, 1881-08-06
Bandits Robbing a Train.
Eye-Whne>~e>' ArcsaAis OF the Rsbber, a
Wiastsa. No.

| Wtnstsa. No.
CHICAGO, July 1.-THE through pas
sengers from the train that vas bearded
by handitti, near Winston, No, ON Fri
day evening, arrived in Chicago last night
One of them. Mr.. C. F. Chase, of tn,
Topeka police department, gives the fcl
loving narrative of the affair:
''The train halted at Winston for tw,
minutes. This was at about OF P. NJ.
was IN the coach mex, behind the smok
ing car. Just after the train got in mo-
tion again, heari two or three shots.
The shooting seemed To he in the smok
ing car. Al the same instance the passen
gers in the smoking car came tearing
through the coach like mob. The STAN
peders were heading for the tail end Of the
train As they rushed through some OF
them kept pulling AZ both the air brakes
and the bell rope. | was carried along
the aisle by the crush, ventured, while
struggling to keep my feet, To inquire
what had happened. and was answered BY
the shout of Robbers On the rear
Platform OF the coach | met the rear
brakeman. He was signalling with his
red lantern to the engineer 10 stop the
train. He didn't know what had hap
pened either; at least he pretended not
to know. Subsequently he said that
there were robbers around. The train in
the mean time had slaekened little. |
pulled out my revolver, and remarked
that didn't propose Ia permit anybody
to rob me. This alarmed the brakeman
who told me to put up my weapon, as its
exposure would draw fire from the
attacking party. | didn't put il up,
though. | looked in the coach and saw
only two or three persons and they were
lying under the seats. One man crawled
under a seat In the smoker, and lail there
until We had run fifteen or twenty miles.
Three girls, who had taken seats in the
smoking car, for what reason did know.
acted with charming GOODNESS, and did not
attempt 10 go back in the train until after
all the other passengers had fled precipI-
lately, excepting the man who had taken
refuge under the seat. After a few sec
onds saw a man in his shirt sleeves COM
ing from the forward end of the tram.
This was the express messenger. His
ace was very pale. went up TO him
and, Have they been coming the John
Rodden over YOU He smiled and an
swered Yes. then asked HIM what the
amount was He replied that he could
not say as he had only receipted for the
way bills | led the way and vent for
ward to the express car. The car was
dark but the side doors were open. We
struck light and took look at things
The top of the little safe was thrown
back, and the contents were gone
asked the messenger to tell lie how the
robbery was accomplished He said that
seven or eight men came into the car,
pointed pistols a: him, compelled to get
down on his knees and open the safe, and
drop money packages and other contents
INTO sack which they held open before
him. They threatened 10 blow out his
brains if he did not show up everyth ing.
He assured them that he had gwen up
everything except the bricks of silver bul-
lion on the floor. The bricks they did not
want. There were 10 marks of violence
about the body Of the messenger think,
notwithstanding the stories 10 the con
trary, that the robbers had no: struck
him at all The platform Of the smoking
car was stained with blood in several
places Ii was there tina. Conductor
Westfall and passenger Mcmillan were
killed My idea is that the robbers in
tended to Kill the conductor. He proba-
! bly, knew them, and, as he would be able
to identify them, they decided to put him
| out of the way. Ii Was no; known what
| fate had befallen the conductor whether
hewas killed outright or had been wounded
aud Jumped t. the ground until We
reacheg the next stainn, Galiatin .nsoe
| FIVE or six miles distant, when the opera
tor showed us dispatch stating that
Westfall and Mcmillan had been picked
| up and carried iuto the section house.
What became Of the forward brakeman
and the news agent is more than | can
say. They disappeared from the train
while the shouting WAS in progress |
don't believe there We're fifteen shots
fired all tod. The robbery, although
successful, Was bunglingly executed ; and
apart from the tragic taking off o. two
valuable lives, the scenes had an extremely
ludicrous side