The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-06-12
OUR HOME IIIGIIWAYMEN.
THEIR ROBBERY ON MOSDIr ETENIN0
IN 4 THIRD iTENuE CAR
Following the Car In Light Wagon TO the
Unprotected Harlem Flats, nnd There Sud
denly springing upon Railroad Collector.

tnpfOtfcted untlcm Iintss nnu thete
denly Springing upon Railroad Collector.
Tho robbery that was committed on Mon
day evening in Il crowded Third avonue car was
most daring and impudcnt. and yet under no
circumstances. could it have been perpctrated
with greater case and security to the robbers. 1t
was very similar in the manner Of its opo-
ration TO the robbcrics Of which several were
committed n short time ngo. in Missouri, where
express trains were stopped and sacked OF their
treasures in broad daylight by little knot OF
three or four bold. armed men. In those cases
train that carried expressages OF money was
| marked. At some lonely point the engineer
found himself confronted by atree. felled across
tho track. and was obliged to bring his train to
standstlll. Instantly the robbers masked and
| bristling with rovolvcrs. sprang aboard, terri
fed the passengers into inertia forced the OK
press agent ut the pistols mouth to deliver his
keys opened and riled the SAFE and were away
with their booty. all within fifteen minutes.
In the case in Third avenue. on Monday
| evening, the mischief was done in a jify and
| the highwaymcn had got their booty and disap-
poared before anybody understood what had
| been done. The ear was crowded. and half the
passengers were women. There was dazzling
fash Of pistols. Everybody was stunned. and
| all tried to get out Of the way. When 1t was as
ccrtaincd that there had been q robbery there
| were no robbers.
The car in which the robbery was perpetratcd
was started down from Harlem Bridge at 0:2s.
| The night was dark and cold and rainy. and the
| front door and tho windows were all fast closed.
| Nearly all the passengers were inside. They
were what are know among the Third avenue
conductors as a "pinic lot" about forty In
number. so that the passage way was
| filed. and tho whole interior Of the
car was pretty tightly crowded. Tho COM
pany was exceedingly hilarious. 1t was
| made up almost wholly Of Germans. who had
been spending a festive day in Melrose and in
| the parks near Harlem river. There were
women and sleepy children plenty. There
| We're also four or 1--WE troopers OF the Eleventh
| Regiment. a section of which had been ont for
| parade and recreation in Melrose; these were
| in uniform. but without their musk cts;
Amongthe passengers was Joseph W. Laf,tra.
| one Of the receivers Of the Third Avenue Rail-
road. whose station Is I'm Harlem. Ii was La
| fctra's duty 10 collect from the conductors OF
inS aGrnh o cars fInhnI i nrnr ar trims S ne
! enter his receipts in tho account books OF tho
| company, and TO bring the whole amount down
tothe main depot at sixty-fith street at the con-
| clusion ~ his laburs every evening. II was the
| receivers custom TO start from Harlem at
| the Harlem terminus amounted 10 about $500.
| and as this money was bulky. being In small
| coins, the receiver WAS provided with leather
| bag in which he carried it., On Monday. rs it
hhuprned. laf'tra WIS detailed 10 some special
| duty. aud another receiver collected the fares
| from tho Third avenue cars. Laic,ra had coli
| lcrtel only from the l25ih s;r., cross-iown
cars when are leased oy ,,, tns hird dn NVnhaS
| evening he had in his leather Lag only about
! 500 He sat in tho rghi;hand rear corner OF
rar WIN ~, a'c"nh, I',H Ih & n,1 5s s re
| through the leather strap 10y which the bag was
.Htrei. hu & 70 si,,li NM NM Iu'J. mn a,I mri miiI
| carrying his money down town, ana never
ur"ail'u oi sun nl,',E E az "a ,,S p's'V' VI
A. the chr ioted down the avenue it was very
JI''y ~, tb'''t H.. win i",gs %T'ro wi Ia
yitL sfenn. The eampnny was plrnsnnt WIN
i.r ,, ia 49,. tb,, ',',,' 'i,,.i,r ,i., If s.oii
inv whi-tiin. ana singing" 'Tne mon and
women M M" 'strnis were rather cncouragins II
cam. Of uu-h which had been started hy the
| ,niiinl 81 thn 'nr and there was "A great deal Of
noisennd hiarity AtliOth street.-the conductor.
hnviua, rniin,.tnd nil his fares noticed lint a
couple ~ the men inside had lighted pipes and
! were couteutrdly smoking He made his way
t1 his station on the rear platform he first no.
tic,i IA iight-hoiied opon wagon some distance
behind, following briskly down the track.
notircd tho wagon only casually Ii had tho
shane md general look. nj that distance of n
yenaers Sar Only 9qe e %@P m RI, w@s in tGe - =,
trart Intention. He hchaScd ike a man who
W, Mi ie r s rkIy ms I".sirl and who f"r
that rrns,.n had chosen the nn-v-gOinr track 10
drive over and was following up the car as
,Laruly as possible He hold his head down
and ind hi, hut well over his eyes as though 10
Shed the rain. The Conductor found more in,
turnsi g. r"snrl The partially tt,.y (ierlnans
and 10 listen 10 their singing
Al lO5th sireet n pr,.ttv near that is the bot
tom of Il rather stccp-sided hollow. About
| there too baEins that interval in tho houses
reachine down 10 Ninety,iourth street. il is the
| ono unNuit and drsolnte part of Third avenue.
| The street lamus afford the only light and on
Monday evening these were cloudol with rain
| md sn1ur very dimly ON both sides stretched
,,Nay the rocky Uneven fla,s The . Mn boy "
ns he is called had hitrhcd on his extra horse
| tn the car and with three horses the ear was
conr slowly up To- the summit Of the hill at
| Nir"fy-third street There were ono or two per-
| son. on Tho r,.gr ulatform with the conductor
he hnI notlr.i esnncinlly among the passen-
,rrs one inil fellow. who had "A f1rbiiiing fnce.
| lie rnt on The cnr al l1uth street Other mon
entered The cnr subsequently, A short. chubby
| ynuny man with n slolichrl hat stood al his lthc
coudiicior'-l elbow on the plntiorm Lafetra
seemed 10 he int ,ros,el in Regarding a German
| onnnsii , 10 him who was singing a VII ole series
| Of songs
The car reached Ninety fourth street. Here
ON the an-i the houses begin again. hut between
that point and Nincty-third street the BLOCK Is
new and only one or two Of the shops in il are
occupied. On the west side are nigh rocks
Just after passing Ninety fourth street some.
body in tho ear uttered u short. sharp cry. Ii
, WIS distinct above the general noise lalctra
turnn1 Iis hand A la Ala - tho toll follow