The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1893-12-14
FIELD UP AND ROBBED.
SUNDAY NIGHTS INTERNATIONAL
NORTH BOUND s1DETRAGKED AND
LOOTED AT DUvAL
By Four Highwsymen, Masked and Armed
to the Testh-Male and Female Pas
sengers Alike Searched and Their
Property nfscated-Detailsd
Account Of the Affair.

little did the passengers who occu-
pied seats in the north bound Interna.
tional and Great Northern train
which pulled out of Austin at 11:90
Sunday night know of the
excitement the night had in
store for them. To many
it was probably the most intensely
exciting experience of their existence,
and one for which none of them long
for its repetition. After leaving Aus.
tin the passengers at once proceeded
to make themselves as comfortable as
possible, those in the sleeper disrobing
and crawling into their berths, while
those in the day coaches curled up in
the corners of the seats for brief nap.
No one had a thought of the train
being held up and had anyone sug-
gested it he would have been at once
laughed down.
Duval is smallsfag station about
10 miles north of Austin, right in the
midst of dense growth of timber.
The country Is rough and billy and a
more lonely and desolate spot it
would indeed be hard to find. AS the
train approached the station 1t was
running at the rate of about Is miles
an hour. The heavens were overcast
with thick clouds, but the engines
powerful headlight threw its reflection
along the track tor considerable dis.
lance. By means of that light En-
gineer Rutledge and Fireman Ingalls,
saw that the switch was open,
although the switchboard showed
CLOSED" The brakes were at
once applied and easily add
without jar the train took
the side track and came
to standstill. AS it did 30 the en-
gineer and fireman found themselves
looking into the cleaning barrels of
several 6-shooters, and when the
order to "climb down" was given
they quickly complied with it, where
four masked men. armed to the teeth,
were found by the side of the track.
They at once began firing perfect
fusilade along the side of the coaches,
many of them striking the windows
and greatly terrifying the passengers.
which was evidently the intention OF
the highwaymen.
Leaving the engineer and fireman
in charge of two OF the bandits, the
other two covered Express Messenger
Rathman, who had been drawn to his
door by the shooting. They entered
ami the leader of the gang, who was
addressed as captain by his com.
panions, scooped into his pockets all
the loose packages he could see, but
failed to get into the safe. From that
car, without molesting the mail car,
they went into the passenger coaches,
where their actions are best told in
the words of Mr.. Herman Heiden-
heimer. who was on the train and re-
turned last night, being met at the
depot by STATESMAN reporter.
He said that as soon as the shooting
began and the balls began
crashing into the sides of the
car, the passengers became great
ly alarmed and at once proceeded to
occupy as little space as possible OH
the floor. He had been sitting with
Nathan and Louis Davis of Taylor
and while they found room between
the seats, he stretched out full length
in the middle of the aisle. In that po-
sition they remained, he thought, for
nearly half an hour, when the door at
the front end of the car was opened
and two cleaning 6-shooters pushed
in. The order was given: Glands
up. YOU -, or you are dead
people.n Mr. Heidenheimer says all
hands went up. The leader of the
gang, his lace covered with q white
handkerchief with eyeholes cut in it,
was the first to enter. He had both
his coat pockets filled with express
packages, which he turned over to
his companion, a young looking TEL