The record-union., 1892-08-05
the track with them in the direction of

we're scalp wound, and possibly a fracture
OF one of his ribs. When the door was
blown open he was hurled against the
roof of the car by the force of the explo-
sion.
THE FIREMAN's STORY.
William Lewis, the fireman, had not
| recovered his self-possessiou when the
train arrived in Fresno, and it required
an effort on his part to tell connected
story.
1--WE were about six miles east of Col
u.s. he said, when the engineer, Al.
Phipps, and l saw two men crawling to-
ward us over the water tank. They were
| heavily armed. Each had revolver in
his belt and a shotgun hanging from
strap around him.
Hold up your engine, you - -
- cried one of them, and the other
one told us TO hold up our hands. Both
were pointing revolvers at us and we did
as we were told. After we were stopped
we were ordered to get off the cab, and
were told that we would not be harmed if
we did as they ordered US. The robbers
| then gave each of us cigar and told us
to smoke"
Ibid you smoker"
| You bet we did," answered the fire.
man. The engineer was then ordered to
put out the headlight and to go ahead
about quarter of mile and wait. He
dId so. They made me get under the
/ gang palm anu lIleh llT6u SeN6Tdl NOIIeyS,
In order, suppose, to keep anybody I'D
| the cars from venturing out. The rob-
! bers then LETT the engine and went to the
| express car. l didn't hear them ask the
messenger to open the door. So far as L
know, they began throwing bombs at the
car as soon as they got there, losing no
! Time IN parley. l saw only two robbers,
| though some say there was third. After
| opening the safe and taking the treasure,
they came down to the engine with it.
! Come out, you ---r' said one of
them, and l came out. They ordered me
to help them carry the money some dis
| tance down the track, and hit me on the
shoulder with the butt end of their guns
to emphasize it. [ had TO obey and car
| ried one OF the bags. There were three
or four in all; l don't know exactly how
many. After walking several hundred
yards they stopped, took the money from
! me and made off. Before leaving, how
ever, they placed a bomb on one of the
bars OF the left side Of the engine and eX
| ploded it by lighting the fuse with
| cigar. The bomb did considerable dam
age, and it took us nearly two hours to
| make repairs sufficient TO make it pos
| sible for us to proceed | can't give de-
| scription of the robbers, because their
faces were entirely hidden from view
with masks made from some light cloth.
| They wore dark clothes, and one had a
wide-brimmed hat and the other mar
row one. They were very determined,
and talked as if they meant business and
wonld stand no fooling. so we did as we
Were told"
THE STORY CoRRoBoRATED.
! Engineer Phipps' account of the stop
/ ping of the train was similar to- the fire
mans. tie did not see the robbing,
| being too far away from the cars.
Il saw the men crawling toward u.s."
| he said, land l Immediately knew what
was up. They ordered me to mold up the
engine and then our hands. told them
l had no money, but had a watch which
they could have, and hoped they would
not take our lives. They answered that
they did not want either my watch or my
/ money, but merely the money in the eX-
press car, and said that if we obeyed
orders they would do us no harm. They
then made me get off the engine, and
ordered me to put out the headlight,
which l did. They next directed me to
go ahead about a quarter of mile, and /
obeyed this order also. l saw the men
get on at Coils, but had no suspicion
that they were train robbers"
DID NOT SEE THE RoBBING.
Conductor Harbaugh did not see the
robbing except in his minds eye, but
that was thoroughly satisfactory to him.
He says the men got on the train at Coils
and stopped 1T when six miles out.
They first fired a volley or two from
their guns and the conductor stepped off
| the train and started to go ahead to see
what was the matter. He found out be-
fore he had gone many steps and wisely
sought the seclusion of the Pullman,
where he and the other trainmen re-
manned until the danger was past
Newton Brown, a Deputy Sheriff of San
Bernardino, was on the train. When the
train stopped and the firing occurred he
! is reported to have jumped off the car clad
only in his pajamas. He started to so
ahead, carrying revolver in his hand,
| but turned back on being fired upon. He
concluded that discretion was the better
part of valor, especially since there was
none on the train who seemed inclined to
assist him in making a sortie.
Several persons say that the robbers.
after robbing the train, left the place on
horseback. A rancher, who was on the
train, stated that he saw four horses sad
died not far from the track.
| One OF the Pullman porters, who was
hid IN a safe place on top Of the car got
a good view of the ground outside the
angle of the car. He saw the robbers.
after they had got the express treasure,
go to where number of horses were
standing. He could not tell how many
there were, it being too dark. One of the
men had lamp. They did not mount
| Immediately, but walked some distance,
after which the light disappeared and
nothing more could be seen of them.
| 1t is not definitely known how many
there were, but it is not believed there
were more than three.
Most OF those who came in contact with
! the-Fobbers say there were only two.
As soon as the news reached Fresno
! Sheriff Hensley was notified, and he and
posse started in pursuit, but the robbers
have such start that it is thought they
are well ont of the way. Wells Fargo d
| Co.'s messenger claims that the amount
OF money taken will not exceed Sl0,0
MESSENGER ROBERTS STATEMENT.
| FRESNO, Aug. 4.-George D. Roberts.
| Wells-F argo's Express messenger, in an
| interview tonight, made statement in
regard TO the train robbery last night.
| He said:
Il was sitting on a high stool at my
| desk registering waybills, when / heard
| the report OF pistol or gun coming from
the direction OF the engine. l immedi-
ately turned the lights out, picked up a
45-caliber revolver and double barreled
shotgun, and lay down on the floor ready
to take shot at any one who might APP
pear at the door. Then there was
a deafening report and a violent
Jared the car like ship thrown upon
| the rocks. Almost jSamediatelJ after
ward second bomb S&asthrownfh
the doorway. The coneussio on lifted me
off the floor and hurled ME xith great
violence against the sidesofthe car, and
1 fell in a heap in one corner, With my
right shoulder dislocated and nv whole
body benumbed.
1.-THE robbers followed this up with
several other bombs and broke open the
other door in the same way. All this
time l was waiting to get chance to get
shot at the robbers. The fifth bomb
set the inside of the car on fire, and it
irht in xx-hi 10 II