Asheville daily citizen. [volume] (Asheville, N.C.) 1890-1900, 1894-10-13
TRAIN ROBBERS GIT S|N,OOO
TIE EMPRESS CAR BLOWN Up
WITH DYN ANTE.

The Railroad Men Know Nothing %
the Robbery. But There Was n News
| paper Man Present as Usual-Severn
safes Rified of Their Contents.
New YORK, Oct. ia train which
was held up last night on the Richmond
Fredericksburg and Potomac railroad
reached the Pennsylvania station at Ter
sey City at sos this morning bringing
with it badly shattered express car
The Adams Express companys messen
gers proceeded at once to the head
quarters in New York city. They re-
ported that all Of their safes had been
ritled BY the robbers. 1t is ST. lposed that
the bandits obtained between $4,000
and 100000.
When the express car was side tracked
the passengers and passers by and train.
men gathered around to examine a spec.
tacle unique in the history of raiIroading
in this section. 1t was found that the
heavy oak doors had been spinted by
sticks of dynamite thrown into the car
by the robbers. In addition to this the
marks of revolver bullets were plainly
visible. Every pane Of glass in the win
dows of the car had been shattered BY
the force OF the explosion.
The train men were, as usual reticent
about discussing the affair." but Colonel
J. Shackeltotd, a newspaper man who
happened to be on board the train at the
time, discussed the incident freely and
gave an accoult OF the manner in which
the robbers secured their plunder and
made their escape Mr.. Shackeliord is
now connected with the Times Enter
prise of Thomasyillc. Ga. He told the
following story:
about seven or eight miles the other
side OF Quantico station, the train came
to sudden standstill [Quantico is loca-
ted on The Potomac river on tue Vir-
gina sldel. When the train stopped,
the conductor, Nj. A. Birdsong, was
thus addressed by one uf the masked
robbers, evidently the captain OF the
gang: Throw up your hands or we'll
blow your brains out
Prom the manner in which they ar
ranged the signal for stopping the train
as well as the manner in which they
afterwards made their escape, it was
evident that several of the gang were
Experienced railroad men. That they
were desperate men was even more evi.
dent, and the conductor and fireman lost
no time in obeying their instructions,
and wisely too, guess. There were at
least six or seven masked men. and |
could plainly distinguish them all in the
clear moonlight OF the early evening. In
tact, so near did they come to me that in
spite of their masks, am almost sure
that could reco ynize some of them, it |
could see them again, from certF in little
pecuiarities of dress or speech"
"When he alarmed passengers
crowded out of the cars to see what was
the matter, the robbers fired perfect
tusilade OF shots to intimdate
them as well as to trighten tie
railroad men. The robbers rihed
the express car without loss OF time.
They put their sticks Of dynamite under
the door of the express car and blew it
open. The men boarded the car at White
Brook station, a few miles the other side
of Quantco station. Then, while the
tram was in motion, they worked their
way along the top of the car until they
succeeded in boarding the engine and
cab. Then they held up the engineer and
fireman."
The robbers cut the engine loose and
piled their plumber into the locomotive
cab, while the crowd piled in on top of
it. Then they turned on steam and
started for Quantico as fast as steam
could carry them. The conductor pur-
sued the engine on foot as fast as he
could run :or six or seven miles. When
he reached Quantico station he found
he desrerators had turned the engine
loose, and that by cleverncss of an oper
ator it had been sidctrackcd and ditched
Just in time to prevent a collision with
the south bound train.
RICHMOND. Va, Oct. 13-rhrcc police
men lett today for the scene of the train
robbery near Quantico. Twenty thous-
and dollars was the amount of money
sent from this city by the train. Gov
ernor O'Ferra!l has offered $1,000 re-
ward and telegraphed the governor of
Maryland asking his cooperation.