Huntsville gazette., 1884-12-13
A LA JAMES 5oYss

l Nf. -.
ine Of the Most-Andacious Train RoRher3ae
on Record-4A Party Of Masked Men Sfde~
track Passenger Train Within Thrss
Miles of Little Rock, Ark, and Leisurely
+ Go Through the Outft-Two- -Thouaahd'
4 Dollars Reward .Ofered-Seyeral Arrests.
i. LrrrLE Rock, ARK, DecemberL A
Saturday night, between ten and eleven
'clock, the INCOMING passenger train
Il IN the Little Rock, Mississippi Riyer&'
Texas Railroad was stopped by s'ffse-
4 masked men, about three mites be-
low, Little Rock, who proceeded ln.
Ia systematic . manner to. the ..acfom.c .
olishment Of one Of the most daring
'obberies in the annals of that branch
TT the business, There: were about
seventy five persons aboard. Among the .
passengers were three laeies@ MFs.ss
Blair, Miss Story, and a country. woman,
with two children -. .-+-s.., -.
|, The train slackened inspeed according
% rule, as it>was going by q switch three
niles from the city. Instead OF keeping
she main track, however, a very unusual
departure was made which astonished' the
engineer The switch was open and the
train rolled slowly. on. it. The, ladies in
one Of the, cars. screamed ata sWaying
motion of the train and the Brushing'of
limbs of trees against the windows, and :
exclaimed,"TAe train has been.wrecked," !.
but at this precise moment fusilade OF
pistol shots rang out in the. night air.
Before any one had time to take meas
ures for defense a gang OF five masked
men had possession Of the engine and
every car. They were. completely dis
guised, were of medium size, and wore.
white masks. The first shot from the
darkness was aimed at the engineer, who.
slowed up. .-s9s- S.,s.. a.
On hearing the shot Conductor Rics''
rushed toward the engine, when, as he
: emerged from the door. of the ,baggage
car, he was fired at, five balls whistling
in unpleasant proximity to his head. The
train had stopped by this time, and the
robbers entered the forward cars and
4 covered the panic-stricken people
with six-shooters. They brought the en-
gineer and express and baggagemen INTO
the passenger coaches, while one OF the
, gang went for the two express safes In
that car The widest alarm and conster-
nation at once prevailed, and the passen-
gers could see that they were completely
at the mercy of the'despeladoes. The pas.
\: sengers inlthe rear car were not molested
until the smoking-car in front was gone
through.n
When the leader'appeared:in the door
: of the rear car he threw "a big revolver
down in the most approved style, and
called out in a.Sery.loud voices Hands
upp' Every hand went up with greet
1apidity. The robbers looked around %
see that every hand was up, and
then said: '.;ssf'fl'. only 'detain. yaf -
moment. i After, .sthess; safe, .is
J, opened. you will all be invited
to contribnte;to the: missionaries" Hd
8 stood in the door talking incessaptly In 9
3 iocular manner, and watching his COM
7 rades.at work on the safea -Occasiopally
he would shut the door, but immediately
, put, his head in again and remind the
; speople that their hands must re-.
main up. The : leader, finally got
impatient at !. the delay, and calico
!. out in d loud voice: ssIf you cah't'
J Get the safe open; chuek it out and. .sblow
: / it open ~. but the safe. was opened, and
then the whole gang went for the lasfcars
/, One big, burly fellow, With a, }argeasack,
"A then went through the car and snatched
watches and jewelry and money from the
,-gunresistfngs passengers. The work was
not done .expeditiously, and took three
quarters of an hour from the time
the first sffotsHer Areds santiEH Was.Ail.
over.a. The. money and. watches secured
amounted in all to. about .$6,0oo. As
soon as-the;last+ +passengerwas satteuded
to, the leaaerlsaying. ."Yeu will stay here
F fof ten minutes" an ominous gleann' d
!. .reyolvers- was seen, .afle= I'm RESPONSE
! to the. demand. Of. the Leader
that they should swear to obey
his faandafe,*aa feeble lind j forced
sYes," walled out on the air.. The gang
disappeared in the darkness, and Alter
few minntes..tiE teJraralized d. passengers.
scIewed.u enough, courage. TO venture,
out, and the train was brought INTO Little
Sheriff Marthen=wssf nctfasd, ,..and; i'm.
mediately oEganized,a pesses and. started.
. in pursuit OF the gang; ;ss.s .s-.;s,as
.saran gndF5fs s. @ a pe1ps ppSssf saEsSa y az
N party wasv tracked iBy bloodhcuuds fdi-
Il rectfy2 to Eittiec Rock; where live sneR
4 sweres arrested on SUSPICION of being:
\ implicated in. the robbery. The first
. some arrested was Joseph Cook, -infor.
nation being lodged against him -by u
!, NJ. Eisdley,4 proprietora Of axssecouds
rate = hotel -,on Fifth street sGook; is
well known here, is; mattress ,makse5,
and until recently has been id the
employ Of MAJ. Parker, furnitdres dealer
at no East MarkhaIn streets>s = -.
The second man taken in. gives hjsnams
as Jack Clifford, and. says he came from
Chicago about three months ago. Until
within the past week be has beenein the
) employ of the Arkansas Valiey' Rontes
working in the yard. .-.,,--.- ..,.a., -
+ r. The third person arrested was Chas.
Campbell. --Ife is an empldyes satsthe stave
, factory of..the Niemeyer Cooperage Com.
pany, situated short distance from int
Arkansas Valley Route freight depot. :esf
These men all board at-sthe Gilmore
) House. The proprietor OF the house says
they have acted suspiciously. for, some
8; 'time past, and that Sunday morning =
|, was nearly two O'Clock when They. came
( in; that afterward they caneaown stairs,
II but soon returned again. LihdIey says
] Cook was eager to see the. morning p.
|. pers, and when he. read the account o.