Mexico weekly ledger., 1894-10-18
BANDITS NEAR WASHINGTON.
Seven Masked Men Hold Up a Train
And Secure Over S150.0O0
without Any Great Trouble.

the through special from Jackson
vile forNewYork on the Richmond,
fredericksburg Potomac railroad
was near Aqua creek, several miles
below Q~uantico, Va, not far from
Mount Vernon, and only two hours
ride from here, at 1926 O'Clock last
night, the engineer was signaled to
stop. The porter went forward to
see what had caused the signal and
,aas confronted by seven masked
men. AS soon as the engine stop
ped they walked back towards the
train and began to fire their weap-
ons, at the same time warning every
body to keep inside the cars. A
number of shots were fired bat no
one was hurt, though by this time
the passengers had become excited
by the fusillade and some of the
more daring ones threw open the
windows to learn the cause of the
firing.
The robbers then went to the ex-
press car. They found the doors
! tightly barred by Messenger e. F.
Critchfield. and his helper, II. Muir
ray, and were unable to force an en-.
trance by persuasion Or threats.
They were supplied with dynamite
and by its use the door Of the ex-
press car was shattered and an en-
trance gained. Messenger Crutch
field was told that they would blow
him up if he did not open the doors
to the safes.
II MEN NO GREEN HANDS.
After demurring for Il time the
messenger obeyed and opened the
safes. The men got every cent Of
money that was in the ar. Their
demand for the way bill, when the
express messenger declared that Che
safe was empty, and a remark that
they made to the fireman, caution
ing him about disconnecting the
air-brake tubes when he uncoupleG
the engine on their demand, show
that some members of the gang had
been railroad hands at some time OIL
other. Besides, after the engine was
uncoupled it was boarded by the
robbers and run by them until neal
Whitewater station, a short distance
from the site of the hold-up, where
they abandoned it and sent it ahead
running wild. 1t ran until a Goa.
chute was reached, where it was
wrecked. The train was left stand
ing until an engine was brought or
from Quantico.
The train remained at the scene
of the robbery fully two and a hal
hours, and arrived here at 1:19 a.
H., and later proceeded to New
York. The door of the express cal
showed evidence of the dynamite.
1t was, however, allowed to proceed
to New York, and the express,
man, Crutchfeld, who was in charge,
accompanied it.
The robbers made off with theil
booty in the direction of the Poto.
mac river, where, it is supposed,
they had a boat in waiting to take
them to the Maryland side. None
of the robbers entered the passen-
ger coaches.
THE EXPRESS MESSENGERS STORY.
Express Messenger Crutchfield
thinks the booty secured was $780,
600 or nor He gave this account
of the robbery: "But Que robber en-
tered the car. 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 opened the door
of my car. The robber fired and
shot at me. l fired back and clos
ed the door. He called, open the
door, | did not do it. Open
that door or I'll blow the whole car
to pieces with dynamite he called.
Then he threw a stick of dynamite.
1t struck the door and shattered it
and the casing. The force knocked
me off my feet. then opened the
door. One robber came in and
made Inc open the safe. He took
everything. There was one pack
age which he must have thought
contained only papers, for he threw
it into the box. 1t contained &c.
900. Then he said, open that
other safe. THAT is simply a dead
head safe,' | said. THE - it is
he roared. SHOW me your way-bill
for it, l 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 satisfied that the
second safe contained nothing,
which was through. The man was
very cool all the time. He had
seven or eight through express
pouches, each containing packages
of money; how much l can't guess.
The mon cut a small slit in each
pouch and took every package"
We knock the prices on. UNDER
wear at the present low tariff
prices. Joe & Vic Barth.
Hon. Champ Clark.
From the jefferson City Tribune.
Congressman Champ Clark has