The Delta independent., 1889-08-13
RAILWAY ROBBERS.
An Unsuccessful Attempt to Rob a
D. & r. 6. Express Car.
THE PASSENGERS PLUcKED.

A special TO the Denver NeUs gives
the following particulars Of a most auda-
cious train robbery which occurred Tues
dap night shortly nfter 10 o'clock, few
miles west Of Thompson Springs on the
Rio Grande, the train being the one known
as the "Modoc," reaching Salt Lake City
from Denver at 7:35 a. m. Four masked
men captured the train, and after failing to
| clean out tho express car made up for 1t
by going through tho cars and harvesting
about goo in money with twelve or fifteen
gold watches. Then they escaped unmo-
lcsted. The details are as follows As
the Modoc pulled out Of Thompson's
Springs four men, some think three, boarded
her. Two remained on the platform be-
tween the baggage car and smoker, while
two others clambered up over the top OF
the express car onto the tender. There
they speedily covered Engineer Thomas
Flavin and Fireman Bean with six shoot
ers and notified them that the train was
TO be stopped when ordered. This was
done at the third bridge out, about five
miles from Thompson. The fireman was
| then forced to take an axe while the en-
gineer was provided with a gunny sack,
and then The engine men covered with six
shooters We're marched on the engine and
around TO the express car.
| The doors OF the car are covered with
boiler iron three fourths OF the way up.
where there are the windows. The fireman
was ordered to chop through the iron door
while the two bandits stood Us guard and
the other two were by the smoker, also on
l = s,l f.l. la,
ognized, us they had pulled long cloth
masks down over their faces and were
roughly dressed like the ranchmen In that
section of the country.
Bean chopped and chopped, while the
four artists gathered by, and after calling
In vain on Messenger Frank Willis 10 open
the doors, started in with a lively fusilade
| from the rcyolvers. One passenger, j. Is.
Levy, Of Charleston. W. Va, thinks fully
| 100 shots were fired. The car was SCARED
| and riddlcd in. all directions. The windows
| were shattered and some of the shots went
clear through both sides OF the car, show
| ing the rcvovers must have been of the
heaviest calibre.
In tho meantime Willis lay crossed on
| the floor between two iron trunks with a
| magazine shotgun in his hands and two
self acting Colts reyolvcrs in his belt,
ready TO defend the company's property
| with his life, II necessary. There were
continuous calls for surrender between the
| ycllcys, but all the satisfaction the robbers
got was an invitation to do the opening
| themselves. Willis was afraid to shoot Mt
random through the sides of the car n, the
| tah for faar ~ hf Hrap
and had he shown himself al the windows
hc would have been shot down and for
an equally prudential reason the bandits
rcfraincd from showing their ungainly
chins al the door or windows.
When Fireman Bean had whackcd away
/ till the iron plate rcsembled a waffle mould
| and his axe wrecked, the robbers rccogniz.
Ing that delays are often dangerous gave
up with deep sigh the thought of loot!ng
the express car and concluded to take sat
isfacticn ou, Of tho innocent passengers.
Preparatory 10 robbine the train the ban
dts thought II advisable TO put the passcn
| gers In frame Of mind suitable for tho
performance of tho feat, so as n preface
/ they opened up fusilado through the
smoker. Ono bullet let the moons light
| boys knee, while other passengers had su-
pcrnntural escapes. The preparation was
| u brilliant pyrotcchnic success, aud after u
pious invitation To throw up their hands,
| one bandit with two enormous rcvolvcrs
preceded the engineer. and the collection
sack, wherein the passengers were ordered
to throw their valuablcs, The other robbers
| remained on guard at the end of the car,
,cilcd In their cloth masks and deep 81.
| lcncc. Fortunately the passengers had
ample notice OF what might be but as there
were very few rcvolycrs on the train or
| ganikcd resistance seemed useless and the
passengers hurricdly went TO hiding their
valuabcs in all sorts OF places. one man
put 500 in scut;lc OF coal. Tho bottoms
of sea, wcrc utilized TO the utmost, and n
bunch of 800 in bills was tucked in under
| tho washbowl In the sleeper. Large sums
of money wcrc showed beneath mattresses,
under carpets, into spittoons, behind cur.
tains, aud the Lord only knows where else,
Had tho robbers been experienced artists
they would have dropped on TO all this, but
they must have been cowboys, for their
dress and manners indicated this TO tho
passengers, and moreover the genius who
paradcd through the cars with two big six
shooters was so nervous that the passcn
gers were more afraid OF his fingers slip
ping, thereby shooting someone, than Of
auy deliberate intent to hurt anyone.
Tho thieves then put out for tho south on
foot and disappeared over the desert. They
had no horses rs anyone could sec. Women
passengers were not molestcd. There were
about 100 passengers on board. Word was
quickly got to Green River on reaching the
| nearest telegraph station. "A shcrin's posse
left bright and enrly in a special for tho
scene of tho robbery. Word was also sent
| on TO Salt Lake City and Detectives Franks
and Buss left on No. with Winchester
rifles, six. shooters and u big bloodhound
from tho pcnitontiary. Tho country down
there is full Of gulchcs, cliffs and gullics,
but tho hound will be upt TO make tracking
comparatively light work.