River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1888-12-20
sHor BY IRAN ROBBERS.

Masked Men Attack an illinois Central
Express Car IN Mississippi and Secure
S3.oO0-A Brave Passenger Shat Dead.
GRENADA, Mss, Dec. 1.-THE nlino 5
Central NO. was stopped SATURDAY. night
one mile north of Duck Hill by two rob
hers and the express car plundered. The
thieves boarded the engine just Us the
train pulled cut of Duck Hill and ordered
Engineer A. J. Law 10 pull out fast and
not stop until ted. The eng neer and
Fireman George Ryans being Gov
cred with navy ''sixes.n oteyed the com
mand. One mile north Of Luck Hill the
train was stopped and the engineer and
fireman were ordered to dismount This
they promptly did. They were then
marched to the express car. One of the
robbers knocked on the door. which was
opened by Messenger Hill. After firing
three shots the man entered and took
t3,0O0-all there was in tue car-from the
messenger.
The stopping OF the train and the pistol
shots attracted Conductor Wllkinson's at.
tention, and he rushed out, at once being
fired upon. He again entered coach, but
Charles Hughes. of jackson, Tenn, hurried
forward W tn Winchester rifle. He caught
sight of one of the masked devils and
his gun was br. ught to his shoulder, but
at that instant a bullet plowed through
his left arm nd the weapon dropped out
of line, his bullet strik ng the ground ten
feet away. Again he leveled his Winches-
ter but could not DISCHARGE ii, for a
eaden missile pa sed through his body
and he fell dead.
Conductor Wilkinson had by this time
secured a revolver and he boldly entered
the fight. being Joined by Travelling Pas
senger Agent Roban. Bang, bang bang
the shots rang out the desperadoes hold
ing their ground and showing no signs
of fiinching. A number of windows
in the coaches were broken and the
terrified passengers tremDled. None
seemed to be willing to join in the fray,
but expected that soon enough he would
be hurt, if not killed. In all the cars there
was great excitement Men rushed fran
tically down the aisles, crowding and
pushing the frightened women, while
others covered d wn behind the seats 10
escape possible stray bullet. All seemed
to have lost their senses. Some men
cursed, others prayed, while a few chat
tered like lunatics Just escaping from an
asylum
Finally the robbers gave up the fight
and ran into the swamp carrying their
plumber with them. 1t is believed
that neither was wounded. Hughes,
who was killed, was the only person
hit Notwithstanding the numerous
shots fired. The case of Hughes is par
ticularly sad. He was young man and
his widowed mother depended upon him
for support. He went to Lexington, Miss.
Saturday to meet mis- sisters family and
younger brother, all of whom were on
the train
The following description of the robbers
is furnished by Engineer Law: Both
were white men. One was tall and
slender and the other was of oTdi-
nary size. Both were poorly dressed and
showed themselves to be hard characters.
The tall one wore sandy chin whiskers. l
don't know whether he had moustaehe
or not"
Express Messenger Hill says the EObber
who entered the car was five feet ten
inches tall and wore white SLOUGH hat
II had no beard on the side Of his face
and the mask covered his face below his
nose He had dark hair, cut very short,
and wore q gray suit of ordinary cloth
He put the money taken from the safe in
a sack larger than the one used on the ex-
press-car, but of the same material.
The description of the tall man with
sandy whiskers tallies with that of the
man who recently robbed train on the
Northwestern road. A posse is be ng or
ganized here to join IN the chase. Blood
hounds will be used to follow the trail.