The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1893-06-16
xSlL. VXxI. --NEW SERIES.
wound, leg injured and injured inter.
nslly.
Miller, j. A., District Columbia, both
leg, broken between knee and ankle.
THE WORK OF ROAD AGENTS.
They Rob an Express Car of $40, 900
in Cash and Other Valuables.


COLUMBIA, ILL.-Six masked m en- held
ap inc Now orleans express on the Mo
bilc & Ohio Railroad at Forest Lawn,
eight miles north of here at 8 O'Clock in
the night and robbed the express car Of
$40, 900 in cash aud valuibles worth a
large amount. Tho robbery did mot oc
cupy over twenty minutes time. A large
posse IL now In pursuit of the bandits
The express makes short stop at
Forest Lawn, aud when Il came TO 5 stop
two men innnnsd ..., ,.... -. auu
pointed revolvers at mo hesesfs Al
engineer and fireman, Told them not 10
attempt to start the train again. While
this was taking place four men appeared
at the side of the express car. oae placed
a short ladder against the car, then chop
p d hole in the door. 1t took but a
momoEt to do this, and before the aston
ished messeng, realized what was hap
pening, the door burst open and four
men were in the car. Messenger Bran
ford attempted resistanco but was silence
by blow with hatchet in tho hands of
the robber who had chopped hoe in
the door. The bandits lost no time in
ransacking the car. Bradford was only
partially stunned by the blow he had re-
ccived and his asssiants revived him aud
forced him to open the safe. Its con.
tents they placed in a sack, together with
what other valuables they secured. Bran
ford was then bound, gagged and cast in
to corner of the car. When the bandits
had completed their task in the express
car they jumped to the ground. The
conductor and several of the trainm VI
opened fire on them. They returned it
ith interest, though none of the bull,t Is,
so far as is known, took effect.
The bandits were armed with Winches
tcrs and revolvers and drove their assail-
ants into the cars al 1among the passen-
gers, who were rendered panic stricken
by the fusilade. The. volley of shots
heard were apparently fred for intimi-
d .tion and then the robbers took to their
heels. There was every chance for them
to escape as the place is lonely one
with swamps and underbrush on each
side Of the track fer-a distance Of two or
three miles. ----7-Ss'- : -.
There is no telegraph station at Forest
Lawn, rendering the summoning of aid
in that way an impossibility. The mem
bers of the crew arc positive the bandits
numbered six.
Messenger Branford states that every
thing of any value was taken from his
Car. The exact amount of money lie dc.
clincd to name. One OF the robbers who
entered the express car was addressed by
his pals as bob" and wore chin whis-
kcrs. One of his hands was bleeding
from injuries received on entering the
car. lie wore a fox colored suit and
weighed about 140 pounds. Another one
of the robbers who extended his atten-
tions to the brakeman and made him
obey his orders was about i've feet eight
inches tall, smooth face, age about %,
and weighed 145 pounds. Two who
waited on the engineer we're about 90 or
25 years of age, one measuring five feet
six inches, the other about six feet. No
other positive description could be OBJ
tAined of the Others except that they
wore black masks and dark suits.