The herald., 1893-06-25
THEY TRIED SUFFOCATION
A New Plan Attempted by Ari-
zOna Train Robbers.
Two Recent Episodes on the Atlantic
and Pacific Road.
An Engineer who Left a Cond uctor and
Brakeman to Settle with Would
BE Imitators of Evans and
Bontag-FlagstaG Notes.
correspondenoe 70 the HrnA1p.l

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz., June %.
Business in the line OF outlawry has
been unusually brisk on the Atlantic
and Pacific railroad this week. On Mon
day morning, as train No. 2 WAS slowly
winding around the curves on Yampsi
hill, west of Williams, an attempt was
made to rifle the express car by suffo-
eating the messenger and breaking open
the door. Holes were bored in the end
of the car and some kind of powder was
injected, to which fire was applied in
some way, and an attempt was made to
smash the door, but the messenger
awoke, took in the situation, and pulled
the bell cord. The train came to stop
just at the instant the would be robbers
acquired full speed, and when the train
men came to investigate the matter the
miscreants had made good their escape
Yesterday No. was held up q few
miles east of Coolidge, N. M, by two
men who had boarded the train at some
station west of Coolidge, and chose q
lonely spot to pull the cord and con-
summate their design of plunder and
booty. The train slowed up in obedience
their signal, and as the brakeman
jumped off to find ont what was wrong
the bandits covered him with revolvers
and compelled him to ask the express
messenger to open the door. The ac-
comodating brakeman complied with
their wish, and the messenger opened
the door. He evidently considered that
his customers were not the kind OF peo-
pie with whom Wells, Fargo & G. do
busidess after regular hours, go closed
the door with alacrity, leaving the
brakeman to settle it with the robbers.
By this time the conductor had arrived
on the scene in that fine frenzy peculiar
only TO q frst-class railroad man,
and demanded an explanation OF the
delay. The engineer. evidently fearing
that the explanation might be long
one, thus throwing the train hopelessly
out of joint with the time card, opened
his engine wide and flew down the
track, leaving the brakeman and con-
ductor to entertain the hold ups. This
they did. They were compelled to give
over their money and valuablee, but
were not molested in any way, the rob-
bers taking to the woods as soon as they
had finished the robbery. A freight
train soon after came along and took the
discounted train men to the next eta
ton, where the train was waiting for
them. No clew to any OF the robbers
as yet.
M. j. Riordan, the popular secretary
of the Arizona Lumber and Timber COM
pany, has been the proud father of a
10 pound son since yesterday, and is
now wearing q burden of dignity that
weuld have made old man Atlas sick
with envy. Il is not now believed that
the lumber market will be materially
affected by the occurrence, though If
the baby had weighed another pound it
is hard to tell what might have hap
pened.
Travel to the Grand csfion is increas-
ing, and as usual tourists returning
from there cannot find language to ex.
press their appreciation OF its grandeur.
The road at this season ie superb, nature
wears her most seductive garb and
breathes an atmosphere laden with the
balm of pines and the perfume OF flow
eTH. Other securities sometimes become
shsky, but an Investment in trip to
the Grand canon is always quoted at
several hundred per cent above par.
It is reported on good authority that
a sale OF the large stock OF goods carried
by the Riordan Mercantile company to
Babbitt Bros. is on the tspis. In fact,
your reporter learns it from trusted
employe OF the latter firm that the sale
has been consummated, although the
stock has not yet formally been turned
over. The Riordan company carry a
stock OF about $50 900, 30 that the trans-
fer is one of more than ordinary megni-
tude The Rabhitta are CARVING now
something like $4,000 stock, so tnat
with the addition of the Riordan stock
they will be prepared to meet all orders
for some time to come.
Notwithstanding the dry weather the
ranges are looking very we'll and stock
is improving. Several large sales Of
cattle have lately been made, among
them being 100 head from the Lot Smith
estate, the purchasers being Kennedy &
Weaver OF Albuquerque.