The evening world. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1887-1931, 1894-10-13


pursued the engine on foot as fast as
they could run for six or seven miles.
When they reached Quantico. station
they found that the desperadoes had
turned the engine loose; that 1t was run
ming wild, and that through the clever
ness OF the. operator, 1t had been side
vent collision with a south-bound
train.
way ady ana Tate ehey eea s1e Tbeg
had boat In readiness near Quantico
station, and we all thought that they
succeeded In getting across to the
Maryland shore with their plumber.
Secured S15O,OOO.
II was told that they overlooked one
pouch in the car in their hurry. | don't
know just how much they got away
with, but some of the trainmen Thought
II must amount TO at least Sl50,OoO or
possibly $200,OOO. The express messengers
did the best they, could to prevent the
the dynamite and the revolvers OF the
gang were enough to make any man
weaken. They threatened to- Kill the
messengers on the spot IL they refused
to open the safe.
"The messengers refused to. yield to
their demands until the captain of the
gang said; IN give you just thirty sec,
in. I don't blame them for that. IL the
railroad people had had a lot OF Win
chester rifles hanging up along the side
done something to help them out. AS it
was 1t would have been foolnardy to at
tempt to, resist the demands of the train
robbers"
The Adams Express Company itself
is not informed as to the amount OF
money secured by the robbers. Presi-
dent l.. C. Weir said this morning that
could not Judge yet OF the amount of
money lost. II was probable that all
packages received south of the point OF
robbery were gone, and 1t will take some
time to ascertain the loss.
Pinkertcn detectives have been sent
from New York, Philadelphia and Wash
ingt9n to gather clues. Express m ta en-
general offices here this morning left
with the Pinkerton detectives from New
York, to help them In their work, MI
train was the through, special. No, e.
from Jacksonville for New York. Only
a few passengers stopped off when the
train this c the saorY
the hold-up was obtained from one OF
the trains crew.
at is customary for all trains to
stop at Aqua Creek, several miles be-
low Quantico, for water. The train was
two or three hundred yards north Of the |
creek at 9.26 tonight when the engineer
forward 10 see what had caused the sig
nal, and was confronted by the robbers;
There were seven or eight of them, and |
as soon as the engine stopped they
walked back towards the train and COM |
menced to fire their weapons. at the |
same time warning everybody to keep
inside the cars.
Passengers Terrorized.
, "a number of shots were fired, but by |
the greatest chance no one was hurt, for |
by this time the passengers had become |
excited by the fusillade, and some OF the |
a.. ~
dows to learn the cause OF. the alarm.
Upon seeing the masked robbers, how
ever, they became aware that the train |
had been held up by desperate men and
THE robbers by their bold course thus
intmidated the passengers ana tram
crew, and thereupon quickly clambered |
door tightly barred, and were unable |
to force an entrance by persuasion or
threats. Their, time was precious, and
repidly. The robbers were supplied with
dynamite, and by Its USE the door OF
the express car was shattered and an
entrance gained
The messenger was told that he would
be blown up II he did not open the door
of the safe. He appreciated that he was
demurrlng. he obeyed their demands and
opened the safe The men got every |
cent OF money that was in the car. No |
one knows just how much the safes con-
thought it would probably amount to
$l5O.00o.
1.-The safes are brought from various
places along the road, and frequently
three or four are taken aboard at Rich |
mond. After looting the car of all the |
money, the robbers uncoupled the engine |
from the train and ran 1t several miles
up the road into coal chute. where 1t
was wrecked.
The train was left standing until an
engine could be sent to bring it on to
~ inn Mt hn n
the. robbery for fully two hours and a
half. and reached here at l.ls A. NJ"
1t is thought that the men escaped
land side of the river
Details of the hold-up add to Its daring
character, and also tend TO show that
several of the ro6ber gang were men OF
Seven men composed the gang. and their
demand for the waybill when the ex-
press messenger declared that one safe
was empty, and remark they made to
the fireman, cautioning him about di
connecting the air-brake tubes when he
uncoupled the engine on their demand,
show that some members OF the gang
had been railroad hands at some time or
other.
Besides. after the engine was uncoupled
them until near Wide Water station,
short distance from the scene or the
hold-up, where they abandoned II, ana
sent II ahead running wild. Express
Messenger Crutchield thinks the booty
secured was $l50,O0O or more. He gave
this account of the robbery:
but one robber entered the car. He
was OF heavy build and dressed like
farmer, although he seemed to thor
oughly understand the express business.
He had a red handkerchief over the
lower part of his face. When the train
was stopped | opened the door OF my
car. The robber shot at me, and 1
lodged back and closed the door, He
called 'Open that door / didn't do II.
"'Open that door or I'll blow the whole
car TO pieces with dynamite he yelled.
Then he threw stick of dynamite. 1t
struck the door and shattered II and the
casing. The force knocked me on my
Il then opened the door. One rob-
Der came in and made me open the
safe He took everything. There was
one package which he must have
thought contained only papers. for he
threw II into the box. 1t contained
ST. OO0 Then he said: open that other
safe.
:" That is simply a deadhead safe
The - It is he roared. Show me
your waybill for it
II started to get the bill and he
said Keep your hands up. Show me
the paper. I'll get it
HE looked at the bill. and was sat-
isfled that the second safe contained
nothing. The man was very cool all
the time. We had seven or eight