Connecticut western news., 1894-10-18
TWO BIG H0LDUPS.
TRAIN ROBBERS IN VIRGINIA AND
 CALIFORNIA MAKE RICH HAuLS.

Seven Masked Men Stopped a Train B' und
 For Now York Near Qusntico. Va, and Got Away With a Large Amount of Cash. | California Bandits c vt s50.oo0 In Gold. RICHMOND, Got. l6.-The north bound passenger train on the Richmond, Freder- icksburg and Potomac railroad was held up near Quantioo. The engineer and fire man were forced from their engine, and the engine was cut loose and sent ahead. | The express car was entered, the messen- ger covered with pistols, and the safe was opened and robbed. The runaway loco motive was stopped at Quantico by ob- structing the track.
 It is stated here that there was an un- usually large amount of money on the train, probably $50, 900. The robbers, | seven in number, were masked. They | forced the messenge to open the box. The railroad company has offered sl, 900 re- ward for the arrest of any of the robbers. The express messenger, B. K. Crutch- field, and his helper, +. s. Murray, barred | the doors of the express car. but these were blown open with dynamite. After the robbery the thieves made of | with their booty in the direction of the | Potomac river where, 1t Is supposed, they had a boat in waiting to take them to the | Maryland side. Nonc of the robbers en- tered the passenger coaches.
 The Wild Locomotive Wrecked. The operator at Brooks, six miles from | Quantico, discovered that the engine was wild" as 1t passed his station and tele. grapbed to Quantico. where a switch was | thrown SO that 1t was brought into colli- sion with two loaded freight cars and wrecked. Had the locomotive been per
  collided with the south bound passenger train. A dispatch from Washington says: The | train which was held up was the through | special No. 7s from Jacksonville for New York. Only few passengers stopped of when the train reached this oity, the re- mainder going north.
 The following facts In regard to the | holdup were obtained from the baggage | master of the train:
 It is customary for all trains to stop at Aquie Creek, several miles below Quan- tico for water. The train was 200 or 800 yards this side of the crock when the en- | gineer got signal to stop.
 The porter went forward to see what | had caused the signal and was confronted by tho robbers, who, 1t was learned, had given the signal. There were seven or k stopped they walked back toward the train and commenced to fire their weapons, at the same time warning everybody to keep Il Inside the cars 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 more daring ones threw open the windows to learn the cause of the fir ing. But upon seeing tho masked mon they became aware that the train had been held up by desperate men and quickly sought cover.
 | The robbers by their bold course thus intimidated the passengers and train | crew and thereupon quickly clnmbered upon the express car. They found the door tightly barred and were unable to force an entrance by persuasion or threats. | Their time was precious, and they were we'll fixed to do their work rapidly. The robbers were supplied with dynamite, and by its use the door of tho express car was shattered and an entrance gained.
 The messenger was in the car at tho time, and they told him they would blow him up If he did not open the door of the safe.
 Got s15o,oo0 Perhaps.
 The messenger appreciated that be was in the hands of desperate men, and after | Us ODeyeu tnelF anu opened the safe. The men got every cent of money that was In the car. No one knows just how much the safe contained, but one of the employees said he thought | it would probably amount to $i5o, 000. The safes are brought from various places Il along the road, and frequently three or four are taken aboard at Richmond
 After footing the car of all the money the robbers uncoupled the engine from | the train and ran 1t several miles up the road into a coal shute, where 1t was wreck engine could be sent to bring 1t on to | Quantico. The train remained at the scene of the robbery for fully two hours 1 and half and reached here at l:i9 this morning. Later 1t proceeded to New York. The door of the express car showed evi dence of the dynamite, and all the glass panes in 1t were shattered It was, how ever, allowed to proceed to New York, and the congressman, Crutohfield, who was In charge, accompanied 1t
 The robbers escaped with their booty, and up to this hour they have not been apprehended In fact, the police depart ment of this city at ? a. m had not been notified of the holdup. It is thought that the men escaped across the Potomac river to the Maryland side of the river.
 WASHINGTON, Oct l5.-Not the shadow of tangible olew to the identity of the men who accomplished tho remarkable feat of train briaandage in Virginia Fri day night has yet come to light |