Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1892-08-05

The Statements Of the Engineer
and Fireman.


FRESNO, Aug. 5.--Among the pas
sengers was $. w. Hollis. represent
ing G. III. Perkins a. Co., of Newark,
N. j. He made the following state.
mept: We left Coils on time, and
after We had gone about seven mile Z
the brakeman came through the
train and announced the next sta
tion was Fresno. I stepped out on
platform and heard a bomb explode.
I did not pay particular attention to
It at the time, as thought it a rail-
road signal torpedo. and this belief
was confirmed when the train slow
ed down and came to halt. /
went back to my seat and heard the
reports Of guns or pistols"
Engineer AL Philips, on being in
ierviewed by correspondent, said !:
IL had just slowed down into Coils,
for it is our custom, IL nothing is
wanted, 10 keep going, thereby saw
lug AS much time as possible. On
going In, however, / noticed trunk
on the platform and then | made up
my mind that / had to stop. / did
40, and after waiting the usual time
for the signal to pull out / began
rowing impatient. Having looked
mack several times, was In the act
ot turning my bead again when j
thought saw the tail of mans
coat fioalirg in the breeze on the
lender. | told William Lewis that
a tramp had cTawled ON the tender,
and was just turning to tell him to
put the tlamp off, when the first
kUew Diedium-sized man with a
red calico mask showed a shotgun
under my hose and ordered us to
throw up our hands. L immediate
~ knew what was up and obeyed,
Tor no one on the engine had q
weapon Of any kind. You get out
of here quick were the first worde
of the robber. In the meantime,
however, the second robber had got
inside the cab and was standing
close by, heavily armed. He also
had red mask. l did as com.
manded, aud had just started the
train when the spokesman told me
TO stop ut the first switch out oi
Coils, adding that Il knew d. d
well' W here il was. / told him ]
would, and then short time after
ward the rnbbers cody drew cigars
from their pockets, lighted them,
and began to smoke. On slowing
down for the switch at Rolinda the
men told me that and the fireman
must accompany them TO the ex-
press messeDg car, as that was
what they were after, and that
leither of us would be harmed. /
old them that was not afraid of I
hem, but of the express messenger,
whom / knew was well prepared
or resistance, ,and that surely some of
IS would be killed. we will fix
him. he said, and then told me
might remain, but that he would {
AXE the fireman aloug. By this
line the train was nearly stopped,
nd as the men stepped out l shot I
Trough tile front gate window and :
1as soon lost To view ia the dark :
ess. L had hardly made my exit
hen three shots were fired, follow +
! few seconds later by an explo. >,
on of bombs. What took place !,
len / could not well discern, for r
thought myself lucky to escape ),
ie numerous shots"
Fireman Lewis was next inter.
ewed. "The first thing l knew" = :.
} began, twas when one of the a
bbers stepped into the coach and a.
'ked guns into our faces. After
aching Rolinda one of the robbers :,
dered me to follow HIM. We :,
epped out on one side and the =,
her went out on the other side. \,
; | stepped on the ground 1 was 30
d to get down on my knees, and h,
nile crouched next to the engine.
der the step, the robber placed
rifle on my shoulder and began
fire back towards the cars. L b
nix he fired three times. We III
sn got up and went around the Is
gine to the opposite side, where u ht
nb was placed on the eccentric le,
1 exploded. This had the effect to
blowing off the rod and necessar- fel
stopping the engine, even If we jul
,u Id have desired to move on. rel
,m the engine was forced back ex
lhe express car, aud then the gu
ng of guns aud explosion of lef
nhs began. l could not tell for to
noise who did the shooting, but ms
iost instantly the front doors =,
o torn into shreds. The express ~
sssnger put his hands out of the
nt,n hat x,.h.t H. a | mo