The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1874-02-13
THE RAILWAY BANDITS.

Conductor Afford has given the fol-
lowing statement to the st. Louis Globe
of the recent robbery of his train at
Gadshill, Mo.
81 reckon we had twenty-five passen-
gers in all, five of them ladies. We
were due at Gadshill at six minutes
past 4, but we didn't get there until
quarter to 8. AS we approached the
town, the engineer noticed a red flag
and whistled down. was on the step
of the car, and saw the flag, and jumped
off before the train had fully stopped,
for / thought the track was torn up, or
there was some other difficulty, because
red flag means danger. AS L struck
the platform, l noticed the train run
ming on tbs side track. The northern
switch had been opened and so had the
southern, and when we got on the side
we were stuck, for had we started for
ward or back, we would have run off the
track. Just as jumped off, man
grabbed me by the collar and iammed
a pistol in my face.
He was a huge six-footer, and his
face was covered with mask made of
white cloth, with holes cut for his eyes
and mouth.
"There were only five, and the fun
niest thing was they had captured the
town first and pulled every man, woman
and child out of the houses. They had
built big bonfire near the platform,
and there were the Inhabitants crowd
ing around it trying to keep warm. The
robbers stood over them on guard, all
OF a1 x-tt 10
volvers, and three of them had double
barreled shot guns. When the fellow
grabbed me didn't know what to make
of it."
Weren't you frightened ?"
Well, L reckon L was somewhat
frightened but he put me right at my
ease-he comforted me-"
"What did he say 2"
60 Stand still, or I'll blow the top of
your head off. l stood still. L saw
two of the gang Jump ON the engine,
and they made the engineer and fireman
get down. They were brought to where
l stood, and the robber covered us with
pistol. He spoke to those who looked
out at the windows, and told them if
shot was fired he would kill the con-
ductCr. That was me. One of them
stood on the opposite side of the train,
and as the passengers put their heads
out, he told them to take their heads
back again or they'd lose 'em. He had
a double-barreled shot gun, and don't
think he was fooling any. Two of them
went into the baggage-car and hauled
out the baggage-man and a brakeman.
These they put under the same guard
that had me. There was another brake
and stayed there. They then went into
the mail department and demanded the
registered packages of the mail agent.
They rummaged through the letters and
picked out those that had been regis
tered, and brought the agent out to the
platform and handed him over to the
guard. The express messenger was the
next man, and as they went into his
room he covered one of them with pis-
tol, but another drew bead on him
with gun and instructed him to lay
that pistol down quietly. He did so.
They then demanded his keys, opened
the safe, and took out the money pack
ages. They took out one package
marked WATCH" but when they
opened it and found it to be silver
watch they dropped it. They put the
other packages into bags and then went
through the baggage-boxes. They
opened my satchel and took out my PTS
toll. After that exploit they went
through the train. They weren't care
full with passengers. They punched
them in the ribs with pistols and point
ed their shooting irons into their faces.
Not man escaped them. Every one
was robbed, though they only took one
but the thieves passed them over. There
were three ladies in the ladies' coach
and two in the sleeper; but one of the
latter, Mrs. Scott, of Pennsylvania,
bound from st. Louis to Hot Springs
with her son, was robbed of 800, leav-
ing her only ten cents. One other lady
was robbed of three pocket handker-
chiefs, but that was all. She had a
gold watch and heavy
chain, but they didn't take it. They
didn't seem to care for watches. The
one they took belonged to man who
give his name.
IHcI IOOh IL NdVCu, DuO JlC DdS5-
yage-man said, For Gods sake, don't
lake his watch, it was a present to him,
md the captain ordered them to give it
back. They seemed to be under the
control of the captain, and gave the
watch back to me.
Mr.. Morley, our chief engineer, was
IN the train, and he expostulated with
hem, but they told him to sit down
md shut his head and mind his own
business. He asked them to restore
he property they had taken, but they
showed pistol under his nose, and or
Tered him to keep quiet. When they
,ook the money from the express car,
me of them asked the express agent for
lis receipt book. He gave it up, and
he robber wrote on it: Robbed at
iadshill. Said he: Il think L have
lad the honor of writing in this book
before. The agent has been robben
i've times, and he thinks this fellow
lad something to do with it. l
houldnt wonder if he had. think
hey were all old at the business. When
thought they had got about through, /
4sked them if l might go. They said
res, and sent man to shut the north
IN switch, and went myself to shut the
outhern. They had bent the rod so
hat had to get board and straighten
t. This took me some time, and in the
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