The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1888-09-27

| the passengers to make their money as
| safe as circumstances would permit.
From all parts of the compartment
there resounded the clink of coin. One
person opposite me put his watch into
boot.
| where have you put your money?''
L heard passenger in the next berth
say to another.
Il have ripped up my mattress and
| put it there
.'Put it all in?"
"Yaas.''
swell then, / guess you had better
take some out. Them boys knows you
| warn't travelling this line without a
cent"
Then there was more clinking heard,
as reasonable sum was transferred
| from the mattress to the owners purse
From an opposite berth l 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 the
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 a graceful
bow and retired.
The black attendant then locked the
doors at each end of the car and went
to bed.
Use hopes,n he said, "they get
enough to content them without a.
coming here-plenty of sinners in dat
safe.n
Looking out of the window again /
saw curious sight. By the side of the
truck stood the engine-driver and two
others in a row with their hands up
above their heads. They appeared like
so many boys at school. | saw no one
else, but stout middle-aged man in
huge cowboy hat, with a 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 q sharp
snort, and to our great astonishment
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 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 stringing up"
The other passengers wouA not
allow him to fire.
'sThey have got Lancaster rifles, you
fool,'' said one roughly, and they'll go
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
blackened 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 rife.
Having placed guard over the three
men they proceeded to the mail car.
This they left in a state of inexpressi-
BILE confusion. Mail bags were ripped
up, letters and newspapers lay scattered
about The bags, I think thirty-six
in number, containing registered let
ters 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 a 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.
I'm 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 elaDsed