The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1891-05-27
IN TRUE WESTERN STYLE.
Clerk HlnckIey's Story of the Attack
on the Train.

on the Train.
BANGOR, May 26.-Much excitement has
prevailed in Bangor today over an attempt
made last night in true Western style to
'hold up" the Pullman train from this city
to St.John, probably for the purposes of rob-
berry. although that cannot be fully ascer-
tanned. The facts of the attempt were an
nounced here at late hour last night by a
despatch, but they were not generally known
until this morning.
The train leaves Bangor at 7.40 o'clock
and usually carries much valuable baggage
and registered mail matter for st. John, Hal
flax aud the whole lower Provinces. Last
night it was In charge of Conductor Robert
H. Elms, with Chester Spear as engineer.
About 80 when the train was In the woods
above Enfield the fireman saw mans head
appear above the tender. The fellow had his
hand on the bell rope and at that instant the
gong in the engine sounded, and it was, of
course, 0beyed by the engineer. Immediate
ly the engineer and fireman knew that there
was trouble, for the shots commenced whiz-
zing around their heads and the air seemed
full of them.
The man whom the fireman had first seen
stood with rifle in his hands, shouting
"Give il to them boys" and his orders were
being obeyed to the letter. Two of them at
tackled the mail car, in which were Clerks
o. e. w. Hinckley and Fred S. Woodbury..
Clerk Hinckley was seen by a Commercial
reporter this morning and said that they
dropped upon the floor of the car when the
fusilade commenced, while the shots came
flying through the locked doors of the car,
narrowly escaping them. The moment. there
came lull In the firing Clerk Woodbury.
reached for the bell rope and signalled for
the train to start. The engineer was ready
and he gave the locomotive full head. The
men were evidently frightened and jumped
from the train and ran.
Not more than half an hour later the sta
ti0n agent at Enfield was surprised at his
Office and his signal lights were all shot to
pieces by the same desperadoes. he es-
capped by taking the next train and left the
station to take care of itself.
There is no clue to the men that is very
definite. Yesterday afternoon ore colored
and two white men were seen In the vicinity
of Enfield station, one of them having a
short rifle. They were we'll dressed Int
strangers in that locality. One of them. nm.
so long in the afternoon that he was finally
ordered away by the station master.
AT the time OF the attack on the train II
was inky dark and the men could onlv he
seen when the flash of their rifles iliumin.
that there were four of the desper%aaoass % sa.H az
least, and their description in the case of
one corresponds with that given bv the
station agent. W '"o
The railroad ipeople are much troub,ed
| about the affair. They have had stma of ~
| forty five calibre slugs taken from the u han ono
gage car and will save the car until the case
can be worked up. 1t is believed bv neorIy
every one that the object was robbery 0a and
that the attacking party had sought first to
XII the engineer ha OF the train SO that every
and surprised by the sudden moyement of
the train the attempt had to be abandoned