The record-union., 1893-12-25
Special to the REcoRD-US1oN.

Special to the RECORD-U MON.
Los ANGELES, Dec. 24.-It was reported
this morning that passenger train No. 20
was held up by masked men one mile
east of Roscoe about 1890 o'clock. The
first report said the baggage-car was
broken into. while the second report says
the robbers confined their work to the
express-car. There is little information at
hand in regard to the affair. In fact, there
is but little to get, aside from the fact that
the train was stopped by two men, who
covered the trainmen with revolvers and
blew open the door of the express car
with dynamite, and after the robbers had
gone through the express-car the train
was allowed to proceed after detention
of about twenty-five minutes.
Detective Will Smith of the Southern
Pacific, who started out about o'clock
with a posse, returned about noon. He
says the work was that of green hands,
who went out from this city and returned
Immediately after the robbery. He thinks
they are local men, and this evening the
officers are working on q clew which
promises to lead to their capture. One of
the men went out early in the evening
with horses and the other followed on the
train.
At Roscoe the first man built a fire by
the track and as the train approached
poured oil on the flames as signal to his
confederate, who was on top of a freight
car Just behind the tender, The latter
clambered down over the tender and
covering the engineer with his revolver
ordered him to stop the train, which he
did, when the other man appeared at the
cab and the "hOld up" was proceeded
With.s
Another story is that the robbers went
out on the train as passengers. having
purchased tickets to Burbank, where
they lett the train ostensib1y, but made
their way forward in the darkness and
again boarded the train forward, when
they made their way to the engine over
the tender.
The Southern Pacific has announced
reward of 81, 600 for information leading
to the arrest of the robbers, in addition
to the regular Wells-Fargo reward. The
following is a description of the men;
One man was abou five feet nine inches
in hight, weight about 175 pounds. He
wore dark-colOred cape overcoat, a
white hat and light mustache The other
was about the same hight and weighed
100 pounds. No one was hurt and no
damage was done beyond the breaking of
the express car.
w. W. Weller, one of the postal clerks
who went up on the train, returned to
the city yesterday, and was seen late this
evening by Times reporter. Mr.. Weller
did not venture out of his car for observa-
ton while the robbers had control, but
from what he heard and felt he was able
to give the following account of the oc-
Currence:
''Our train left Burbank on time Satur-
day evening, and nothing unusual was
noticed until the little station of Roscoe
was neared. All at once we heard sew
eral shots fired, and few moments later
the cars were brought to a standstill. We
all kept very quiet, and said nothing, and
in few minutes one of the robbers came
along and poked his head in at the door,
saying, you had better be still, if you
want to keep out of trouble He was
marching the fireman and engineer along
in front Of him. each OF the latter having
his hands up. Just as the man stepped
away he exploded bomb in front of our
door, by way of warning, l suppose.
"At Roscoe there is a blind or half
siding-that is, switch with one end
closed by sand bank and a heavy tie.
After first stopping the train the high
waymen made the engineer run the train
onto this siding, the switch having been
previously opened and left in readiness.
Then they went directly to the express
car door, and without any preliminaries
or without asking Messenger Potts to
open it, placed a bomb under the front
door OF the right side, and blew it open.
Whether they got anything or not do
not know, but the engineer told me after
ward that they did not go away with
empty pockets.
From the moment the train stopped
until the men were off they kept firing off
their guns at random, at least twenty or
thirty shots being fired. 1t was their in
tention to ditch the train by running it
off the end of the blind switch before
leaving, in order to gain time, but the
engineer told them If they would agree
not to do this, he and the fireman would
go down the track for 8 short distance
when they got ready to go and not re-
turn to the train until a signal was given.
This arrangement was consented to, and
after the robbers had gone short whil Q
shot was heard, the sound coming fro IN
some distance. The trainmen then re-
turned to their posts"
TRAIN ROBBERY IN INDIAN. TERRITORY.
PARSONS (Kans.), Dec. 24.-One of the
boldest train robberies ever attempted
occurred about o'clock last night at
Seminole, l. T., on the Kansas and Ar
kansas division of the Missouri Pacific.
The train was bound for Little Rock, and
as it approached, the engineer saw the
danger signal and slowed up. Two or
three men boarded the engine and COM
PEELED the engineer and fireman to jump
out of the cab. Half dozen other men
armed with Winchesters and revolvers
were at the side of the track. The balance
OF the train crew, who came forward to
ascertain the cause of the stoppage, were
corralled and placed in charge OF guard.
The mail car was then attacked and the
pouches ritied of their contents and the
letters in the pigeonholes gone through
and their valuable contents extracted.
The express car was next looted Of all
valuable matter, the messenger being
powerless to offer resistance. Then all
the passengers in the coaches were
stripped of their valuables by eight
heavily armed desperadoes. Every pas
senger gave up without struggle, glad
to escape with their whole skin, and no
violence was offered. Big booty was Sc
cured, but no estimate of the loss can be
given. A posse was organized as soon as
possible and deputies are out on the trail
of the robbers. 1t is probable fight will
ensue if the gang is overtaken.
CHINESE SNIUGGLERS.
Three of the Defendants Found Guilty