The free press. (Poplarville, Miss.) 1890-19??, 1894-12-06
~ ho ~, the trains has much to


do with it. The engineers, conductors
| and brakemen on the New York Cen
trail railroad are among the most intel
/ ligent people in this country NO Tram
robbers living could get the best OF
| them. At the same time 1T is necessary
to cooperate with their intelligence, SO
to speak, by adopting all reasonable
precautions. and that we do. 1t is in
| the west. where wild districts have to
be traversed, that the dangerous rob
Der is encountered.
How is it to be dealt with?"
"By making train robbery as dan
gerous as leaping from precipice.
Armed men should be on every train
that runs through threatening re-
gion. and the first intimation of dam
ger should be the signal for deadly
yolley. Public sentiment is always
back of anyone who defends property,
and few hot arguments from Win
chester will send train robbers where
thew can do very little further mis-
chief. Another desirable thing is the
adoption of campaign methods by the
government similar to those now en-
ployed in ferreting out counterfeiters
We have in this country the best de-
tective skill in the world. The records
of the police departments show this
Before very long the train robbing gen
try could be run to the earth precisely
as the moonshiners and showers of the
queer are so clcverly hunted down.
Train robbing is practically a new
phenomenon, for although we have had
robbers of this class among us since
trains first began to travel, they have
not operated so daringly and systemati-
callv as at present Int determined
effort, accompanied by thorough study
of so perfect system as that of the
New York Central railroad, will soon
rid us of the evil"
"IVhat of mechanical contrivances
and the various patent devices for out
whiting the robbers?"
"They are very we'll in their way,
but no mechanical continuance can
ever be an effective substitute for
human ingenuity. The time will soon
come when these robberies will be
things of the past. always assuming
that the public mind is properly
aroused to a perception of the evil.
There is no telling where this matter
may stop, if not adequately dealt
with now and nipped in the bud, as it
were"
And the great Depew turned to his
piled up desk and went chcerily about
his business.
1t is noteworthy in this connection,
that the pay trains of the great rail-
roads, which at times are heavily
freighted with money and go from sta
ton to station at stated and well
known intervals are rarely attacked
There have been some exciting cpl
sodes, however, when the cars have
beer. attacked, but not often have the
would-be robbers made away with the
precious freight they were after. The
Pennsylvania railroad has taken the
most elaborate precautions against
any attempt at hold up, and he must
be bold robbcr indeed who would
make an attempt of the sort. Not long
ago one robber was killed in the Key
stone state and several others were
sent to prison for long terms.
The difficulty with the roads in the
far west is that they are as rule TOO
poor, or affect to be, to deal with the
matter at all adequately. Many OF
them are in receivers hands and in
some cases they cannot command the
best railroad talent, and, therefore,
the very men who could devise plan
of campaign against robbery arc il the
service of eastern roads. Moreover, the
stockholders and even the directors, in
some cases. are eastern men, not on the
spot, end therefore not able to deal with
the matter from personal knowledge.
II is important to note, however, that
the United States government is plan
ming what promises to be most effec-
tive crusade against train robbing.
Chief Ilazen, of the secret service, has
set about gathering, through his sub
ordinates, q full set of reports upon
the whereabouts and haunts of all
train robbers, or those suspected OF
being implicated in these expeditions.
A very careful watch will be main
tanned upon movements of suspicious
character and, by thorough systcma-
tizing of the campaign, holding up
train will become even more risky than
counterfeitiDg, smuggling or moonshin-
ing