Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1888-11-05
Robbed BY an Expert.
One Man Does a Daring Job Of
villainy,
AND BAGS $4,000 AT ONE HAUL

on by Themselves.
New ORLEANS, Nov. 5-Just before day |
light Saturday morning the south-bound pas |
senger train on the Northwestern road was |
robbed by single highwayman, who Sc
cured over $50, Co., $4,000 Of which was in
United States bonds, the balance in cash. |
The robbery occurred between Lacey and
Derby stations, Miss, about sixty miles from |
this city. The robber locked the doors Of
the passenger coaches and then entered the
baggage and express car. The baggage-mas.
ter was covered by two pistols, one held in
each of the robbers hands, and sack was
placed over his head This sack was made
especially for such purposes, and was about
one foot square when fattened out, 1t was
made of strong cotton cloth, and its mouth
was encircled by a strong pickering cord
so that it could be quickly and firmly fastan-
ened about the neck. Having secured and
imprisoned the baggageman the robber went
into the express end of the car. The messen-
ger, Charles W. Lowrey. was at his desk
fix ing up his accounts when the robber sud
denly appeared, and, pointing his
pistol at him, ordered him to open the safe if
he wanted to live any longer. He was
obeyed The roober ordered Lowrey to take
all the money and money packages from the
safe and put them in bag. This was also
done. He next made the messenger place
the bag over his own head, and, having tied
the string, the robber coolly told him to take
walk The robber pulled the bell-rope, the
train stopped and he stepped off with only
the two men in the baggage and express car
being aware of what had occurred. On in
int fI,x ~ Of tto
train the two men were discovered with
their heads in the bags as described. The
robber had disappeared, and no trace Of him
remained. He is supposed to have boarded
the train one or two stations above the To-
cality of the robbery.
Baggagemaster McElroy told this story OF
the robbery: AT about 40 O'Clock this
morning train No. 5, of which | am baggage
master, pulled out from Derby. The bag
gage car was next to the engine, and the
rear door, facing the passenger car behind,
was open, while that facing the engine was
locked was busy writing when suddenly
a man entered through the open door, closed
and locked it behind him, and let the key re.
main in the lock to prevent any one from
| opening it from the outside. He drew a re-
| vover and leveled it at me, and with volley
|
| put down my clip and got up, but not COM
| plying with his request to throw up my
hands, he drew a second revolver anirepeat-
| ed his former request. then threw up my
| hands and he marched me TO the rear end of
the car, and covering the messenger also,
ordered him to open the safe and take there
from ali the money, bonds, and valuables
therein. The messenger did as he was
told, and after he had cleared out the
safe the highwayman ordered him to cover
my head with an empty sack. After this
had been done he babe Mr. Lowrey get down
upon his knees and heap the money into the
small sacks, which were lying on the floor.
This was done, and then with the utmost
GOODNESS he said to the terrified messenger;
"Now put an empty sack upon your owr
head" This order, like all the rest, was
complied with promptly. He then led me
over to the safe and sat me down upon it,
with my back toward him. He took both
sacks, as nearly as can judge-being blind
folded by the sack-to the end of the cal
nearest the engine, where he laid them down
near the door. He returned to the center Of
the car and cut one of the mail pouches
open, but whether he took anything or no
cannot say. Turning to me he asked:
as that front door openi'
@No,n l replied, at is locked, and fregh
piled up against it"
ITO HI with the freight" said he; I'll
get it out of the way
He did not get out that door, however, al
though he inserted false key init as a pre-
caution against intrusion He walked to tn
other end of the car with his SACKS of money
, deliberately took the key from the inside an
inserted it on the outside, and as he steppe
on the threshold said to me: Il know you.
/ n don't know you" | managed to reply.
"That's all right, when you tell about thi
matter you can't say that am short thick
= set man, do you hears If you give me ava
I'll kill you"
/ @He pulled the bell rope for a signal t
s stop the train Immediately, then stepped out
side upon the platform of the passenger coac
E just behind, locked the baggage-car door
g and ss the train Stacked up sufficiently to a
: low him to get off be reached up, pulle
: the bell, signal to go ahead, and steppe
: off into lot of brush, and wa
. soon lost TO view Soon afterwar
the robbery was discovered, but the THE
q was Their many miles away. / was 5
0 frightened that did not study his featur,
| clearly, but he was a red-iaced. Lantern
: jawed man about six feet high an
of slender build. He wore red viii
kers, which appeared to be falls
and had bandana handkerchi,
in his mouth which hung dow
completely covering his neck. Almost ever
sentence he uttered was filled with oath
and be took things as though robbing
trains was everyday work with him. "
been in some mighty tight places and hay
!, looked down the muzzle of a revolver mo
= than once, but l must confess that new,
: was so thoroughly frightened as | was So
urday morning, and l hope l may new
have such another experience during Il
rest of my life. Why, the bores of his r
. volver looked as big as hickory nuts."s
This story was corroborated by Charl
W. Lowrey, the express agent, A brak
man on the train saw the robber as he W
l. leaving the train and had he known Of the the
l. could have killed him easily, as he was b
s. ten feet away at the time, and waikiki
l. leisurely away with his back toward {
'e train. The brakeman says the man wore
IS gray coat and soft felt hat, slouched do,
m on one side Neither the Baltimore Il Oh
nor the United States Express company W
tell the amount OF their losses, but it
thought that Lo"rey's estimate of So, 900
y correct.