The record-union., 1893-06-26
BRIGHTON STATION ROBBED.
A Midnight Visit From a Masked
Intruder.
He Offered No Violence to the Agent
Nor Her Mother-Simply w anted
Railroad Money.

Brighton junction has come to the front
with another sensation, one somewhat in
line with that which a few months age
gave that spot notoriety all over the
country. This time, however, there was
no building burned, no one murdered
and no charred body found. Otherwise
there was the groundwork for very SEN
sational affair.
IL seems that young woman named
Luna b. Clarke was appointed as
railroad agent there after the mys-
terious death of Clara Olga Ayers.
The terrible circumstances connected
with the latter's fate evidently had
no terror for Miss Clarke, who is a
cool, self-possessed young woman, and
she did not hesitate to accept the position
of agent.
In lieu of station building the railroad
company placed a car on a side-track
there and fitted it up comfortably for
Miss Clarke, who took her invalid
mother there to live with her.
They got along nicely enough until
shortly before l o'clock on Saturday
morning, when the ladies were aroused
from their slumber by the appearance oi
masked man i'll the car. One of the
doors had been left open as the night was
rather warm. The occupants OF the car
had no fear of being disturbed, and went
TO sleep without fear of intrusion.
When Miss Clarke was awak ened by
the burglar she sprang from her bed and
pluckily demanded to know what he
was doing there and what was his pur-
pose.
The burglar displayed a pistol to in
timidaue Miss Clarke, and then told her
lie wanted whatever money she mad on
hand.
By this time Mrs. Clarke had arisen,
and recalling the awful occurrence of a
lew months ago she stood trembling with
fear. Miss Clarke begged the intruder
not to harm her mother and he replied,
with the air of a Claude Duval or Black
Bart, that he had no intention of intiict-
ing personal injury on either of the
ladies-that all he was after was any
money belonging TO the railroad COM
pany that she might have in her possess
sion.
Miss Clarke told him there was but a
small sum there that did not belong to
her. and that she preferred he would tax Q
what she had of her own than that of the
company.
The burglar was persistent, however,
and commanded her to produce the keys
of the desk. These were finally found on
the desk, and laying down his pistol
within easy reach the man opened the
drawer am helped himself to all there
was in it, 81 40, part of which was rail-
road money and part being funds Of the
telegraph company.
After politely informing Miss Clarke
that she might proceed to notify the rail-
road officials by telegraph of his visit, the
robber left the car, proceeding in the
direction of this city.
Miss Clarke at once accompanied her
mother to the house of the nearest neigh
Dor, and promptly returned to the car,
escorted by the head of the family. She
then notified the railroad officials OF what
had occurred.
1t happened that Detective Len Harris
was in the city, and he and Railroad Otfi-
Ger True fastened to the scene and spent
several hours in searching the locality for
the robber, but without success.
Harris and Officer Talbot returned to
Brighton later in the day and made an
other search for the man, after visiting all
the deadialls in the city and vicinity.
The robber wore a brown duck or can
vas coat and overalls of similar material
The description given of him tallies with
that OF an ex-convict who was in the citv
last week, and the officers believe they
will be able to land him in a short time.
Miss Clarke says that If she had had a
pistol she would certainly have attempted
to kill the fellow, but she also feels that it
was better as it was, for if she did not
kill him at the first fire he might have
murdered herself and her mother.
Notwithstanding her pluck and cool
ness during the trying ordeal, Miss
Clarke says she has had enough expert
ence In that line, and hereafter she will
pass her nights at the house of a neighbor.