The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1877-07-25
STEEL.CLAD OUTLAWS.
How They Were Fooled by n Bravo Express
MESSENGER.

STEEL.CLAD OUTLAWS.
How They Were Fooled by n Bravo Express
Messenger.
The sensation at Prairie City, Ill, has
been the trial of the "Long Point "
masked and mailed villains, who attempt
ed to rob the Adams Express car ct that
point and murdered the engineer of the
train. The "Long Point robbery" as
it is called-though nothing was actually
stolen-was, as an attempt, n of the
most daring in the annals of crimes of
this character. The affair occurred about
eighteen months ago. A correspondent
gives these facts concerning it:
The plot was concocted in Indianapolis
in q disreputable house. It was there
til, ringleaders we're in the habit OF
meeting. One Of the leaders of the en-
terprise was a well known monte man,
and another was a former employee on
the Vandalia road. This couple laid out
the work and were most active in the at
tempted execution of it. Long Point
was chosen as the place Of attack. It is
q lively watering station or the Vandalia
road, in Illinois, between Terre Haute
and st. Louis. It was on a dark night
that the train came to a halt for q supply
of water. In q moment three men
jumped on the locomotive, and, as q
preliminary, one of them shot the en-
gineer dead OF the post of his duty.
Others in the meantime busted them
selves by uncoupling the express car
from the rest of the train, and in a
twinkling the locomotive, handled by
one Of the robbers, started rapidly for.
ward, with only the tender and express
car attached. The fireman of the locomo.
tive was busy on the tender, adjusting
the water-spout, while all this occurred,
and was not aware that anything Unusual
was going until he heard a shot fired,
and in the next moment the sudden for
ward plunge of the locomotime threw
him over the side of the tender, and thus
probably saved his life, for had he re-
manned OF his post the robbers would no
doubt have made as short work Of him
as they did of the engineer.
Having heard the shot, and surmising
that there was something wrong when he
saw the locomotive rush into the dark
ness without the passenger complement
of the train, he made his way as quickly
rs he could to the conductor and in
formed him of what had happened.
All was excitement on board the train
as soon as the truth became known; but
in spite of a pretty general demoraliza,
ton, the conductor succeeded in making
up a party to follow the locomotive on
foot.
The robbers ran the engine q couple
of miles, and then brought what there
was Of the train to O halt. The only
person on board, except the robbers, was
the express messenger, IN old employee
of the company, named Burke. He heard
the shot fired. and when Immediately
afterward he found the train in motion,
he suspected that there was some sort
of O plot on foot to capture the treasure
in his charge, and he Immediately set
himself to work to Illustrate any such
design as best as he could, by barricad-
ing the entrances to the car. When the
train came to q halt, O demand wa made
upon him to open the doors. He stoutly
refused to comply, and informed the at
lacking party that violence would be met
by violence, as he was fully armed.
At first the robbers confined them
selves to threats. They told him that if
he gave up without further resistance
his life would be spared, but if he per-
sisted in his foolish course until they
dislodged him by force they would make
short work Of him. Next they threaten
ed to roast him out, and when that failed
of it's desired effect they began a regular
fusillade, firing into the car from every
point, in the hope that one or another Of
the bullets thus shot at random would
hit the desired mark. But the messen-
ger had q comparatively ecure place
between some large boxes, and their
bullets penetrated the car without doing
any other damage than such as was sus-
tanned by the unconscious timber.
The robbers in the meantime, between
shots, swore and raved at a great rate,
and yet were afraid to bring matters to
a crisis by forcing the doors, well know
ing that one or more would surely be
called upon to bite the dust before the
messenger could be overpowered. Thus
time flew rapidly, and when, at last, the
conductor and his companions were
heard to approach at n distance, the rob-
bers fired a final volley into the car and
hastily departed. A few minutes later
the rescuers were on tile scene, the engine
was backed to the train, and thus, after
a couple of hours of delay, the train
once more moved forward rs it was
originally made up. It may be remarked
here that the express company so fully
appreciated the conduct of their messen-
ger that they presented him with 81, 1000
in gold. It appears that the robbers
were incased in bullet-proof steel armor.
These castings were thrown off as soon
as they reached the woods, and there
subsequently found. The robbers were
subsequently captured.