Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1876-04-14
From the Dallas, Texas. Daily Herald.
STAND AND DELIVER.

Daring Robbery Of the Austin and
san AatOHIO Mail Caaeh-Masked
R0bbs r. Ride the Mail Rags and
Pick the Passengers-A Detailed Ac.
count OfThe Affair.".
From gentleman who arrived in the
city yesterday. the Herald is put in posses
sion of the facts of one of the boldest and
most daring robberies We have been called
upon to chronicle for some time.
The coach carrying the United States
mail between San Antonio and Austin
passed through the town Of San Marcos
about four o'clock Monday evening and
had reached dense ehapparal two miles
north Of that place, when
TWO MASKED ROBBERS,
with revolvers presented, rushed from the
bushes and commanded halt. There
were seven passengers on the stage besides
the driver, who came near being shot be-
fore he could succeed in refining up his
horses. The first inquiry of the robbers to
the passengers was in regard to arms. Mr..
Mullins was the only one who had weap-
on, small Smith 6 Wesson, which he
I SURRENDERED ON DEMAND.
All were then ordered out of the coach,
and made to march before the robbers
some three hundred yards into the bushes,
to which place the driver was forced to
bring the stage. The captives were then
seated in row, about ten feet from the
| STAGE and while one of the
ROBBERS HELD his PISTOL
pointed at them, the ether got out the mail
bags and ripped them open with knife.
emptying the contents of the bags on the
ground, he commenced opening them,
but As this was slow process, three or
four OF the passengers were commanded to
assist in the work Of opening the letters,
which they cheerfully did. During this
time the passengers were assured by
THE ROBBERS
that they had no intention Of hurting any
OF them, and would not have robbed them
had they not been disappointed in getting
the express After rihing the mail bags,
from which a considerable sum was secur-
ed, our informant Noticing several
{ ONE HUNDRED DOLLAR BILLS
among the notes taken from letters, the
passengers were riaed, the robbers making
each hand over his pile and then searching
them afterwards They secured about
three hundred dollars in money and four
or five gold watches and chains After the
robbery one OF the passengers remarked
that he thought it was hard case, being
hundreds of miles from home and not u
cent to get his supper, whereupOn the rob
Der gave him q dollar and fifty cents, at |
the same time handing our informant a
like sum. One young man on being rob-
bed of his watch and chain, begged to re-
tain it, as it was
GIFT PROM HIS FATHER,
and the robber generously detached the |
chain and handed him the watch, but the |
young man refused to take it, as the chain |
was also gift. The robber remarked to |
him that as he was lame, and as he warm
ly sympathised with the affection displayed |
for his father, he would return both the |
watch and chsin, which he did. One man
slipped his watch in his boot and saved it,
and also
33l SAVED HIS MONEY
by pushing it under the collar of his shirt.
Another Of the passengers saved two hun
dred dollars by dropping it between his
pants and drawers. After the passengers
were through with, the driver was ordered
to take out and strip the two lead horses,
which they wanted to ride of. In answer
to an inquiry as to how long they were to
be detained. the robbers answered until
midnight, but they finally determined
TO LEAVE DR.. PARKER,
a rheumatic old gentleman, In the coach, I
and take the rest some half mile farther
into the chapparal. Our informant, being
Rnwell, asked permission to remain in the
coach, but was refused, one of the robbers
stating that it was good for him to take
some exercise. DR.. Parker interposed and
told the
ti ROBBERS THEY MIGHT SUFFER
themselves some time, and that as our in
formant was an old man, they had better
accede to his request, which they finally
did, carrying OF all the rest. About an
hour afterwards the captives returned to
the stage, the robbers having released them
and fed. All hands set to work, rugged
up the team and managed to reach the
next station, having been detained about
four hours. The following is
LIST OF THE PASSENGERS |
in the coach: Fl. JUST, IT., Louisville,
Kentucky; two brothers named Mckenzie,
one, r. Mckenzie of Louisville, KY, and
X. Mckenzie of Ashtabula, Ohio; Mr..
Howard, of st. Louis; DR.. Parker, of Hous-
ton Prof. S. G. Mullins, of Kentucky; and
German, name unknown, from Austin, a
land commissioner. His watch was a
gift from the employees of his Office. One
Of the McKenzies disliked greatly to part
with his watch, offering upon his honor to
forward to the robber any reasonable sum
that he would name. He refused to COM
ply with his request, but took his name
and said he might yet send him the watch,
also remarking that it was something he
had done in Ohio that had brought him to |
Texas. The robbers stated that they ex-
pected to get six thousand dollars out of
the express, and had they succeeded in do
ing so, they would not have disturbed the
passengers. Among the contents Of the
letters were several checks and postofice
money orders, and while they poeketed the
checks, they refused to take the money
orders. Some Of the passengers thought
they had seen the
ROBBERS AT NEW BRAUNFELs Il
early on the morning of the robbery. When
they stopped the stage their faces were
masked with dirty hsndkerchiefs, and
tHelr eyes VIII gOggleS, Wnlle shall paUcn@
es Of cloth were stuck upon their noses.
The passengers describe both the robbers
as being tall-one probably six feet high
and the other five feet ten inches-and not
over thirty years Of age. They
WORE RoUGH CLOTHES
which were evidently doned for the occa-
sion, and boots well worn and run down at
the heels. Their language indicated that
they were well educated, and at no time
during the entire affair did they make use
Of any profane or obscene remarks.
q There is a wife over on Vine street,
who is model of regularity and careful
ness, such as no good husband, having
such wife, could fail to recognize and ap-
preciate. Along about bed time, she says
she'll 60 to bed, and if the weather is cold,
the husband thinks it well enough to in
dulge her. After running over his paper
for some half an hour, he proposes to join
her, and she rouses up and sleepily in
quiresI II
Did you bolt that side door2
Yes, |,
And the back doOrG ,e Ii
II