Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va) 1886-1890, 1889-11-26
A TRAIN HELD U T..
An Express Messenger Forced to
Hand Over $4,000.

An Express messenger E0rccu 10
Hand Over $4,000.
OswEdo, Kansas, November 25.-A
train robbery of extraordinary bold
ness was accomplished in tile Choctaw
nation, Indian'Territory, last night.
The Missouri, Kansas and Texas ex-
press train, north bound for st Louis,
was held up on Pryor creek, near
Perry Station, and the express car
robbed of about $50, GOO. The robbers
displayed great GOODNESS, and went
about their work in such familiar
manner as to convince the train men
that they were old-time professionals.
The road agents were only two in
number. They had concealed them
selves in clump of bushes near the
water tank on Pryor creek, and when
the train stopped for water they
boarded the engine, one on either side,
and covering the astonished engineer
and tremen with their revolvers ex-
pltlined to them their design Of rob
bling the train. One of the robbers
climbed into the tender. and from
that point of vantage was master Of
the engine The men in the cab were
at his mercy and were compelled to
obey his commands. The other rob
Der 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 him
self of the messengers weapons, and
then through the window called to his
confederate on the tender: "All
right; let her co." The latter re-
peated the command to the engineer,
who had nothing to do but obey. He
opened the throttle and the engine
and express car sped away from the
train.
Meanwhile the robber in the ex
press car had not been idle. He COM
PEELED the messenger to open the
safe by threats of death and TO trans
fer the safes contents to large sack,
which the robber had brought along
to convey the booty in. The messen
ger again obeyed. The robber then
made a nasty examination Of the car,
to see that nothing valuable was
overlooked, and giving the signal to
his confederate, the latter ordered
the engineer to back up.
This done, the robbers disembarked
and made their escape in the dark
ness All this was done so quickly
that the engine had proceeded only "a
mile and half from Pryor Creek, and
the robbers had completed the rob-
berry and effected their escape before
the surprised train men knew what
had occurred. No attempt was made
to pursue the road agents and the en-
gineer ran ack to the creek and
picked up his train and pursued his
trip.
The train was a regular express,
which always carries large amount
OF express matter, and the robbers
could hardly have selected a better
one for robbery. 1t was reported at
first that the mail car had been
robbed and the passengers relieved of
their money and valuables, but when
the train reached here at d. III. that
report was found to bG untrue.
When the train arrived he re Express
Messenger Johnson had just COM
pleted footing up his losses. The
total figures were between S454Sia and
$50, 900 This loss must be borne by
the Pacific Express company, which
operates on the line of the N. X. & I.
An attempt to rob the Santa Fe train
was made at nearly the same point in
the territory the past week, but Off
GERS of the road somehow got wind OF
the plan and prevented its execution,
although they were unable to captures
the robbers.
1t is thought they are the same men
that committed the robbery last night,
although nothing definite is known as
to their identity. The train IS stop was
so short at this point that no descrip-
ton of the robbery could be
obtained. The train will not arrive at
st. Louis till late this afternoon.