The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1876-08-19 00:00:00

RAI]

LWAY HIGHWI

The enterprising spirits of the Western States of the
American Union have revived highway robbery in a
form that throws into the shade the boldest ff
such comparatively tame professors of the
Dick Turpin and Claude Duval. The highwa
there lay their plans for the capture of whole in
trains, reduce to abject terror the hundreds ot
sengers conveyed in them, and then coolly
leisurely carry off thousands of pounds' wonl
spoil., The Chicago Times reports an occurren,
this kind on the Missouri Pacific Railway, whic'
audacity and skill would not easily be matched
in the annals of military marauding. The trai
bound for St. Louis, and was conveying thither
£,OOO worth of specie. At a place called Sedalia
was further transferred to it other valuables, whit
the lowest estimate are said to have been worth as
another £l,OOO. The train left Sedalia a little t
nine in the evening, and about half-past ten eat
a kind of ravine known as the Rocky Cut, w
the high banks shut out the moonlight and
duced a deep gloom. This was the spot selected'
robbers. "A short distance farther on is the
bridge. They had visited this and taken the
man prisoner; he was bound and gagged, and wit,
red lantern was taken to the Cut. There they
ties upon the track, and, putting the watchtnaa _
front, stood by him with drawn revolvers, commanding
him to signal a hejt,',',,An this way the train was
stopped. The whel UW not stopped moving before
three or four men were on the track in the rear of the
train piling up tiekniiiblialiiig any attempt to back
out of the Cut. At the same time two linen climbed
into the engine cab with drawn revolvers, made
prisoners of the engineer and fireman, and marchedè
them back to the baggage car." There were some hun-
dreds of passengers in the train, and the squad of
robbers at the outside did not exceed twenty, but
abject was the terror inspired that not a single attem
at resistance was made. Indeed, the only persons wl
even suggested fight were a negro porter, who WI
to borrow a revolver and was snubbed by ti
passengers for his recklessness, and a boy
got hold of a pistol and fired one or two harmless
shots. With these exceptions, every one in the
acted with the most contemptible poltroonery.
men in charge of the baggage-van hid tiler
instead of defending the property entrusted to ti
charge, and the passengers crouched in terror
the seats. " Oae gigantic fellow had been conduL
ail sirs outside all the time the others were engle
inside. He had been marching up and down the
of the train, giving orders to what seemed to be'
of a dozen or more on the banks of the Cut, •
ambush and partly in the open moonlight.
responded by a continuous skirmishing fire; not a
however, striking the train; but all passing into the
air, with the evident intention of keeping the pisa-
sengers intimidated. This part of the programme itas
eminently successful. The paesengers and train.men-
lay under the seats, sweltering in the stifling atmos-
phere, and scarcely daring to breathe." In this way
the train was held by a dozen or a score of men for an,
hour and ten minutes, while they rifled the baggage-van;
broke open the safes to which there were no keys,s,
helped themselves to fruit and other things, and car.'
ried off the valuables that seemed worth taking away.
When they released the train they did not even think
it necessary to provide against pursuit, but their leader
contemptuously told those in charge that they had
better clear the line. The robbers "were roughly
dressed, nearly all wore slouch hats, and for disguise
had handkerchiefs tied .across the upper part of the
face;. all were heavily armed, and their weapons
seemed to be in prime condition," So sure were they
of their prey, and so little did they apprehend resist-
ance that they left their horses a quarter of a mile
away, and the trail of the horses' feet seems to indi-
cate that the terror of the passengers exaggerated the
number of the robbers. They are supposed to belong
to the Younger Boys, a notorious band in Missouri, in
pursuit of whom Captain Lull, of Chicago, lost his life
two years ago' and this exploit is the fifth or sixth of
the kind that has -red in less than two years.
Pail
Mall Gazette.
THE ROYAL HUMANE SOCIETY.
In London, on Tuesday, at R meetine of the Royal H._
Society, held at the offices, Trafalgar-square, a long list or
cases of saving life in various parts of the world was brought
under the cognisance of the Society, and rewards of various
descriptions were conferred.
The bronze medallion was unanimously voted to
Patrick G. Hallin,an for jumping from the quay at the
floating dock, Limerick, on the 26th of May last, and
saving Jane Barry, who accidentally fell into the
water; to John M. Davis, for jumping overboard from
the poop of her Majesty's ship Undaunted, and rescuing
Albert Bean, who fell oSerboard at sea in lat. 15, 33 3.,
long. 62. 5 E., on the 7th of June last, the ship going at
the time at a speed of seven knots; to Navigating
Lieutenant W. M. Savage, of her Majesty's ship
.8,023trt; and a testimonial, inscribed on vellum, to
Mr. John H. Templeton, for trying to save Charles J.
-Gladdie, of the same ship, who fell overboard on the
4th of July; to J. H. Brookshaw, for running a con-
siderabla distance over rough rocks, and diving into
deep water to the rescue of Samuel Davey, who sank
while bathing at Mount Wise, Devonport, on ihe 16th
of July, the difficulty of saving the drowning man
being much enhanced by both rescuer and
rescued becoming entangled in strong weeds ;
to William Crayford, for saving C. E. Petts,
who sank while bathing in the Liver Medway at
Best Farleigh on the 20th ult,, the water being
feet deep; to Harry Easton, for trying to save Jai
Green' who fell overboard from the steamship Ari
in 11 fathoms water, in Long Reach, in the Rive
Thames, on the 12th nit., the ship at the time going a)
the rate of 10 knots an hour; to Robert Jones, Le
saving William Trent, who was in danger of drownini
in a flood at Labnrmuttee, India, on the 25th of Sep
tember last; to Albert Davey, for diving into 16 fee
of water to the rescue of Patrick O'Hara, who acci
dentally fell into the Mast Pond at Deptford on th(
"Ird ult.
Testimonials, inscribed onvellum and on parchment
recording the services rendered and the acknowledg
meats of the Society, were also presented to man
other persons.

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