Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1875-07-23

Attempts of highwaymen TO stop
and rob railway trains are getting
to be so frequent as to call for espee
ial vigilance on the part of railroad
men. If things keep growing so
rapidly worse, as they have in this
respect, the past year or two, each
train will have to carry an arsenal
and a few platoons of guards to in
sure the safety of lives and proper
ty. A most desperate case is re-
ported'as occurring last Friday at
Longport station, on the Vandalia
r. R., in Illinois, 80 miles west of
Terre Haute.
The particulars of this outrage,
as learned from an eyewitness %
the affair, are as follows: The No.
Express, eastward bound, at 49,
80, morning, stopped at the water
ing tank to give the engine its usual
supply.
Ihe moment the train was brought
to standstill two men were seen
to approach, and hastily draw the
pin, by which the express car was
disconnected from the baggage
and passenger cars. They then
boarded the engine, and presenting
their revolvers to the head of the
engineer, Milo Ames, ordered him to
"draw out" which he at first hesita-
ted to do, not comprehending the
situation. Without further warn
ing Ames was shot down at his post
of duty, the bullet taking effect in
in his heart, and causing almost in-
stant death.
The fireman, Jim Snavely, prior
to the shooting, was engaged in ad-
justing the water-tank, and only
saved his life by taking hasty flight
and warning the conductor and pas
sengers of what had occurred. Hav-
ing disposed of the engineer, the fel-
lows took charge of the engine to
which was attached the express ear,
putting on steam started at a rapid
rate east, leaving the rest of the
train standing on the track. After
proceeding about a mile and a quar-
ter, the engine was brought to a
halt, and its captors attempted to
effect an entrance into the express
car, which was the real object of
their attack, and where they evi-
IDENTIFY expected to secure much
plunder.
The only occupant of this car was
the Adams Express messenger, Mr..
Burke, who by this time was thor
oughly aroused to the situation of
affairs, and was accordingly prepar-
ed for the emergency. Ae had safe
ly and securely barred himself with
in its quarters, and successfully re-
sisted the attack from without. Mr..
Burke employed himself in hastily
packing the heavy package against
the door of the car and taking re-
fuge behind it. He was fired at no
less than a half a dozen times, but
fortunately the shots missed their
mark and passed through the fiery
ordeal untouched. He had two re-
volvers which he preferred not using
until he could do so with better eff
feet than his assailants had done,
and accordingly he saved his ammu-
milton, expecting to be brought into
closer quarters with these midnight
visitors. All he could do was to
quietly lay concealed in safe cor
ner of his car, until either the rob-
bers abandoned their undertaking or
effected an entrance into his apart
ments. Finding themselves unsuc-
cessful in their attack upon the ex-
press car after working on it about
half an hour, they took their depart
ure and hastily made for the woods
which was the last seen of them
by the messenger or any one con-
nected with the road.
Two men, of bad reputation, T. G.
Edmunds, a doggery keeper at Long
point, and John Cochran, of Casey,
Ill, were arrested the next day, on
suspicion of being the murderers
and robbers. They are in Jail,
awaiting hearing.