The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1889-03-07
PISTOLS AND DYNAMITE.
WHY ARIZONA IMPOSES THE DEATH
PENALTY ON TRAIN ROBBERS.
Reviewing Recent es-Thousands
OF Passengers Are "Held Up" Every
Year by Lawleas Rascals- Freedom
From Punishment.


law making train robbery punishable by
death.
A review OF the crimes which have led
the good citizens Of Arizona 10 take this
step shows startling and disgraceiul
state OF affairs, for which the supineness
of the public officials Of many States is APP
parently TO blame.
Robbery and bloodshed upon railroad
trains are frequently chronicled by the
newspapers, but in very few instances is il
possible TO record the arrest and conviction
of the perpetrators OF the desperate crimes
referred 10.
AS shown below, within the last three
years over twenty daring and audcious
train-robberes have taken place, and these
are only the leading events Of that dcscrp-
ton deeds which have attracted particu-
lar attention. 1t is safe 20 say that the
actual number Of train robberes commit
ted within that period is not far short OF
fifty.
II will also be seen from the record which
follows that in almost all cases the train
robbers got away scathless and have APP
parenty remained unpublished.
Therefore Il is not astonishing that Ari.
IONA feels indignant.
now A BRAVE MAN DIED.
On December 10, 1883, u dispatch from
Grenada, Miss, gave an account OF train
robbery on the Illinois Central Railroad,
about one mile north OF Duck Hill. Two
men boarded the engine, and covering the
engineer, A. J. Law, and Fireman George
Evans with their revolvers, ordered them
20 "Pull out id quick" The men
obeyed and ran the train about one
mile up the road. law and Evans were
then forced 10 dismount, and were marched
ahead OF the robbers TO the express car.
Three shots were then fired al Conductor
Il. II. Wilkinson, who came out upon the
platform OF one OF the ears in order TO as
certain the cause of the stoppage. The
conductor called upon the passengers TO
help him, but only one man responded,
Mr.. Charles Hughes, Of Jackson, Tenn.
Tho latter was handed n loaded Winches-
ter rifle by timorous fellow passenger.
Firing began Immediately upon the APP
pearance OF the conductor and the brave
passenger. The latter was shot aud killed;
ho was the only support Of widowed
mother. Tho robbers secured 5000 and
docanped.
A dispatch from New Orleans, La, on
November g. 1883, described n remarkn.
BILE train robbery which took place be-
:, tween Derby and Lacy, two stations near
New Orleans, ON the Northeastern Rail.
road. At 4 o'clock on the morning re-
fcrrcd to a tall man with heavy beard
and with red handkerchief tied over his
mouth TO muille his voice. suddenly en-
tered the baggage car and turned the key
upon himself aud upon the baggage mas
ter, Henry O. MoElrow.
"TnRow UF YouR HANDS"
The robbcr ordered McErow 20 throw
up his hands, and passing into another
compartment also made the Baltimore *
Ohio express messenger, Charles W, Low
cry, open the safe and deposit the money
and yaluablcs In two small sacks living ON
the iioor. The baggage master was forced
TO assist In this work
M When this part Of the task was accom-
: plishod the robbor ordered the prisoners
TO place over their respective heads canvas
sacks. which the robbcr fastened about
their waists. The robbor then took the
two sacks Of money aud yaluablcs, pulled
the bell rope, stopped the train, locked
the doors OF the car he had robbed, aud
disappeared into the darkness with over
SDO.OOO as the result OF ms bold work.
A passenger train ON the Southern Pa
cihc was stopped near Harwood, Tex, on
September -, 1883, 10y masked mon, who
compelled the engineer to uncouple from
the passenger coaches aud pull ont OF the
way. la the express car were United
States Marhnl John 4. Rankin, with Dep.
uly William Van Wiper aud Dcioctivc Jay
g. Kelly, OF the southern Pacific service.
Fifty shots wcm exchanged before the
robbers were put 10 flight.
lls. - 81 A
wCst-bound train on the Northern Pacific
was In the vicinity OF Junction City, about
sixty miles east OF Billings, tho engineer
noticed bright light ahead, and consc
qucnty slowed up Scarcely had the en-
CINE stopped before a masked man ap
pearcd ON the steps Of the engine. and III,
engineer aud fireman were forced 10 brow
up their hands
rAssENGuRs MECHANICALLY SEARCHED
The cxprss car WIS then broken open, ia,
messenger was compelled TO surrender. an,
two men held up the passengers, one o
them covering the male passengers will
his pistol, while the other systematically
searched every person on the train. Onl,
about VI 900 In cash WIS secured. On'
passenger had $1,000 on his person, bu
managed To hide II In lunch basket
Eight cowboys were engaged In this Job.
Tho sOulhb bound Missouri, Kansas
Texas express WIS robbed during the nigh
OF June IL. lSSs, at Ncrdigris bridge, Ind
T. The express messenger WIS taken b,
surprise, aud his car was cleared Of al
yaluahlcs, but only small amount O
cash was secured. Several shots wcr
fired at The smokingc car. and Que passcn
ger, Zen &. Tarycr, was Instantly killed
AZ Delhi, o., night Of June s. lSSS, trail
robbers attacked tue Cincinnati, Indian
apolf, s. Louis & Chicago train aud muir
dccd the baUngc.master. Joe Kclchum
Three robbCu Jumped upon tho cugin
and three Others broke into the haguae
and express car. shooting down the bag
gagc.master, who braycly tried 10 drlrn
The property inirustud 10 his caro-.
very small amount VI booty foil into ia
robbers hands
The north.bound mail and express o
thu ~. Louis, Arkansas x Texas Railwa
was robbed near kingsland. Ark, June
1855, when the train stopped for water, 9
l.o'clock ain. Three maskolmon boar,le
the Train aud easily got away with scycr.
thousand dollars In cash.
oNr ron ARIZONA.
Arizona Territory was the 6ccne OF
tain robbery on February -, lSSN AT,
the west bound train on the Southern l..
etc Railroad had lcil STEMS Pass static
ut $50 O'Clock that night, two make
men cropt over the water tank, coycrc
The engineer and fireman with niles. an
stopped tho train. Tho mail and oxprri
car aud engine were then uncouplcd iroi