The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1889-10-02
THEY CAPTURED THE TRAIN
THREE TRAIN ROBBERS BOLD WORK.
A Mobile & Ohio Passenger Train Held Up
and the Mail and Express Cars Robbed
Thought To BE the Work of RUDE
Barrows and His Gang.

MOBILE, Ala, Sept. 25.-The Mobile &
Ohio south-bound mail and passenger
train was held up at $40 o'clock this
morning by train robbers at Buckatunna,
Miss, a station seventy miles north OF
Mobile The train was due here at a. m.
Just before the train left Buckatunna two
men mounted behind the tender Of the
train, and, climbing over, covered Engl-
neer Jack Thorrel and Fireman Thomas
Hust with their revolvers. The robbers
were disguised with red bandana hand
kerchiefs over the lower part OF their
faces. The leaders ordered the engineer
TO pull out and stop at the bridge, twenty
five miles below, Buckatunpa, and place
the train so that the express and mail car
should be on the further side OF the
bridge from the rest Of the train, the
bridge being a trestle over a deep creek
''You obey instructions or it's death, ;"
he said. The engineer looked down the
barrel of the pistol and slowly pulled the
lever. The tram ran rapidly down to the
spot indicated, and the engineer put the
train Just where the man with the pistol
wanted it.
Then there appeared a third robber
disguised like the other two. These three
made the engineer and fireman come with
them to the express car, and the engineer
had to call out to Expressman J. w. Dun
ming to open the door of the car. The
wooden door was already open, but
the iron-barred door was closed and
locked. Cunning was seated with
his back to the door, and when he turned
around he looked down the muzzles OF
three revolvers. The command was
given. and Dunning opened the barred
door, and in the chief robber jumped, the
other two remaining outside to guard the
engineer and fireman. The leader made
the messenger dump the contents of the
safe into a canvas sack, but noticing that
he was not closely watched, Cunning
showed some of the money aside so that
about thousand dollars was hidden, the
robbers getting $500. All this money
belonged to the Mobile x Ohio railroad
company. Alongside the express car
door was pile of $4,000 OF government
money en- route to Florida which the rob-
bers failed TO notice.
Then the robbers made the expressman
get out OF the car and go with them to the
mail car. w. G.. Bell, the mail agent had
suspected that robbery was going on and
tried 10 get into the baggage car with a
number OF registered packages OF mail.
Just as he stepped to the end door of the
car he saw through glass that the rob
bers had Intercepted him. The leader faced
him, pistol in hand, and finding Bells
arms full OF packages, said: dump those
here on my left arm There were TWEEN
ty-four packages in all, and Bell dumped
them as requested. The robber made
Bell hand him then registered pouch
and ordered the agent 10 open il, but Bell
had no key. so the robber carried the
pouch off with him. The pouch was made
up at Meridian and the contents and
value are unknown. Just then Billy
Scholes, the conductor, who had been try
ing TO find out the trouble, and had armed
himself with q Winchester, came out OF
the rear OF the train, waved his lantern
and shouted:
What's the natter"
The robbers fired two shots at him, cry.
ing out Come up here and you'll sec
what's the matter"
The engineer told the robber 30 let up
on the shooting as the train hands would
open fire, shooting their own men. There
was no more shooting and the train was
ordered TO pull out at once, which IL did,
the robbers disappearing IN the under
growth on the west side OF the track. The
train pulled down TO Chronicle and swap
ped time with the accommodation train,
and the accommodation train engine and
car was sent bacl, to the scene OF the rob
berry with detectives and an armed posse
The leader OF the robbers is a man six
feet high, of about 10 pounds weight
dressed in common clothing and a SLOUGH
hat. His assistants wore common cloth
ing with nothing to distinguish them.
When the handkerchief slipped down Q
little off the leaders face the expressman
said he saw he had a black mustache
and thinks he had beard.
The leader of the robbers is believed Il
be Rube Burrows. noted desperate, the
man whom a search for created so much
excitement in the northern part oil
the state a few months ago. Al
that time it was believed he was organic
ing a gang to hold up some train and the
Mobile 4 Ohio company, anticipat
ing an attack, armed all its train hands
with Winchester rifles. This was made
public and was doubtless wha
the robber referred to this morn
ing. as he said during the progress O
robbing the mail car "The Mobile & Ohio
dared me to hold up train and wanted
TO show them | could do it"
The Mobile & Ohio road offers 81 ,00l
reward for the arrest and conviction o
the robbers.
THE UIRV DtSAGREEN