The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1893-09-26
TRAIN ROBBERS CAUGHT.

1t 10 announced at noon to-day tha
Mrs. Bishop will recover.
TRAIN ROBBERS CAUGHT.
Three Railroad Men Badly Wounded
The Tables Turned on the Robber,
and One of Them Fatally Shot.
CENTRALIA, ILL.,, September 21.-
The New Orleans limited train on the
Illinois Central Railroad was held VI
shortly after IL o'clock last night Just
outside the city, and in the battle
which followed between the robbers
and the train hands, one of the robbers
was mortally wounded and three OF
the crew badly hurt. The thieves got
nothing in the way of booty, and all
the grown inhabitants of this place
are on the hunt for the two daring
thieves who got away. Those who
were hurt in the shooting incident to
the attack were Engineer Young, Con-
ductor Odum, Fireman Mcdowell, and
one robber.
The train held up left Chicago YES
terday and reached this city at 11:5O
o'clock p. m. Its stop was very short,
but in that time three men, heavily
armed and carrying tools which later
came into play. boarded the front end
of the express car. The lights of Cen
ed from view when the robbers were
on the engine with pistols presented
and the usual demand to "hold up your
hands !"
Both engineer and fireman Disregard
ed the order and showed fight and
were laid out with two shots in each.
One OF the masked robbers sprang over
the forms of the bleeding men and
stopped the train. In tue coaches, the
passengers were all asleep, oblivious
OF the plight Of the train. When the
train had been stopped one of the
robbers ran back to the coaches and
revolver in hand stood guard over
Baggage Master Armstrong and Brake
man Stacey. Two other thieves climbed
to the top OF the express car in which
were the messenger of the American
Express Company and Conductor
Odum. They were just beginning to
get curious as to the stopping of the
train when they heard a furious pound
ing on the express car door. "Open
the door or we will blow you up" they
shot from a revolver. This was fol-
lowed by another and another. The
men outside the car also took part in
the fusilade.
The attack then took new turn.
The men in the car had emptied their
revolvers and were reloading them.
In this lull the robbers tried novel
plan for which they had prepared.
They had grappling hooks. These
they fastened on the top of the express
car and with ropes lowered themselves
to the top of the door. This was done
to avoid being target for the bullets
that soon commenced to pour through
the side of the coach from the inside.
The railroad men were aiming low,
while serenely above them the two
robbers were welding a heavy sledge.
The door did not stand the assault and
soon an opening large enough for the
robbers to enter showed itself
Through this they leaped and with re-
volvers in hand faced the conductor and
messenger, both similarly equipped.
Then followed battle royal. The
messenger and conductor were plucky
ing, fired at the robbers as fast as they
could shoot. The thieves fired, too,
but they were at disadvantage.
During the shooting the conductor
received slight wound in the hand.
Neither side seemed to be able to con-
quer, when help came to the railroad
employees. The shooting had aroused
The passengers and they, terrified and
just waking up, had been busily con-
| Ceallng tnelr ValuaDloS.
On the train deadheading his way
was p. j. Sanders, a brakeman on the
road. He came to the rescue of the
messenger and conductor armed with
a shotgun. He attacked the robbers
from the rear and, though in turn at
tackled by the third robber, he managed
to shoot one of those in the express
car through the body The others,
seeing their companion fall bleeding,
took to their heels and got away
through the fields.
One of the train hands hurried back
to Centralia with the news of the rob-
berry, and the town was aroused. In
half an hour posses of men were beat
ing the country near the place where
the train was held up in hunt for the
fugitives.
The wounded robber, who gave his
name as George Jones, was carried to
the station. On his person were found
passes under the name of Daniel Jones
and travelling card from Chicago
Order of Railway Trainmen, issued
August 24th, also switchman's
card issued by the Santa Fe
route at Kansas City. He gave the
names of the other two robbers as
Martin Nicols and j. Hardin. Nichols
and Hardin were captured this fore
|
the hold-up. A fourth man, whose
name Is not yet known to the railroad
officials was caught about 6 o'clock this
morning at Odin, q town about ter
miles forth of here.
Jones says he was from Kansas City
Mo. He admitted he was the MAJ
who shot the engineer and fireman
He said that he and Charles O'Dwyer
who was raised in this city with
Nichols and Hardin, had planned anC
put into execution the hold up. They
held their meetings at the home o
O'Dwyer's mother, in the eastern par
of Centralia. O'Dwyer was in jail il
st. Louis less than q year ago on some
; criminal charge and has q hard reputa
tion.
Engineer Young's condition is criti
cal and there is no hope of his recovery
This afternoon O'Dwyer was arrested
at his mothers home. The railroad
officials believe that the robbery wa.
planned by railroad men.
| - Sss---
National banks that increased
their circulation during the recen
financial stringency are now beginning
to retire the circulation taken out dur
u ing that period in excess of their nor
NAL condition. From May 1 to tn,
present time national banks took ou