The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1874-01-03 00:00:00

RAILWAY ROBBERY IN SPAIN.

An Occasional Correspondent of 7he Times, writing from
Madrid, on Dec. 22, says :

The Andalusian mail train, on its way to Madrid on
Saturday night last, was stopped and robbed by
brigands. A little before eight o'clock a few railway
labourers were warming themselves round a fire they
had kindled near the bridge of Badollano, when
they were suddenly surprised by a party of about
fifty men, all well armed. With the greatest
possible coolness, they ordered them to lift up the
rails, saying they intended to rob the mail train at
that spot. The workmen at first refused, hut ulti-
mately yielded to save their own lives, which were
seriously menaced. 'I hey lifted a few of the rails, and
had hardly accomplished the unpleasant task when the
whistle of the train was heard. The danger signal
being displayed, the train stopped just before arriving
at the broken point. The moment it stopped fifteen
or twenty of the robbers mounted the carriages and
forbade the passengers to move from their ~eats, telling
them that neither their persons nor their purses would
be touched if they complied, hut that if they at-
tempted to move they woird be killed. The man who
appeared to be the chief then called for the guard of
the train and demanded to be shown the place where
the money of the company was stowed. It was e,vi-
dent from this that they knew beforehand that the
company were having nt iney sent up to Madrid in
this train. There war no remedy but to deliver it
up, as also a few boxes of specie which were on
freight. The " haul " was to the extent of £4,000
,to I:5 000. One of the passengers, who ventured to
put his head out of the carriage window, received a
bayonet thrust in the face, but the injury was
slight. With this excercion nobody was hurt. l'o
the qui strong of some of the passengers as to whether
II y were Carlists, one of the party replied ' No,
but we are Intransigentes I'. I need scarcely say that
the political party who answer to that name dis-
avow all connexion with the Andalusian brigands,
and it seems generally admitted that the letter were
merely joking when they pretended to belong to what
Roque Bernie and old Orange call " the party of th
future." After they had secured the money a horrible
intention seems to have entered their heads—namely,
that of destroying the lives of all the passengers by
driving the train over the bridge into the river. It is
said that nothing but the earnest pleading of the guard
acd the engine-driver caused them to desist from this
intention. They then made off with their b 'city. The
terrified labourers repaired the line, and the train pro-
ceeded on its way to Madrid, where it arrived at two
in the afternoon, instead of at eight in the morning.
It is said that two of the Cortes Deputies were in the
train, If so, possibly they may have a word to say
about the affair wl en the Assembly meets!. his high
time something should be done to stop these robberies
of railway trains in Spain. The Andalusian line is be-
coming quite famous for them. It is not long since I
sent you an a.icount f one where an unfortunate pas-
senger, a rising young actor, was fired at and killed by the
brigands because he had jumped out of the carriage after
they bad ordered every body to remain seated. More re.
cently I telegraphed you an account of a robbery on the
singe line near Ciudad Rodrigo, where the passenger;
Iwere robbed of every farthing of their money, their
, watches and jewellery, and every article of value they
, had about them. One of the pasmogere was a well-
known Eriglishman, Captain Spencer Perceval
R ibbing, Queen's Messenger, on his way to Madrid
, with despatches. He was 'relieved" of his watch
I and chain and about £2O in money, the armed rascal
who took it from him coolly remarking that "It was
very liktle for an Englishman!"