Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1876-07-25
FUNNY SIDE OF A SERIOUS MAT.
TER,
Story Of Lady who Wag Present
at the Recent Train Robbery.

St. Louis Globe-Democratl
JEFFERSON CITY, July 12.-Con-
corning the Missouri Pacific ex-
press robbery, Miss Peabody, an ex-
Jefferson City lady, and now teach
ing school at Denver City, who was
on the captured train, gave the
following interesting statement to
the Jefferson City Tribune re-
porter:
CATER leaving 0tterville," said
Miss Peabody, 81 was DOING in a
reclining chair = probably fast
asleep. Suddenly the train was
brought to a halt, and a moment
later a man rushed hurriedly
through the car. l believe he was
the express messenger. Some one
asked him what was the matter.
The train is being robbed, that's
what the matter he hurriedly re-
piled, and kept on. Then all was
lcommotion and confusion. In
cluding myself there were three
ladies in the car. | confess that
was terribly frightened and thought
/ should faint, but" and Miss
Peabody laughed at the remem-
brance, 81 saw that there was no
one handy to catch or care for a
person in a faint, and concluded to
omit this part of the programme.
Meanwhile shots were being fired
on the outside, and we could hear
numbers of men cursing and swear
ing. l suppose the shots were fired
for the purpose Of intimidation. |
believe our car was next to the
smoking-car. Directly the car door
was thrown open, and in stalked
two of the robbers. The leader put
his hand on the shoulder of brake
man and said, Here, l want you,
and hustled him out. We thought
they were going to shoot him, but
l suppose now, they wanted him to
identify the express messenger.
1t was rare fun-I mean it is
amusing to look back at it now,
nothing funny in it then-to see
the passengers concealing their val,
uables. Here you would see man
with his boots off, cramming his
greenbacks in his socks; several
Mr. Marshall, of Fulton, among
the rest tossed their cash, watches
! etc., in a coal-box; others were uE
on the backs of seats huntingholet
5 for their pocket-books. Wherever
/. anything could be concealed, some
; thing was sure to find its way. The
conductor, excited and nervous
/. huriedly passed through, and tolC
, all who had yeluables to take cart
of them. The most lndicrous Incl
dent / can now recall was when {
9 sanctimonious-looking individual
evidently scared almost out Of hi
!. wits, broke forth with the old ia
|, miliar song, "I'm going home tt
b die no more" His quayering, dole
full voice echoed through the CO
with lugubrious effect. Some o
the male passengers were ungallan
Il enough to interrupt him with tn
D remark that he had better be get
( ting his money out Of the way in
: stead of starting a camp-meeting
Having finished the hymn, he aros
t. and gave in his experience. H
: stated that he had been q followe
of the Lord for ever so many year,
: that he was true and eonsisten
member of the church, that he ha
never wronged a fellow-being, bu
that if he was doomed to be mul
dered he wanted his remains fo1
warded to bis family in New Yorl
l. and to write them that he had die
true to the faith and in the hope
- glorious resurrection. The tumul
outside continued. We could di
= tinctly hear them pounding away
the Adams Express safe, and the
coarse oaths and imprecations
being delayed. Occasionally shot
were fred,
The leader of the robbers, a tai
fne-loOking man, accompanied b
y one of his comrades, passed throug
r. the car. "You need not be hidin
your money, said the leader, "V