The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1888-09-01

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say to another.
81 have ripped up my mattress and
put it there"
"Put it all in?"
"Yaas"
"Well then, guess you had better
take some out. Them boys knows you
warn't travelling this line without
cent"
Then there was more clinking heard,
as a reasonable sum was transferred
from the mattress to the owners purse.
From an opposite berth | saw lady
emerge, robed in dressing gown. She
marched down the compartment to the
door, where there stood large tin
cistern for holding iced water. The
lid of this she opened and dropped in
some hundred dollars. Replacing the
lid she went back to her couch tri-
umphantly.
Guess they won't look there" she
said to me as she passed by.
A long, thin man, who was by pro-
fession a drummer" or CONNER
cial traveller, now said he would pull
on his pants and go out and prospect"
In few minutes he returned, and
standing in the doorway, gave forth
his information tor the benefit of tho
company.
Ladies' and gentlemen" he said:
''the state of matters is this. They are
now in the mail-car, trying to force the
safe, and when they've done, we may
expect the pleasure of their company
here" So saying he made graceful
bow and retired.
The black attendant then locked the
doors at each end of the car and went
to bed.
Use hopes" he said, "they get
enough to content them without "a
coming here-plenty of sinners in dat
safe"
Looking out of the window again l
saw curious sight. By the side of the
truck stood the engine-driver and two
others in arrow with their hands up
above their heads. They appeared like
so many boys at school. | saw no one
CLoOy DGU q oOOuI 1llOulc-dGcu HAIL Ill ~
huge cowboy hat, with gun in his
hand He looked like a well-to-do far
mer. While l was watching, the en-
gine-driver and his mates got up on
the train, the engine gave a sharp
snort, and to our great establishment
on we went. Sambo, the attendant,
rushed out, and said we were fairly off.
We passed the camp fire, beside which
the robbers had waited for our arrival,
and some logs of wood which had been
laid across the track. The drummer"
now valiantly emerged on the platform
armed with a shotgun which he said
was loaded with swan shot.
81 see one of them there behind that
big stone,' he cried; guess I'll give
him a stringing up"
The other passengers would not
allow him to fire.
"They have got Lancaster rifles, you
fool, said one roughly, and they'll 90
popping off sixteen shots apiece at the
cars, and one of them may be IL go
through your darned old head So
the drummer" restrained himself.
At the first station we stopped and
the telegraph was set to work sending
the news of what had happened up
and down the line. We then got in
formation as to what had really oc-
CURED. The engine-driver had seen a
light set on the middle of the track. |
This was the usual signal to stop. and
he pulled up. He found five men
dressed like cowboys, and with
blacl1ened faces, waiting for him, who
told him and his mates to come down |
and hold up their hands. Each of the |
robbers carried pistols and a rifle. !
Having placed a guard over the three |
men they proceeded to the mail car.
This they left in state of inexpressi-
BILE confusion. Mail bags were ripped |
up, letters and newspapers lay scattered |
about. The bags, | think thirty-six |
in number, containing registered let
tiers they took possession of. They |
then went to the car where the safe |
was kept, and ordered the man inside |
to open it. He had rolled all the heavy |
baggage against the door, and was |
slow in obeying their command. They |
told him to be quick or it would be |
worse for him. On entering, one of
the robbers presented pistol at his |
head, and told him to open the safe
He said he could not do that as it |
opened by an arrangement of letters
composing a word. The word had !
been telegraphed on ahead, and he
did not know it.
"Tll give you ten minutes" said the
other, land if you don't open it, guess
you'll have to die.
When the ten minutes had elapsed |
he was going to execute his threat, but |
one of his comrades interfered, saying |
be believed the man was telling the |
truth. They then worked at the safe |
for some time, but after many attempts
had to give up hopes of opening it. |
Afterwards they held consultation as
to whether they should go through the |
cars, but decided there were too many |
passengers for them to cope with. |
Going down to the track they removed |
e II. I 1 7