St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-02-25
Tramps Tell the Story of the
Holding Up Of a Train on
the Southern Pacific.
The Desperadoes Shoot One
Passenger Dead and Nor
tally Wound Another.
Express Messenger Kelly Says
the Safe Had Less Than
$500 in 1t.
The Robbers Had Dark Masks
and Flour Sacks for Their
Plundep.

TULARE. CAL, Feb. A.-On the re-
ceipt of intelligence last night of
train robbery at Pixley, special car
was at once ordered to carry officers to
the scene of the robbery. and in a short
time about ten officers were on the
ground where the tragedy had taken
plaza, A pool of fresh blood was
found several yards from the track,
where one of the unfortunate passen-
gers had been shot down. There were
indications that horses had recently
been hitched to one of the telegraph
poles near by. Two tramps were found,
who told the following story: We
were waiting for the train, to ride out
to PiXley, and noticed two more men,
who we're said to De waiting for
the train. We went up and commenced
talking to them. They acted in very
peculiar manner. 1t was so dark that
we could not tell exactly how they
looked, but think both were g0Od-sized
men. Both wore Overcoats and white
shirts. One had his clothes strongly
perfumed. Both had shOtguns, or what
appeared to us to be ShOtgunS. They
asked us where was good place to get
on the train. We told them. and asked
them where they were going. They
said to Delano to shoot jack rabbits. We
asked them what was the matter with
shooting jackrabbits at PiXley. One OF
them said he had ranch at Delano.
Just then the train came along and the
men jumped on the front part of the en-
gine." One of the tramps continued:
Something seemed to warn me that all
was not right. As the train passed
THIRD MAN JEMPED
ont from, cnIOpWhprQ and hna rdpd one 0f
the passenger cars. | felt uneasy and
walked over to the depot and told some
one what had happened. / was only
laughed at, but it was not long till we
heard what had happened.' The tramp
who was riding on the platform of the
baggage car, said: ''Tne train COM
menced to slow up when we got short
distance beyond Pixley. When it had
nearly stopped discovered there was :,
trouble of some kind and jumped off. /
When they commenced shooting Iran
and jumped wire fence and luy down
in the field nearby.- lheard someone
say, My God, l am killed." when the
shooting occurred, and then / heard an
explosion of some kind. When the
robbers had gone l Slipped out and
got among the passengers One
of the men shot had his side
train backed up to Pixley, when one of
the passengers claimed he saw man
fall ata distance from the track. The.
train went back and we searched for
the man. We soon found him. He had
evidently been instantly killed. The
shot entered near the temple. He had
a ticket in his hat for POso. From the
people of Pixley and other sources it
was learned that when the train was
stopped, as soon ds the express messen-
ger found out what was the trouble, lie
barred the doors Of the car, but the
robbers threw a bomb under it and
gave him such shaking up that he was
glad to open the doors.
THE DEPUTY MARSHAL TALKS.
United States Deputy Marshal
Thomas Hayes states that the men
hung about Pixley several hours before
the train arrived. They were armed
with shOt-gunS, and gave out that they
were going out rabbit hunting. Tho
station agent noticed them closely, for
well-dressed, and his clothing was
highly scented with perfumery.
The waiter who waited on them also
noticed the perfumery and overheard
the men indulging in some very myS-
teriOus conversation. Hayes is of the
opinion that the robbers will be cap
tured before they reach the mountains.
Il was sitting in the smoking cOmpart-
ment i'm the front end of the forward
sleeper" said Mr.. Kinny, one Of the
passengers, "and when the train
came to stop [ looked out and saw
we were not at any station. The
thought occurred to me that the train
was being robbed, and minute later,
when l heard the discharge of guns, l
knew it. went back into the car and
got out my revolver. A brakeman also
got revolver from passenger, and we
were about to sally out of the front end
of the car when rOm Hayes and Gabert
was shot down, and then Bentley was
shot and came running back,
and groaning with pain. /
said to the brakeman that they had the
drop on us, and the most sensible thing
we could do was to get back into the
car. We went back. The ladies were
aWfully frightened. We got them into
the central compartment and pulled
down the window blinds. Some were
for
PUTTING OUT THE LIGHTS,
but we persuaded them it would not DO
best. The train was stopped at 7:45,
and it was just forty-two minutes after
that when we heard the engine bell
rung, and the train was started back to-
ward Pixley. Conductor Sim0nton was
pucky, but could do nothing. At first
he and some of the men started forward
to throw rocks at the robbers, thinking
they were merely tramps. but
when the shooting commenced they
had to retreat or be killed.
The trainmen were not armed then.
Simonton and Tom Hayes took back up
the track on foot. trying to reach Pixley
and summon assistance. AS the train
backed up it caught up with them and
took them aboard. After giving the
alarm at Pixley and telegraphing to
Bentley's father at Modesto. the train
pulled forward again, and, stopping at
the scene at the robbery, Gabert's
body was taken from ditch,
where it lay, and placed aboard the
train. Kelly, messenger for Wells,
Fargo & Co., says there was something
less than $500 in the safe at the time of
the robbery. The amount was small,
owing to the money order system now
in use. He opened the door and let the
robbers in only because the latter
to kill the engineer and
fireman, whom they also forced to
beg the messenger to open the
loOr. Kelly says there were only two
robbers, but Baggagemaster Lehn says
here were five at least. They wore
lark masks and had flour sacks to carry
,ff the pIunder. Kelly says the robbers
we're undoubtedly n0vices. Detective
Smith. of the Southern Pacific, left here
asst evening for Pixley. The description
If the robbers has been obtained and he
thinks they will soon be caught.