Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1893-07-06
A BRAVE CONDUCTOR.

Lively Skirmish With Train Robbers ON .
Texas Railroad-They Are Beaten on and
One Pursued and Captured by the Con-
ductor.
SAN ANTONIO, Tex, June 29-The
boldest attempt at train robbery that
ever occurred in Texas, or the whole
country, occurred yesterday afternoon
about o'clock near the little village Of
Breckenridge, in Wilson county, thirty
miles south of this city. The train
held up was the San Antonio & Aran-
sas Pass passenger No. 4, leaving here
at lao p. m The affair resulted in the
killing of f. A. Martin, the fireman,
and the capture of one of the robbers,
who gives his name as j. D. May. a
cowboy.
The train was in charge of a con-
ductor. Ed Steele, Engineer Mike Tier
ney and Fireman Martin. all of San
Antonio. 1t consisted of three day
coaches, an express car and combina-
ton baggage and mail car. At Brock
| enridge the train stopped to take water,
| and as she pulled out three men board
ed the blind baggage, but were so
guarded that they were not seen by
| the train crew. The engineer pulled
out at speed of about fifteen miles an
| hour, and had just entered a sharp
curve few hundred yards from the
| tank, when robber climbed upon the
| tender, and, with forty-five caliber
| pistol in each hand, threw the guns
down upon the engineer and fireman
Throw up your hands, - you, {"
said the robber to the men, This re-
mark was the first intimation that they
had of being held up. Tierney threw
| up his hands, but Martin made move
ment as though he was about to secure
| a pistol from box under his seat The
robber then began pouring lead into
Martin and emptied one six-shooter
into his body, keeping Tierney covered
all the time with the other pistol.
Martin fell dead and his body rolled
out of the cab of the engine on to the
track, where it was run over by the
| wheels and mutilated.
The other two train robbers, when
they saw the dead body fall out of the
cab, jumped from their positions on
the baggage car to the car platform
and made for the brush. There were
but twelve passengers on the train and
each was armed with a six-shooter.
When they heard the firing they rushed
upon the platforms and as the two rob
bers rushed into the brush a volley was
fired after them
The robber May, who killed the fire
man, seeing that he had been deserted,
made a last desperate effort at captur-
ing the train single-handed- He
jumped into the cab and ordered En-
gineer Tierney to run the train across
Indian river bridge. The engineer, in
stead of complying, put on the air
brakes and the train came to stand
still The robber then grasped the
throttle and threw her wide open, but
the train would not make any head
way, and with a parting shot at the
engineer the robber jumped from the
engine and started up the track on a
run.
| Conductor Steele rushed up TO the en-.
CINE with six shooters in his hands; he
jumped into the cab and cutting loose
from the train, started with Messenger
Butler and Engineer Tierney in pursuit
of the train robber. The throttle was
pulled wide open and the light engine
1eaped along the track, gaining every
moment on the robber, who would turn
and fire at his pursuers as he ran
Finding that he could not reach the
bridge over the river where his Win
chester and three pals awaited him,
| Cne rOODSr IeIt tIe Ildch DIS Iac engine
was almost upon him The engine was
brought to standstin and Conductor
Steele started after the robber single
handed. He chased him into the
brush, firing as he went.
Y The three robbers at the bridge with
Winchesters then commenced firing al
the conductor, and their volleys were
returned by the engineer and mes
senger. Conductor Steele overhauled
the robber he was after in the brush
and disarmed him of two pistols The
robbers at the bridge then disappeared
leaving their Winchesters behind.
FAVORED BY THE PRESIDENT