The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1874-02-07
cowardies and Ineffieieney

The business of robbing railway trains
seems to have become a irregular profession.
Within very short time three trains have
been stopped, their mails and express pack
ages rified and their passengers plundered.
In all these instances, the strength OF the
robbers has been ridiculously dispropertion.
ate to that Of the robbed. In the last
case, at Gad's Hill, in Missouri, FIVE bri-
gands first captured and robbed everybody |
at the station, and then proceeded to stop,
overpower, and plumber train which car
ried q passengers, beside the regular en-
ployes, who numbered some six or seven. |
The transaction as related by the CON
ductor, reads like broad farce. One but
ternut surrounded and guarded the 10 or
Is inhabitants of the station. Another
guarded one side of the train, and a third,
the other side. The fourth brigand cap
tured and took possession OF the three or
four men who had charge OF the mails, ex-
press matter, and baggage The nth man
entered the cars, overpowered the ~ aple-
bodied passengers, and insulted, and bull
! lied, and relieved them OF their cash;
watches, and jewelry at his leisure, ana
with perfect IMMUNITY The Irish sol
der who surrounded and took prisoner
seven of the foe, was no account strate-
gist and hero compared with these butter,
nuts, who surprised and guarded small
town, a railway train, and robbed everybody,
and all at the same time. The somewhat
notorious at's-tail strategist would not
!, have undertaken to do the same job with
:, less than a thousand men in action, and
from one to two thousand in reserve
1t is a somewhat significant fact that the
only two countries in which the stopping
J and forcible robbery by armed men OF rail-
way trains prevails are Spain and the
United States. Enlightened citizens OF
this great and glorious republic hold them,
selves a peg or two above the effete and
l priest-ridden Spaniard. We felicitate our
selves on having the greatest and best gov
eminent under the sun. A government,
like tree, is known by its fruits; and
q one of the legitimate fruits of good
= government is, or should be, order. That
: is lust what we have not. Usurpation sits
at the head of many of the states of the
south; and nowhere does any great mum
: Der of government officials feel bound tC
be honest unless it be that there is nothing
for them to steal. This robbery of mail
j trains could not occur under government
y that caused itself to be respected. SPAR
u has the excuse that it has now no govern
II ment that it is torn by fierce dissenslons
it that anarchy has possession OF its powers
In the case of both Spain and this country
the conclusion is fair one that such out
RACES indicate weak, inefficient, and con
10 temptible administration of public affairs
D. Meanwhile, the charm, the romance, thu
II entire absence of risk or present danger O
- subsequent capture and punishment, tn
Ie amount of booty realized are certain t
l. make this species of brigandage a favorit
4. and popular one. We shall expect to Sc
10 revived the chivalrous Claude Duvals, tn
Dick Turpins, the Jack Shepherds, who's
IL operations will include the railway coacl
in place of the stage coach and who wi
id pursue the business with all the more yes
i now that there is no hanging for robbery
- and that they have only to canter dow
CT among their friends on the Missouri bot
d. tom, in order to enjoy complete safety
IN The Iowa robbers were known; they wer
q traced to their lair in Missouri and Their
owing to the presumed courage,of the con
We munity in which they hid themselves tn
an whole state of Missouri did not dare to a
d. tempt to arrest them.
p. Take the whole of this business, and
4 is throughout very contemplate. One do'
~ not know, in summing up the matter, whic
II. is the more to be despised-the cowardl'
at of passengers in permitting themselves
I'll be plundered without resistance, or the i
80 efficiency of ruling powers in failing to a
rest and punish the perpetrators.