The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-03-24
STORY OF AN EYE WITNESS.
Thrilling Description of the Recent Train
Robbery ut Huntington, w. Vn.

Thrilling Description of the Recent Train
Robbery mt Huntington, w. vn.
a concise story was told TIMES re-
porter by w. p. Redd, travelling man,
who was an eye witness OF the train
robbery at Huntington, West Va, which
resulted fatally to one OF the passengers,
and ended in q life sentence for the ban
dts who were the perpetrators OF the
successful attempt. Mr.. Redd's state
mont is as follows:
"As near as I can remember. the at
tempted robbery took place on the night
of December 12, 1899. The night was
in keeping with the deed, dark, driz.
ely and uncomfortable one. had been
on business in the West and was to
leave Huntington that evening by the
vestibule train for Charleston, West
Virginia, some sixty miles distant.
Gas went into the depot my atten.
tion was attracted to man with long
hair, accompanied by two companions
l should not have noticed the party had
1t not been for the man whose hair hung
down over his shoulders. I purchased
my ticket and boarded the train, going
into the ladies' car, where there was
only one seat vacant, which was at the
front of the car. After placing nv
satchel in the seat went into the rear,
which thought was sleeper but found
that 1t was the dining car, so started
back to the ladies' car In crossing the
platform l passed the three people
had seen in the station. / went forward
to my seat, which had hardly reached
when the porter in the rear Of the car
cried for help.
~ supposed at the moment 1t was
ri lynr h,,k
man rushed by me and stationed him
self in the front of the car and covered
with his pistols Oscar Dicks, o German
who was sitting on the other side of
the car, and myself. The ruffian at the
same time cried out, Hands up and you
won't be hurt, gentlemen Dicks, who
was sitting opposite his fiaoce, with
the quickness of panther sprung upon
the robber and pinioned his arms. 1
leaped from my seat to reach him from
behind. when the German with terrific
strength crushed the miscreant to the
| floor.
"Several pistol shots had been fired
ut the other end of the car, whom the
bandits, who had been kept busy, then
rushed through the crowd, seeing his
long haired friend in danger, and COM
ing close to Dick who had pinioned
Dicks threw up his hands and fell
senseless. The freed robber jumped 60
his feet and pulling the bell cord
| dashed from the car.
'In moment all was excitement.
His confederate dashed towards the
other end of the car md after struggle,
in which Peter Drake, of Cincinnati,
was slightly wounded twice in the leg,
made his escape into the darkne ss.
The long haired robber when he jumped
from the train was met by the ticket
collector who had secured revolver in
the express car and a fusilade began. The
robber SUNK away, but not until he
had received wound in the arm and
had left his wig and overcoat upon the
scene of battle.
"In the meantime the wounded man
was placed upon seat and was being
taken care Of by the sympathetic pas.
sengers. The affair took place Just
outside OF Huntington and Conductor
berkeley, Notwithstanding tho objec.
lions OF the passengers, proceeded tc
Charleston, where the wounded man
was Immediately taken to the Hotel
Ruffner, where upon examination it
was found that the ball had passed into
the head from below the cheek bone
and had lodged in the back of the skull
The bravo fellow passed away about
two hours after, never regaining con.
seriousness. His fance, Anna Ichler
was Frustrated with grief.
IAN investigation proved that Dicks
had Sl17-mostly in gold, and two tickets
to New York upon him. 1t was his in.
tention to marry Miss Ichler and return
with her to Germany. The young lady
was sent to her uncle in Cincinnati
Dicks remains were also shipped to
that city. The long-haired robber wa.
found to be Tom Collins, desperate
who lived on the outskirts of Hunting.
ton, while his companion, Burrell Forgy
lived over the river in Ohio.
collins was discovered by the de
tectives comparing the hole in the cos;
he had cast away and the wound in hi.
arm, and upon being pressed no made a
full confession, duplicating Forgy. The
two bandits arc now serving life sen
tence in the penitentiary. Forgy would
have been hung, but he escaped with 8
life sentence on q technicality. The
third robber. who evidently directed the
operations, has never been captured"
REALLY DEAD THIS TIME