The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-11-26
A BIG HAUL ON A TRAIN.
TWO ROBBERS GET AWAY WITH
$4,000 OR $4,000.

The Engine Boarded at a. Water Tank
and the Men on it Covered With
Revolvers - The Express Car Then
Detached From the Rest of the
Train and Run Ahead.
OswEGo, KAN, Nov. 25.-A train rob
berry of extraordinary bolduess was accom-
plished in the Choctaw Nation, /. T.. last
night A Missouri, Kansas and Texas
express train, noTth-bound for St
Louis. was held up at Pryor creek, near
Perry station, and the express car robbed
OF about $4,000. The robbers displayed
great coolness, and went about their work
In such familiar manner as to convince
the train men that they were old time pro-
fessionals. The road agents were only two
in number. They had concealed them
selves In clump of bushes near a water
tank on Pryor creek, and when the train
stopped for water they boarded the engine,
and, covering the astounded engineer and
fireman with their revolvers explained to
them their design of robbing the train.
MASTERS OF THE SITUATION.
One of the robbers climbed into the tender,
and from there was MASTER of the engine
The men in the cab were at his mercy, and
were compelled to obey his commands. The
other robber in the meantime had gone back
to the express car and had uncoupled it
from the rest of the train. Entering the
car he intimidated the express messenger by
presenting brace of revolvers at his head
and ordering him to disarm himself The
messenger obeyed, and the robber possessed
blmself OF the messengers weapons and
then, through the window, called to his CON
federate in the tender, "All right, let her
go" The latter repeated the command TO
the engineer, who had nothing to do but
obey. He opened the throttle and the en-
gine and express car sped away from the
train.
BAGGING THE LOST.
Meanwhile the robber in the express car
had not been idle. He compelled the mes
senger to open the safe by threat of death,
and to transfer the safes contents to large
gunny sack which the robber had brought
The messenger again obeyed. Tho robber
then made a hasty examination of the car,
to see that nothing valuable was overlooked,
and, giving signal TO his confederate, the
latter ordered the engineer to slack up.
This done, the robbers disembarked and
made their escape in the darkness. All this
was done so quickly that the engine had
Pryor creek when the robbers had COM
pleted the robbery and effected their escape
before the surprised train men knew what
had occurred.
NO ATTEMPT TO PURSUE.
No attempt was made to pursue the rob
bers, and the engineer ran back to the creek
picked up his train and pursued his trip.
The train was regular express, which al
ways carries large amount of express
matter, and the robbers could hardly have
selected a better one for tho robbery. 1t
was reported at first that the mail car had
been robbed and the passengers relieved OF
their money, but when the train reached
here at 2 o'clock this morning, that report
was found to be untrue. When the train
arrived here Express Messenger johnson
had Just completed footing up his losses.
The loss was $45, 900 to $4,000.
The total figures were between $45, 900
and $4,000. This loss must be borne by
the Pacific Express Company, which oper-
ates on the line of the Missouri, Kansas and
Texas. An attempt to rob Santa Fe
train was made at nearly the same point
last week, but the officers Of the road some-
how got wind of the plan and prevented its
execution, although they were unable to
capture the robbers. 1t is thought they
are the same men that committed the rob-
berry last night.
THE EXPRESS MEssENGER's STORY.
ST. LOUIS, Mo-, Nov. 25.-A special to
the Post Dispatch from Sedalia, Mo, gives
an interview with Oscar johnson, the ex-
press messenger whose car was held up and
robbed at Prior creek, twenty-five miles
south of Vincinta, /. r., last night His
story is as follows: When the train stopped
at the water tank, near that station, gang
of men of not less than five boarded
the train. Two of them took pos
session of the engine. while another
cut the mail, baggage and express cars Off
from the engine. A shot alarmed johnson,
who was secreting valuable packages BY
the time the highwaymen were ready to
enter his car, he had all but about 1000
stored away in various parts of the car AT
the point of pistol johnson opened the
company's safe, and the robbers secured
the $1,000 found therein. They then
opened his train box, and seeing
small amount of money asked whose 1t
was "rhat's part OF my salary" replied
johnson. The robbers left IL, telling him
they were not robbing trainmen. johnson
told them that was all the money, and they
left the car. johnson, accompanied by the
express company officials, left for st. Louis
this afternoon. The former is practically
under arrest.