San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1881-10-20
THEY WANTED THE PLUMBER.


Sensational Dsvelepasnts h tAs Arksssas Train
Robbery Dssinsss.
LITTLE Rock, Oct ga new and
sensational phase was made public to.
day in the case Of the train robbers. II
will be remembered Q passenger train
on the Iron Mountain was robbed by
three beardless robbers on the night Of
the I'd Of September. They were pur-
sued and captured on the 2Sth, one in
Texas and two in the Indian nation,
and were brought to Washington. A
special term Of court was held yester.
day, when the robbers pleaded guilty
to fourteen indictments, each receiving
five years, making the term Of punish
ment seventy years each. The pursuing
party which captured Stephens and
Delany consisted of four men named
Huddlestone, Belvines, Moore and Dol
lahide. When arrested the robbers had
about $4,000. After counting the money
Huddlestone proposed to the captors to
divide the money among themselves.
Belvines objected, claiming the money
ought to be returned to the railroad
company. The subject was the theme
OF conversation until it was finally
agreed the money should be equally
divided among the four in the presence
of Stephens and Delany. In consider
alton of the latter keeping the matter
a secret, each Of the four swore an oath
they would annually pay to the families
Of the robbers hundred dollars and
leave no means untried to secure their
release from the penitentiary after con-
viction. The reason for not releasing
them at once was because q reward of
ten thousand dollars awaited their de-
livery at Hope.
On the route Belvines continued to
show dissatisfaction at the transaction.
Reaching the village Of Mineral Springs,
the party took quarters at o hotel for
the night. During the night Huddle-
stone asked Belvines where he had his
money. the latter replied under his
pillow. Huddlestone remarked: 1--WE
may be robbed; mine is between the
mattresses" and he advised Belvines to
place his there also. He did so, when
Huddlestone asked him to 60 down
town and get some cigars. He replied
it was too late, when Huddlestone in
sisted. As Belvines turned to leave the
room Hnddlestone's pistol was dis.
charged. Leaping back Belvines in.
quired the cause of the shot. Huddle.
stone replied that the pistol went of
accidentally. Nothing further passed
during the night.
In the morning the party continued
the journey to Hope. Passing along
the read Huddlestone's pistol was again
discharged, the ball whistling past Bel
vines head. Quickly turning and draw.
ing revolver Belvines remarked that
the accidental discharge of pistols was
getting monotonous, and if repeated
would call return compliment. Al
the next village Belvines deposited his
money with a friend, fearing he would
be killed if he retained it. The party
finally reached Hope, turned over the
prisoners to the authorities and came
to this city and received 10000 reward
offered by the state for their capture.
All their captors appeared at the trial
at Washington yesterday, when Bel
vines divulged the whole matter to
Superintendent Buchanan of the Iron
Mountain road. Huddlestone. Moore
and Dollahide were examined separate
~. Each made affidavit that he knew
nothing of the whereabouts of any Of
the money. Subsequently Moore ap.
preached Buchanan and stated the
money could be procured. The train
robbers, Stephens and Delany, when
interviewed, testified to the facts given
ahova and doclorod fhov wauId moi
have divulged the affair if the parties
themselves had not given it away. Hud.
dlestone, Stephens and Delany, con.
fronted with the evidence, made clear
breast of the whole thing, and prom.
Used immediate restitution if permitted
to go for the money, having secreted il
along the road. The amount was sew
eral thousand dollars less than the re-
ward due them from the railway com