The People's vindicator. [volume] (Natchitoches, La.) 1874-1883, 1881-07-30
the RAILROAD ROBBERY IN Ms.
SOURl.

rnE RAlLROAD ROBBERY IN Ms.
SOURl.
Rock LELAND Paase aser Trela 1essdea ID |
Mlsssvr0 Sv llasdOss- Cola.DOooSe6 hSss
der " Cow.lve,or Wessfall aad Man
NAMED Nc N VI,sm-The Roheers Secsse
Owiy About ~, Goethe Nsisrlsss 'SaneS
Mresher~ Believed q Have Beea Ces'
cerHed Ia the Outrage. ,rst t;
It was at nine O'Clock Friday night,
ut lol.' ly switch station, west Of Winston,
that twelve or fifteen men boarded the train.
They were taken to he ordinary passengers,
lsborers or stockmen, and attracted no spe.
ei& attention. Just east OF Winston Station
the train came to sudden stop. Conductor
westfall stepped Of to see what was tho
mattel, .sghSn the train moved on again.
He jumped aboard again, and Is be was
about to enter the front door Of the smok.
ing.car two men confronted him, and one
immediately leveled revolver ut him and
fired. The ball struck Westfall in the arm,
and, surprised and terror. stricken, he ran
through the smoking coach, the men closely
pursuing and firing upon him. Two more
shots took effect upon the conductor, and
upon reaching the rear platform Of the car
he fell dead. A passenger named Mcmillan,
q stone.mason employed on the railroad,
tried to escape from the coach by the same
door which the murdered conductor went
out Of when he fell dead upon the platform,
and he was also shot and killed, whether by
. stray shot or purposely Il not known.
While this tragedy was being enacted, a
gang Of Fighter ten men went through the
coaches, firing their revolvers at random
through the roofs and sides Of the cars,
aud threatening to kill any passenger
that dared to move. A part Of this
gang went into the baggaye.car and
attacked C. H. Murray, the express messen.
ger, and bis assistant, Frank Stampes. The
assistant was dragged from the car, and
Murray enscouced himself on the floor be.
hind some trunks to escape being hit by the
flying bullets. The train ran about half .
mile before he WIS discovered, and the rob.
bers then dragged him from bis place Of con.
celment, and, placing their revolvers at his
head, demanded Of him, upon pain Of in.
slant death, to open the express safe. Tho
leader Of the gang produced . bag from his
pocket, and the contents Of the safe, about
5000 IN currency, were deposited in it.
They then hernandez: Murray to show them
where they could lind other money, and he
informed them that they had all OF value in
the car except fifteen bricks Of silver bullion
that lay on the floor Of the car. The robber,
did not cucumber themselves with the bull.
ien. $50 at. . ...r. %
A1ter the bandits had completed theiI
work Of robbery and murder, they deserted
the train and dispersed in all directions, and
It was then found that the engineer and fire.
man had been overpowered and kept IL
subsection BY two men with pistols, who
when they wanted the train slowed up
would place their weapons to the engineer
head and commanded him to use the level
- they directed.
The passengers In the coaches were panic
stricken, overpowered by the large gang o
well'srmed and desperate men, and perfect
" helpless to help the conductor or proven
the robbery.
Al soon as news Of the murderous out
rage reached the Officers Of the Rock Isl
and Road, they offered . reward Of s., COX
for the apprehension Of the highwaymen.
| On the afternoon Of the 10th Chic go re
porter called upon Mr.. Frederick Henckle
gentleman very well known in Chicago
who was In the baggage car when the rs
sault Of tho robbers occurred.
II was pretty we'll excited,'' said Mr.
Henekle, ''aad may not remember oil tn
details. I think that It YVES twenty mi.ute
past nine O'Clock. had Just had my sup
per, and WAS enjoying cigar in the smok
ing car. Think that the station ii Prince
ton, No., where We had our supper. some
where between Cameron and Winston Sta
ton. About the time we arrived there "
noticed . crowd Of rather hard lookin
characters about the station. The
y were together In groups Of twos an
'thrses. When We were through sur
per they yelled AN aboard The first v
knew,, the train was flying along IT, rapi
rate, and . man. very large, thick, heay
set,, With black beard, short, but thicl
came In, followed by couple Of others. Il
Was dressed, ~ far - I could notice, in
linen coat snd.s straw hat, and the 9th,
. parts Of bis clothing don't recollect. II
trio came In by way Of the front platform
the smoking.car, and one Of them, the m,
with the black beard, had revolver, cocke
, In his hand. He muttered something, AZ
, commenced TO fre 1t the, conductor. i
ran out, and ~ others crowded up
him.
switch way did the conductor run:
asked the reporter. 20 'Gaa t5t
"He ran toward tho rear platform out /,
4 the doot, where heard more shooting. v
!. aMrau back to tho sleeping cars where '
i belongsA and threw Ourselves on the foo
. I emily saw tho gang 1t the station while til,
:, were n knots, and ! should suppose tn
4 there were Of least . dozen Of them. Ishou
!: think that there were four Of them VI
came into The smoking car. After Il
, trouble was over We found the conducto,
z lantern and his brains o. the rear platform
~ "Was ths train stoppeds" , ;'ta :.
- mo, 10 were on . stop when the ia
= dits got on. The robbers held possession
- To train. Three Of the gang jumped
l' 10 engine, and With evoked revolvers co,
PEELED the engineer and fireman to subm
. They sopldn't do, anything .elss. III
y werp armed, but they couldn't, set a chan
ID y qiA'Itehsir weapons, IN the excitement til
{, esspt amy 4pen their eaptoss and put out
n headlight. They alss put the air-brakes
61 ,sa 1T the ,pssd WA slacksned. At wi
V oten, to which thsy, ran the train, 1re
Iesl ~ bralelea jumped o. and telegraph
). ths death q ~ conductor and the sior
nasen, Nc1dilian. Tho Jig wa. up then, a
\ The robbers ran away. = ~
!. 'Assoon q tie train was III possession
10 The robbsn' the passengers jumped down