The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1874-02-12
BOLD ROBBERY
A Train on the 81 Louis ana iron
Mountain Road Boarded ana
Robbed in Broad Daylight.


Such was the hcadin. to q St Louis
dispatch in last weeks Nashville pa.
vrrS. We have received, since then,
. some details from conductor Afford,
who was interviewed by a reporter foI
the St Louis Globe Mr.. Afford lives
IN St. Louis, and tells the circnms,nn
, rcs VI the robhcrJ in Il humorous but
. honest manner. The reporter says III
p his narrative there was no Dragging
tha, he seemcG! to accept the situation
and make the most o! it:
"Trll me all about this thing, row
said the Globe Reporter. 'Commcnct
at your start from St, Louis and relate
the circumstances IN detail
"WcIl | run out train No, Z, the
Little Rock express, nnd started from
Plum street, at ten minutes 10 ten, Sat.
urday morning. We got behind, and
when we reached Gadshill, one hun
dred and twenty mile, from st Louis
we were an hour late. Gadshill is q
regular stopping place, though tller" is
nc station thrrr-onIy a p!atf"rm. 1t
is a small llacc, Of M account, and
there are only II few houses. There
used to be u mill there"
"A arist mill =
"Grist mill? No. They'll never
have a grist mill there in the world II
saw mill The country around there
is heavily timbercd. aud it is just the
place for a saw mill, ORA robbery
"Of what was your tram com
posrh:'
-Four cars, a mail. baggage and cx-
press car Ell in me, two roacll.s and "A
sleeper. ! reckon we had twenty five
passengers in ali five of them ladies'
We were due at Gaishi.l at six min
utes past four. but we didn't get there
until quarter ofiive. As we approached
the to wn, the engineer noticed n red
nay, and whistlcl down. | was or the
top of the car. and saw the flag. and
lIlbIfN bl iItlNJlt lnt Lilib lt| lIllI
stopped, for | thought the track wa
torn up, or there was some other diff
entity, bee use Il red ilag means danger.
As | struck the platform | noticed the
train running on the side track. The
northern switch had been opened, and
so had the southern, and when We got
On the side track we were stuck, for,
had we started forward or back, we
would have run off the track. Just as
| jumped off, Il man grabbed me by the
collar and jammrd u pistol in my face.
He was a large s%iX-lootcr. and hi, face
was covered with Il mask made of
white cloth, with holes cut for his ewes
and mouth Here, I'll show van,' and
taking THE reporters handkerchief. Al
ford put it over his face, lucking the
lower corners in hi, vest.
GLOW many men were there in the
party "
There were only five, and the fun
nicst thing WAS they hal captured the
t"wn Grat, o"l r"livd ,~rry m"". So.
mtn and child out Of the houses. Tnrv
had built II big bonfire near the plat.
form, and there were the inhabitants
around il trying TO keep
warm. The rohbrrS stood over them.
,n guard, all armed with Ircm two To-
tIrrc navy re,"l,crs, aud three Of them
had double harrrlc'l shot Guns When
the lclIaw grabbed me. ] didn't know
what to make of it,
weren't you rig tened
"N ell. | Reckon | was somewhat
frightened but he pnt mt right at my
casc--hc comIorted me-"
What did he sav?'
"S,and still. or III blow the top OF
your id hcal OIL" | stood still. |
Two of the gang jump on the cn
zine. and they made the engineer and
fireman get down. They were brought
to where | stood, and the rohher GOV.
cred us with A pistol. lie spoke to
those who looked out at the windows,
and told them If n shot was fired ne
wou!d Kill the conductor. That wu,
NV Wv" w '''"i Nl'''' WI 'Hc oppO-
site side OF The train, and as the passcn
gers put their heats out. he told them
take those heads back again Or
lose EN-. He had a double
shot gun, and | don't think
he was iooling any. Two OF them
went into the baggagc car aud hauled
"nt the baggage-man and brakeman.
These they put under The same guard
had me. There was another
brakeman, but he got into the slee,,in.
car and STAYED there, They then wenl
the mail department, and demand
rd the registered letters OF the agent
They r%umagcd through the letters, and
out those that had been rcyis
and brought the agent out ON
The platform anI handed him over To
he guard. The express messenger
VAS the next man, and ashley went into
Ms recon- he covered one OF them with
| pistol, hut another drew n bead ON
nm with a gun, and instructed him t,
a' that pistol down gru;ly. lie did ,
20, Then they demanded his KEYS, ;
the safe and took out the
money packages. They took out one !
packet marked "W atcIl," but when {
hey apcncd it and found it 10 he Il sill. I
'er watch, they dropped it. They put
other packages int bags and then n
'ent through the baggage boxes. They !
opened my salcliel and took out NV l.
'Islol. After that exploit they went :,
Trough the tEain. They weren't care. -
NJ with passengers. They punched :,
in the ribs with pistols, and :,