look at maps of the areas in which you'll be traveling, and determine whether or not there's anyone you know, directly or indirectly, who lives there. Ask your Aunt Sally if your great uncle Billy still lives in that cabin in the woods. Ask your friend if his cousin still works at the car dealership in Utah. Most important of all, ask them if it's okay if you can get in touch with those people in case of an emergency. Some people might offer to make arrangements so that you can actually visit, which is always nice. (Just be a good house guest!)
   
6. Make an itinerary based on the type of work you plan to do, the connections you have in place, and the places you'd like to see. Do as much research as you can beforehand. Make a list of places you can stay, eat, shower, camp, etc. It's also wise to look up churches and shelters and any services that are offered to the homeless. The more prepared you are, the more you'll enjoy your travels.
   
7. Learn the hobo code. Historically hobos relied on a shared system of symbols that let fellow travelers know more about their current environment.[1] The symbols can vary from place to place and may no longer be used in many areas. Here are some symbols to get you started:
   
   • spearhead - defend yourself
     
   • circle with two parallel arrows - get out fast, hobos not welcome
     
   • wavy line (signifying water) above an X - fresh water and a campsite nearby
     
   • three diagonal lines - not a safe place.
     
   • cross - "angel food," (food served to hobos after a party)
     
   
   
8. Hit the road! Leave your roots behind. Find a place to live and work from day to day. See the sights of each new place you visit. Make interesting friends (you never know when they might lend a helping hand). Life on the road means that every moment is your own. With no schedule and no responsibilities (except keeping yourself healthy), you must decide how to best use your time to achieve a balance between work, travel, relaxation, and entertainment. Enjoy the variety that each day has to offer...you're earning it.
   
9. Don't hesitate to dumpster dive. You wouldn't believe the amount of free undamaged food that is thrown away all the time. For the best results check behind smaller grocery stores and fruit markets, as they usually don't invest money in a sealed garbage compactor, although these can sometimes be opened as well, just be careful. Fast food chains are also usually good, but more traditional restaurants generally don't waste nearly as much food, although if you are really hungry you can usually find at least something there as well.
   

Tips

• If possible, attend the annual National Hobo Convention in Britt, Iowa during the month of August and join in the festivities. Have some mulligan stew and share stories around a campfire. There are many other hobos who enjoy living a free life, not having obligations, and just traveling from place to place, enjoying their style of life.
  
• Look for temporary labor agencies in major cities. Most of these agencies will pay you daily, or have a daily draft. Even if you don't get hired, there's usually free coffee. Show up early, and look decent. Home Depot parking lots are also great places to find daily work, as they attract the same contractors that look to hire from Manpower & Laborworks.
  
• Remember that, as a hobo, you enjoy traveling and are willing to work, unlike a bum or a tramp who also travels but will not work, and lives by begging for money or for food.
  
• Read the books, "Hobo," by Eddy Joe Cotton for a modern hobo cautionary tale and "Rough Living: An Urban Survival Manual" by Chris Damitio. Both books offer tips for the road, ideas about how to find food and shelter, and useful lists of hobo lore, definitions, and things to avoid.
  
• Bring a camera, preferably a digital one with large memory, and/or keep a journal. You'll always like to remember your travels while you're on the road.
  
• Read some books on the topic:
  
  • "You Can't Win" by Jack Black, an insightful look on life on the road by a man who made it his career.
    
  • "Down And Out In Paris And London" by George Orwell. It is a non- fictional account of living in poverty and hand to mouth.
    
  • Steal This Book or the wiki it inspired, stealthiswiki.org, for specific advice.
    
  
  
• If your mind can't accept this lifestyle neither can your body. If you have enough self reliance to know you can handle anything life gives you you will succeed being a hobo, or anything else for that matter.
  

Warnings

• If you're a woman, there are added risks. Most hobos are men. You're more likely to be targeted and harassed if you're a woman. Be extra careful. Remember that women are less able to defend themselves physically, and make up for it by carrying a (legal) weapon that doesn't rely on strength, such as pepper spray or a legal stun-gun etc.
  
• Investigate the workers' compensation laws in the areas where you will be traveling. If you should be injured on the job, it's important that you know what protection is offered, and what action you can take to ensure your protection.
  

Remember, hobo men and hobo women look the same, so this column is not important. :P

Related wikiHows

• How to Be a Hobo with a Web Based Income
  
• How to Travel by Rail in Europe on a Budget
  
• How to Travel Around the World
  
• How to Panhandle
  
• How to Make a Travel Journal
  

Sources and Citations

• Wikipedia entry: Hobo
  

1. ↑ Hobo Signs & Symbols

Article provided by wikiHow, a wiki how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Become a Hobo. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.