The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1883-11-22
TRAIN ROBBING IN MEXICO.

A Party of Desperadoes Ditch and Rob
Train on the Mexican National Railroad,
Securing IS, 900 in Bul1iOn-TroOps in
Pursuit of the Gang.
LAREDO, TEX, Nov. a.,
In a wild, uninhabited region near Lar
zorita, twenty-five miles south of Laredo,
at about seven O'Clock last evening the reg
uIar train from Saltillo, consisting of four
coaches, one mail and one express car, with
seventy-five passengers aboard, carrying
the mail and $S, 900 in silver in the Express
safe, were going twenty-five miles an hour
when the engine turned complete sonler-
sault, landing twenty feet from the track,
followed by the express and two passenger
cars. The other coaches were derailed but
not eapsized. In the confusion word was
passed that Fireman Fessler was crushed
to death and Engineer Madden badly
wounded. The next moment the fright
ened and helpless passengers became aware
that they were surrounded by desperadoes,
who attempted to force Conductor Burt to
give the combination of the safe, when
member of the gang ffnpatiently knocked
the knob Off with an ak. Burt, with a doz-
en- Winchester rifles leveled NJ him, was
compelled to strike blow after blow upon
the hinges ami finally, when given the al
Tentative of opening the safe In a minute
or having his head blown Off, no informed
the robbers there was $4,000 silver bullion
in the Express car. The whole ghng on.
gagged in the work of carrying the bars to
pack mules tied conveniently.
As the last bar was pulled out OF the
wreck the noise of approaching train
was heard, with soldiers coming up tho
track from the opposite direction. In few
minutes the robbers had disappeared, but
took no other booty.
A Mexican customs officer had boarded
the train at .Tarfta the last station passed.,
and Immediately tho train was wrecked
went back afoot and brought his guards to
the rescue. The telegraph wire had been
cut and the train dispatcher reported sus-
/ piciOns of foul play. superintendent Les7
! ter ordered n special train sent out with
/ 100 Mexican soldiers.
Investigation showed the mules had been
/ kept in a thicSet the night before when 9l0,-
0JO in silver was shipped from Monterey
1 and Saltillo TO Laredo, but fortunately the
/ train was ten hours late, passing the spot
/ i'm daytime, and was thus saved.
But few of the passengers were robbed )
I the marauders delaying so long with tho
\ safe and bullion. Dr.. V. o. Ring and wife
] of San Antonio, and X. 5. Vivian, Of Kan
1 sas City, Mo-, were among the passengers.
! They say the robbers were all MeXicans
/ except the leader, who is an American.
/ Passengers furnished detailed dascrip.
4 tion of the leader TO the authorities, who
/ think he is a weII-known character In Lare-
DO It is believed he will not escape cap
/ ture. Engineer Madden saved the lives Of
/ the passengers by his prompt application
/ Of the air brakes.
! The leader 4cted in a cool-headed and de-
! Ifberate manner and spoke good English9
! All the rest of the gang acted Ike savages,
/ utterly regardless of discipline or COM
! rnand- The leader forced the conductor to
| deliver the treasure, under the threat 20
! kin all Americans on the train. The rob
/ berry was skilfully planned, but with g
! rerk1ess regard for human life. The rail
was entirely removed from the track, and
| 3he telegraph wires cut, so as TO destroy
| communication between the stations.