The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1894-10-31
Two TRAIN ROBBERIES.
$4,000 TAKEN IN CALIF0R.
MIA; $l8O,OOO IN VIRGINIA.

The California Robbers Forced the
Engineer to Run the Engine
and the Express Agent to Give Up
the Money-Masked Men Loot the
the Safe in Virginia.
On the same day two daring train robber-
les occurred, one In California and the other
In Virginia. Two robbers held up train
near Sacramento, CAL, and robbed the OK
press car Of bags containing $51 1000 in gold.
The northbound express between Richmond
an Washin6ton was held up by gang Of
robbers at Aqua Greek, Va. They secured
about S1s0,OOO.
A despatch from Sacramento says The
enst-bound overland train, due here at 9
o'clock p. m, was held up bvtwo men about
Blk miles below this city. The track walker
was first robbed and then forced to start to
town. The train robbers then covered the
engineer and fremen with guns and COM
PEELED them to accompany them to the
express car. MESSENGER Page shot twice
at the bandits. The engineer and
fireman called upon Page to open the door,
as the train robbers were going to shoot
them II he did not, and were prepared to
blow up the car with dynamite. He COM
piled with their request in order to save their
lives, and the robbers looted the car of four
bags Of coin containing about $751;
600. They then cut loose the en-
gine, boarded 1t, and ran toward the
and set on wild run toward the
train. but by tha time It had reached its des-
tination the steam had run so low that the
collision caused little damage. The robber.
made their escape. En.ineer William Scott
tells this story OF the hold-up: "We were
running on time. and would have been in
Sacramento In about fifteen minutes. The
train ran over two torpedoes, and I
thrust my head out of the window
and saw that we were being tagged
Everything was properly done, and
had no suspicion of anything being wrong
until the engine stopped, when two men
armed with repeating rifles sprang into the
cab. They ordered Fireman Lincoln and
myself to dismount and 90 with them to the
express car, which they ordered US to un-
couple. They accompanied US back to the
engine and made US pull out about three
quarters Of a mile to a point between two
trestles. While we were uncoupling the car
the conductor and the brakeman got off the
train and the robbers shot at them. After
stopping the engine between the trestles
the men made us 60 hack with them to the
express car. They called to the messenger
to open the door or they would kill the fire.
man and myself. knew the robbers were
determined, and pleaded with the mes
senger to open the door. The robbers told
and he opened 1t. They ordered US to get.
into the car, one OF them following US.
The messenger gave up the keys to the
boxes, and the robbers opened them, taking
out four sacks OF money, two OF them being
20 heavy that one man could not lift both.
Then they ordered US ahead Of them to
help-carry sacks of money, and we walked
back to the engine, the robbers constantly
punching US in our backs with the muzzles
Of their guns. When we got to the engine
the robbers jumped upon IT, opened the
THROTTLE. and the engine sPrang away
down the track. After they arrived
Jumped of. reversed the Lever. and sent the
engine back over the track under full head
of steam. The engine struck the train. but
did not do much damage. Fireman E. 8.
Lincoln, who got good view OF the robbers,
gays there Is no doubt of their being men
whothoroughlYu understood railrocding. The
backs of Scott and Lincoln are covered with
bruises, caused by the proddings from the
ends of the rifles held by the robbers. James
Cotton, who was beating his way to Sacra-
mento from Suisun. probably saw more Of
the robbery than any one else. His story Is as
follows "Asthe train slowed up, Il climbed up
in the back end of the tender and lay down,
while Hanley went inside the storm doors.
The next thing, saw the two robbers
run up, one on each side OF the engine. The
big one fred his rife OF, and said to the en-
gineer: Get down out ofthat, and be quick
about It, The engineer replied, 4 will, 7
will don't kill me-; I'll mind you The en-
gineer and fireman accompanied the rob
bers, who kept poking them will
their guns. The tall one said, Get
amove on you. They went back and un.
coupled the four forward cars from the pass.
enger coaches, and brought the fireman and
engineer back to the engine. The tall man
stood on tho platform Of the first car and said
to othe engineer: Pull out now and 20 till
tell you to STOP One of the robbers kept
his gun aimed at the engineer. Then the
men compelled the engineer and fireman
to go back to the express car and
call the messenger. The messenger
began to shoot at once, but was i'm
plored not to by the engineer. I saw the
four come back presently, bearing sack
eachS and heard the large man say the
sacks weighed about seventy-flve pounds,
though the two. carried by the railroad men
were larger than the other two. They put
the sacks on the engine. told US to get away
from the machine and then they pulled OUT