Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1875-06-17
A BRAVE EXPRESS MESSENGER.
He Defends the Treasure In
trusted to Him, and Kills
the Thief who Entered
His Car.

A daring encounter occurred between a
would be robber and the express ma ssen>
ger, about 8 o'clock this morning, on the
express train No. G, on the Pittsburg,
Fort Wayne and Chicago Railroads,
while on its way to PittSburg, and the
robber was instantly killed. The train
was a short distance west Of Lafayette,
Indiana, aud was running at the usual
rate ofspeed. The messenger, Mr.. Price,
sat in his department guarding the ex-
press matter he had on board, which was
very valuable. He was alone. All the
passengers on the train were supposed
to be slumbermg, and there was naught
to disturb his quiet but tie "clickety
click, clickety click" of the rapidly re-
volving car wheels. Suddenly the mes.
senger was aroused from his reverie by
the appearance in the car of masked
man, powerfully built and muscular
fellow. The doors of the car had been
thoroughly boltcd, and how he had sue
ceeded in efcctIng an entrance was
mystery to Mr.. Price, The latter
jumped to his feet hastily, realizing at
once that an attempt at robbery was to be
made, when the would> be robber advanced
from behind the stove, which stood be.
tween the door he had entered and where
the messenger stood, and calmly awaited
results. He expected that more robbers
would follow, and resolved to wait until
the worst came to the worst before re-
sorting to q defense. The masked man
now spoke to the expressman, and with
threats told him to hand over the keys
of his safes, adding that he would be a
dead man If be refused. Quick as
lightning Price fed to the extreme end
of the car, determined not only not to
surrender his keys, but to sell his life
as dearly as possible. Seeking assistance
was simply out of the question, as all the
noise possible to be made could not at
tract any ones attention. The robber
was prompt to act, and scarcely had
Mr.. Price reached his place at the end
o. the car, when he fired a shot at the
exrressman. Price threw up his left
hand to ward off the shot, and the bal
passed through the feshy part of bis left
arm, below the elbow. The robber. see,
ing that be had done no damage, at once
fired again. and this time the ball struck
Mr., Price in the left cheek, tearing away
a portion thereof, near the lip. 1t wa'
now Mr.. Prices turn, and taking de-
libCrate aim a deadly messenger wal
dispatched at the villain. Scarcely hat
the echo of the shot from Mr.. Price
YER died away in the car, when the robbel
staggered and fell toward the stove, aud
MIR. Price plainly saw in the dim hgh'
of the car that be was gasping in death
Satisfying himself that there we're NJ
other robbers near, the messenger ad
vanced to where the robber lay. Hi
masked had rolled from his face, ant
there lay naught but his lifoless form
Death had been instantaneous. Tb
deadly missile struck the victim abov
the right eye, entering and lodging in tn
brain. Mr.. Price recognized the remain
to be those of Hiram Binkley, formely
freight conductor on the Pittsburg, For
Wayne and Chicago Railroads, who wa
discharged some time ago for the Grim
of robbery at wrecks both of passenger
and the goods and other valuable
contained in cars wrecked.
As we have already stated, Mr.. Pric
lad the doors of his car tolted, and th
first intimation he had of the presence c
any one in the car besides himself, wi
when be was confronted by the robbie
Examination disclosed the fact that
pannel had been cut out of the car, and
hole made to enable hand to reach
and draw the bolt of the door. Pile
against the door of the car, as an add
tional precaution, was lot of sacks Glle
, with corn, which the robber had to puG
, away in opening the door. All this,
course, occasioned noise, but not suficiel
9 to be noticed above the hum and roar
the rattling machinery of the train.-
, PiHSJu1y Telegraph.
r lV The newspaper is the handma
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