The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-10-14
OUANTICO'S TRAIN ROBBERY.
The Amount Secured by the Bandits
Estimated as High as S25O,OOO.

it Will Not Reach $4,000 - The
Trainmen Unarmed and Absolutely at
the Mercy of the Robbers - An Eye
Witness of the Robbery Gives an In
teresting Account of How it Was Ac-
complished.
Washington, Oct. 13.-Astonishment is
the feeling uppermost hereabouts CON
cerning last nights train robbery within
twenty-five miles of the city. The de-
tails are as follows:
The train "held up" was the north
bound express train on the Richmond.
Fredericksburg and Potomac railroad,
leaving Richmond, Va, at o'clock last
night. The train left Fredericksburg at
S:5s o'clock on time. The robbery oc-
Cured near Acquia creek, between
Brooks station and Wide Water, an ex-
ceedngly wild part of the country, en-
tirely suited for the purpose. 1t is not
known at what point the robbers boarded
the train, and the first intimation any
body had that trouble was brewing was
when two men jumped from the ten
der down into the cab, and levelling re-
volvers at the astonished engineer and
fireman, ordered them to stop the train.
The engineer hesitated for an instant, but
train or be killed he closed the throttle,
and the train. which had been running at
about forty miles an hour, slowed up,
and finally came to a stop. The fireman
and engineer were compelled to leave the
engine and sit quietly on the bank along
side the track.
Then the bandits, who were seven in
number and all disguised by masks or by
handerchiefs tied over the lower part of
their faces. made for the Adams express
car. which was in charge of Messenger ].
S. Crutchfield. One robber entered the
car. As described by Crutchheld he was
of heavy build and dressed like a farmer,
although he seemed to thoroughly under
stand the express business. He had a
red handkerchief over the lower part of
his face. When the train was stopped,
says Crutchfed, Il opened the door of my
car. The robber fired a shot at me. I
lodged back and closed the door. He
called, Open that door, 1 did not do it,
Open that door, or I'll blow the whole
car to pieces with dynamite
Then he threw a stick of dynamite. 1t
struck the door and shattered it and the
casing. The force knocked me off my
feet. 1 then opened the door. One robber
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 it into the box
10 1t contained 5000. Then he said Open
that other SAFE That is simply a dead
head safe 1 explained.
" The hi 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 pa
per, I'll get it,
He looked at the bill and was satisfied
that the second safe contained nothing,
which was true.
The man was very cool all the time.
We had seven or eight through express
pouches, each containing packages of
money; how much. I can't guess. The
man cut a small slit in each pouch and
took every package"
Crutchfield thinks there may have been
$4,000 in the packages. The robbery oc-
cupied about twenty minutes. The night
was dark, and the place selected deep
cut. The engineer and fireman sat on the
bank on one side of the train during the
whole robbery and were not ten feet from
two or three of the robbers as they fired
shots into the air.. The man who entered
the car seemed to he the leader, al
though man on the outside, with a
nigh key voice, had a good deal to say
about things This man was tall, and
ran about good deal He drove Charley,
the porter, who rushed ahead at first,
thinking that tramps were shooting, back
him,
The train crew, the postal clerks and
all OF the messengers were thoroughly
coWed, the terrific dynamite explosion
having caused them to fear they would
De blown to pieces at any moment
Conductor Birdsong, who is one of the
Oldest conductors on the road alone Of
those in the rear showed fight. He passed
through the train asking each passenger
whether he had a revolver, and finally
succeeded in finding a small revolver
Armed with this, he stationed himself
at the head of the ladies car, caution
ing the passengers to keep their seats
and remain quiet. He cody asserted he
would kill the first person who set foot
on the platform. All the passengers hid
thelr valuables, and many of them
dropped down in the aisle and between
the seats
There were seven postal clerks in the
car ahead of the express car. The postal
car was full of windows and the clerks
were badly frightened. They had no arms.
ne postal car had many sacks Of regis
tered mail, but no effort was made TO
touch them.
When the robbery had been completed
the tall man, who had fired the first shot
INTO the express car, gave the word .'go
hhead with the engine. The bandits com
PEELED the engine crew TO uncouple the 10
comotlve jumped aboard and made good
their escape in the direction of the Po-
tomae river, where it is supposed they had
boat In waiting to take them to Mary
land.
left
the engine before it passed Wide Water.
ana the telegraph operator at that sta
ton comprehending that something was
wrong, telegraphed ahead to Quantico to
LOOKOUT for wild engine. A switch was
thrown just outside of Quantico and
when the engine arrived It was thrown
over on switch, crashed into a number
OF empty freight cars, ana In a moment
more a huge pile Of debris marked the
SPOT where the collision occurred. The en-
CINE was thrown on its side and Is a cont-
pIete wreck. The freight cars were re-
ouced to kindllng wood. The long Atlanta
special was standing on the main track
AT Quantico, and narrowly escaped being
struck by the runaway engine. A brake
man had just thrown the switch as tho
wild engine dashed into the yards and out
the side tracks into the freight cars An
engine was sent from Quantico 90 bring
IN the delayed train, and it arrived In
Washington with It's frightened and de-
morahzed passengers AZ 1:i7 a. m, a lit
tle over two hours behind schedule time.