Omaha daily bee., 1884-12-09
HANDS UP!"
Details Of The lTail Robbery al Little
R0CE, Ark,
Passengers Deprived of Their Money,
Watches Sud R~ings-Thc Safe
Broken Open and Couto0ts
Stolen.
.nccial 10 the Glnhe. DeInncrht J..

Special to the Globe Democrat.
LlrrLE Rock, Ark, December 6.-To.
night, between 10 and II o'clock, the iueom-
ing passenger train ON the Little Rock, Mis-
sissippi River & Texas railroad was stopped
by five masked men, about three miles below
Little Rock, and they proceeded in a sys-
tematio manner to the accomplishment of one
of the most daring robberies in the annals
of that branch of the business. The train
consisted Of engine, baggage, express cars and
two passenger coaches, and there were about
seventy.dve persons in all, including passeu'
gers, trainmen, baggage and express messen-
gers. Among the passengers We've three
ladies-Nirs. Blair, Miss Story. and a country
woman with two children, The train
left Pine Bluff at s p M, behind
time, and the passengers were congratulating
themselves on the good time that the engineer
was making. AS mile after mile the distance
to Little Rock was decreased, the passengers
began to think of the warm suppers awaiting
them and to get their grips and packages
ready for the arrival ut Little Rock. All Mt
once the train slackenod in speed, according
to rule as it was going by u switch three miles
from the city. Instead OF Keeping the man
track, however, n very unusual departure was
mado which astonishod the engineer. The
switch was open and the train rolled slowly
on it. The lauies i'll one Of the cars screamed
at q Bwaylng motion OF the train and the
brushing of limbs of trees against the windows,
AID exclaimed, 'lhe train has been wrecked, "
but at this precise moment n iusiiRde of pistol
shots rang out in tho night air.
BOARDED by BANDITS.
Before any one had time to take measures
for defense "a gang of FIVE masked men had
.-.a-.I., II H., .,,,,,,, nnl part ar ThpXv
were completely disguised, were Of medium
size, and wore white masks, covering their
heads, with the exception of eyes and mouth,
rpugh, ragged holes being cut in the masks
through which their eyes shone with deVlish-
ness. Every one of the gang had his pants
turned inside out. Their coats were old ald
ragged. The leader was tall and slender.
The first shot from the darkness was aimed at
the engineer, who slowed up. Conductor Pat
Rice and Express Messenger Honeycutt were
in the baggage car. On hearing the shot
Conductor Rice rushed towards the engine,
when, as he emerged from the door of the bag
gage car, he was fired at, five balls whistling
in unpleasant proximity to his head The tram
had stopped by this time, and the robbers,
Selling the opportunity, entered the forward
cars and covered the panic-stricken people
with six'shooters. They brought the engineer
and express and baggagemen into the phssen-
ger coaches, while enc of the gang went for
the two express safes in that car. The wild
est alarm and CONSERVATION at once prevailed,
and passengers could see that they were COM
pletely at the mercy of the desperadoes. The
passengers In the rear car were not molested
until the smoking.cGr In front was gone
through" and while they knew that an
attempt at robbery was being made, they
were afraid to move or make any break which,
from the reckless manner in which the balls
were flying around, would evidently have
| ,,,n,,al IN ,rn1,a,1.hp ,,,IDrE.l,inr Tho unlna.
bles and money of all in the smoking-car were
taken, the passengers being requested to hold
up their hands.
HANDS UP.
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 n loud
voics. Hands upi' Every hand went up
with great rapidity. The robbers looked
around to see that every hand WAS up, and
then said: 'Ill only detain you a moment.
After the safe is opened you will all be invited
to contribute to the missionaries" He stood
in the door talking incessantly, in a ~jocular
manner, and watching his comrades at work
on the safe. Occasionally he would shut the
doors, but Immediately put his head in again
and remind the people that their hands must
remain up. Thu leader finally got impatient
at the delay, and called out in a loud voice:
IF you can't get the safe open, chuck 1t out
and blow it open;" but the safe
was opened, and then the whole
gang went for the last car.
One big, burly fellow, with a large sack, then
went through the car and snatched watches
and jewelry and money from the unresisting
passengers. The work was not done expedi.
tiously, and took three, quarters of an hour
I from the time the first shots were fired until
ali waa over. The money and watches SO.
cured amounted In all to about $4,000. AS
soon rs the last passenger was attended to.
the leader saying, you will all stay here ten
minutes, p" an omineus CLEAN OF revolvers was
seen, and in response to the demand of the
leader that they should obey his mandate, q
feeble and forced Eyes" walled out on the
air. The gana disappeared in the darkness,
and after a few minutes the demoralized pas.
out, and the train was brought into Little
Rock.