The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1892-04-07
Birmingham's Bandittl.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala, March 3l.-The
Georgia Pacific passenger train, which
left here at ll30 last night for Atlanta,
was held up at Ween's Station, ten miles
out of Birmingham. A young white man
boarded the engine and ut the point Of
Winchester compelled the engineer to
bring the train to standstill. Another
masked man boarded the mail car, broke
down tho door, shot onco to bring the
agent to terms and went through tho let
ters, taking all registered packages. He
then coolly left. Outside the rest Of the
gang fired off guns to keep the passengers
quiet, and not soul made movement
except the rear flagman, who was shot at
! for his trouble.
The entire Job consumed eight minutes.
The scene was at Striking Creek, which
is crossed by high trestle. The men who
did the work got on this side of the tres
tie and brought the train up with the rear
coach on the trcstle. The gang outside
were under the embankment. The eX-
tont of the loss is not known. Dogs were
procured and the chase began. The
packages, which bad been torn open,
were found three hundred yards off, near
a place whero the men had evidently
been camping.
The chase Of the train robbers has been
temporarily suspended, though search is
being made for their trail. The robbery
was northeast of this city. The mules
were taken from lot at Irondale, six
miles out, last night. This morning the
mules were found in the woods mile or
two from here, indicating that the robbers
had first fled toward Birmingham, and it
is believed they are in this city.
There is no doubt about its being the
49,, ri II
vile and Nashville train five miles out
on Sunday night, and with whom the
officers had fight on Monday night at
Boylo's Gap. The robbers got eighty-tive
packages Of registered mail and threw
away one package which had no money
in it.
The detailed story Of the train robbery
at Weem's Station last night shows it to
have been one of the best planned and
mcst successful in the history Of those
enterprises. There seems to have been
three men engaged in it. About half a
mile beyond the station is little trestle
high above roaring creek with steep
bank on the north side and gulch below.
Before the train had gotten up speed one
man got up on the step of the engine cab
and Just as it started across the trestle he
stepped into the cab and called stop.
He was strictly obeyed, and the train
stopped ON the trestle itself. Robher No.
2got on the mail car platform and called
for the door to be opened. Mail Agent R.
P. Hughes was slow about obeying and
the door was promptly broken in.
through his clothing made him quiet.
There were two sacks with registered
packages, one made up to go through to
New York and the other for Atlanta. The
robbers got the fol- mer, containing forty
eight packages. The other contained
thirty-seven packages and was not mo-
lested.
When the robbers got off, Engineer
Spirks again obeyed orders and pulled
out, leaving. .Flagman Adams behind the
trestle where he had gotten off only to
hear bullets whistle by him from the
gulch below.
It was after 1 o'clock before the news
reached Birmingham and after before
special engine bearing Detective Barnes
and his dogs, with policemen and repor-
tors, reached the scene. In few minutes
the dogs had the trail, which led straight
the only registered package yet found
addressed to Num- s. Co., Scientific
American, Broadway, New York, and
was No. 1873. 1t was mailed at Carbon
Hill, Ala, March 20, and contained some
drawings or patterns, but no money. A
few yards further the dogs halted at a
burning camp fire, which tho robbers
had left not two hours before. Tracks
showed that three men were in the party.
This point was mile or more north of
the railroad, and from the camp the trail
turned almost due west and was followed
over the hills ana hollows and across
Sinking Creek almost parallel with the
railroad back to Irondale, a suburb five
miles west Of Birmingham.
Here the dogs promptly went to the lot
of citizen named Montgomery and
came to halt BY this time it WAS
o'clock and people were astir. Tho pur-
during the night two mules belonging to
S. II. Smith had been stolen from his lot.
About o'clock the mules were found tied
| in the bushes close to the street railroad
which leads to Birmingham.
In the fight between the officers and
| robbers at Boyle's Gap on Monday night
it is known that two Of the three robbers
were mounted on mules, and they rode
| off in the direction Of 1rondale. On Sun
| day night two men were seen in the Biz
lningham suburbs riding mules, and
caused suspicion at the time by their gen.
eral appearance and conduct. Indications
| are that the men who stole the mules at
| Jrondale are tho same who figured on
horseback on Sunday and Monday nights.
| The perfect familiarity Of the robbers
| with the rough country northeast of Bir-
| mingham, and their selection OF mules to
| climb the mountains indicates that they
| are local characters or have been here
studying the situation for some time. The
amount of money stolen is not known.
The United States Postal Department has
| aMa.ad tl,a ,,rI,nI re cp,nrd Of nna thnrSand d