The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1894-10-13
Express Car Robbed Of
Nearly S15o,ooo a
Few Miles From
Washington.
DYNAMITE E0R THE SAFE
Pistol Bullets Fired in yolleys
The Maranders Escape on
the locomotive.

National Capitol; had blown the side
of the Adams Express car out with
dynamite, and had captured sum sup
posed to be in the neighborhood of $780,,
900 or $lSo0O0, and had escaped on the
engine with their booty, turning the
engine loose with the throttle wide
open, to wreck its will upon any pass
ing train. The audacity OF the crime
has created astonishment and excite
lnent and will probably be made the sub
Ject of proposed legislation at the, next
session OF Congress to provide lifting
punishment for attempts thus to imperl
Interstate commerce.
The. train held up was the north
bound express train on the Richmond,
Fredericksburg and Potomac Railroad.
leaving Richmond, Va, at O'Clock last
night, 1t left Fredericksburg at 1858
O'clock on time. The robbery occurred
near Acquia Creek, between Brooks Sta
tion ana Wide Water, an exceedingly
Wild part Of country, entirely suited
point the robbers boarded the train. and
the first intmation auybcdy had that
trouble was brewing was when two men
jumped from the coal car down into the
cab, and, leVelitng reyolvers at the as
tonished engineer and fireman, ordered
them 10 stop the train.
STOPPED THE TRAIN.
The engineer hesitated for an instant,
but when informed that he must stop
the train OF be killed, he closed the
throttle, and the train, which had been
slowed up and finally came to com
plete StandStill.
The fireman and engineer were COM
PEELED to leave the engine and sit quietly
on the bank alongside the track. Then
the bandits. who were seven in number,
and all disguised by masks. or by hand
kerchiefs tied over part OF their faces,
made for the Adams express car, which
was in charge of Messenger j.. S. Crutch-
field. One robber entered the car AS
described. by Crutchfield. he was of
heavy build and dressed like farmer,
although he seemed TO thoroughly un--
derstand the express business. He had
red handkerchief oyer the lower part
Of his face when the train was stop t
door of my car; the robber fired a shot
at me; l lodged back and closed the
door; he called, open that door; | didn't
do It: open that door or I'll blow the
whole car to pieces with DYNAMITE
EXPRESS CAR LOOTED.
Then he threw a stick of dynamite; 1t
casing. The force knocked me off my
feet. ] then opened the doof. One rob-
Der came in and made me open the safe;
he took every thing; there was one pack
tanned only papers, for he threw it into
the box 1t Contained 5000 They he
said. open that other safe
said.
The H. it is.' he roared. Show me
your waybill for it;
Keep your hands up. Show me the
paper I'll get it, He looked at the
bill and was satisfied that the second
contained nothing, which was true.
The man was very cool all the time.
We had seven or eight through express.
pouches, each containing packages of
money--how much. can't guess. The
man cut a small slit in each pouch and
TOOK every MAY PaSkagfi 81 sl5oooo.
Crutchfield thinks there may have been
<1lr, A1<11
cupied about. twenty minutes; The
night was dark, the place selected a deep
cut The engineer and fireman sat on
the bank on one side of the train dur
ing the whole robbery, and were not
ten feet from two or three of the rob-
bers, as they. fred shots into the air.
The man who entered the car seemed to
be the leader, although man on the
outside, with a high key voice, had a
good deal to, say about things This
man was tell and ran about a good
rushed ahead at first, thinking that
tramps We're shooting, back into the
sleeper. and fired two shots at him.
.all the passengers were Thoroughly
cowed, he terrific dynamite explosion
having caused them to fear that they
ment. Conductor Birdsong who is one
of the Oldest conductors on the road,
alone of those in the rear coaches,
showed fight. He passed through the
had a revolver, and finally succeeded
in finding a small revolver. Arrnde with
this he stationed himself at the head of
the ladies car, cautioned the pas
sengers to keep their seats and remain
quiet. He coolly asserted that he would
kill the first person who set foot on the
platform. All the passengers hid their
valuables, and many of them dropped
them in the aisles and between the seats.
ALL GNARMED.
There were seven postal clerks in the
OH, Of fl1a
tai car was full of windows, and the
clerks were badly frightened. They
had no arms. The postal car had many
sacks of registered mail, but no effort
was made to touch them
When the robbery had been completed,
the tall man, who had fired the first
"go ahead with the engine The BAN
dts compelled the engine crew to un-
couple the locomotive, jumped aboard,
and made good their escape in the d.
rection of the Potomac River, where it
is supposed they had boat in waiting
10 take them to the Maryland shore.
A WILD ENGINE.
The robbers are supposed to have left
the engine before it passed Wide Water
and the train. dispatcher at that station
comprehending that something was
wrong telegraphed ahead to Quantico
to look out for a wild engine.
switch was thrown just outside of
Quantico, and when the engine arrived
it was thrown over on switch. crashed
in a moment more a huge pile OF debris
marked the spot where the collision oc-
Cured. The engine was thrown on
its side and is complete wreck The
freight cars were reduced to kindling
wood.
The long Atlanta special was standing
on the main track at Quantco and mar
rowly escaped being struck by the run
away engine brakeman had just
thrown the switch as the wild engine
dashed into the yards and out the side
trap1xS into the freight cars
An engine was sent from Quantico to
bring on the delayed train, and 1t ar
rived in Washington with It's frightened
and demoralized passengers at 1:17 A. NJ,
a little over two hours behind scheduled
time The train with the riied express
car. still in charge of Agent Crutchfield,
was Immediately switched on to the New
York train, and in ten minutes after its
arrival was on its way to. New York.
The railroad company has placed a
reward of 81, 900 each on the robbers.
The Wrecked Car Here.
Express car No. 214 Atlantic coast
line. arrived at the PENNSYLVANIA depot
in Jersey City early this morning from
Washir gton. Immediately the car en-
tered the train shed a curious scrowd of
railroad employees surrounded 1t and
critically inspected a car fresh from the
hands of train robbers. The Superin-
tendent of the Adams Express Company
had the car quickly backed, into the
companyss shed, and to keep the curl
GUS ones away it was run almost te the