The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1894-10-20
THE aoeeER CHIEF.

4 ntOEEc SaFttEs 8h LeCoPcu NoAsAet 80
Sing Sing, the Leader of the Virginia
Train Robbers-DescrIption of the Man
An Old Offender-The Plan of the Hold
Up-A Switchman's Promptness Saves .
Train-Losd of Passengers
WASHINGTON, Oct. I5.-There is every
reason to suppose that the leader OF
the gang which perpetrated the bold
train robbery at Acquia creek, in Vir-
ginia, on Friday night, has been iden-
titled. He is George Carter. former
resident of the neighborhood and an
ex-convict of Sing Sing, a railroad en-
gineer and a man who has been asso-
ciated with many scenes of robbery
and ~bloodshed. Carter is about 81
years of age, five feet ten and a half
inches high, weighs 160 pounds, and in
all respects resembles the man who
fired the shot through the door at the
express messenger, and subsequently
threw the stick of dynamite which
press car and made the robbery an easy
matter.
Description of the Suspect.
Carter is described asa man of dark
complexion with high cheek bones,
brown hair, deep-set eyes, large ears.
and a sharp and angular face with two
moles on his left cheek and n on the
under lid of his right eye. These
marks should be sufficient to identify
him anywhere, but in addition thereto
the thumb and index finger of his right
hand have beer shot off in one of his
many desperate adventures: and alto
gether these marks would seem to
make any Bertillon system of identi-
fication in his case quite unnecessary.
An Old Offender and a Jail Breaker.
Carter vas sentenced to a seven
years term of Imprisonment at Sing
Sing, n. V. in 1893, for robbing the
house of the superintendent at Black
wells island. This was purely a ma
licious act on his part in revenge for
some injuries he considered he
had received from the superintend-
ent while confined upon the island.
He escaped from Sing Sing, as he had
previously escaped from one of the Vir-
ginia jails, where he had been impris-
oned awaiting a trial for burglary.
Indictments are also pending against.
him in other parts of Virginia and in
Pennsylvania. In short he is known as
one of the most desperate of criminals,
fully competent to organize and carry
out a robbery of the audacious char
acter of hat perpetrated on Friday
night.
The Plan of the Hold Up.
The superstition is that he associ-
ated with himself some one familiar
with the manipulation of matters in
the Adams express car. His own ex-
perience as a railroad engineer
enabled him to do the rest. with
the assistance of three or four men to
stand on the bank of the selected cut
and go through the usual process OF
firing Winchesters in the air and terri
flying the passengers.
Was Familiar with the Surroundings
Carter lived for a number of years
near the spot where the robbery was
committed. and was thoroughly famil-
lar with the surroundings. The rail-
road regulations require the train to
come to a dead stop just before cross
ing the Acquia creek bridge. 1t was
undoubtedly here hat two OF the BAN
dts boarded the train just back
of the tender. and after the
train had crossed the bridge crawled
over into the cab and at the
pistols point compelled the engineer
and fireman to stop the train. Their
four associates were already in ambush
at the point selected. This was a deep.
cut, so steep on the side next the river
as practically to inclose the train and
on the other side sufficiently steep to-
shut out the light, especially as it was
wooded by a dense growth of pine
trees. Consequently, although else
where the full light of the noon was
shining, in the spot chosen by the
robbers absolute darkness prevailed
at the time.
A Ready Means of Escape.
About a mile from the point where
the robbery was committed was a road
leading to the Potomac river, and af-
fording a ready escape by boat to Mary
land. The robbers undoubtedly
stopped the engine at this spot, threw
open the throttle and turned it loose,
expecting that it would run into some
other train, and. by a general wreck,
prevent pursuit, and then at their leis-
ure proceeded by the light of the moor
to divide their plumber and separate.
Some of them, it is thought. may have
crossed by boat to Maryland, but it is
not at all certain that this vas done.
They had ample time to make their es-
cap. in any direction they chose before
the alarm was given.
A switchman's Nerve Prevents an Awful
Wreck.
The original report that a signal
man saw the flying engine coming
along the track and telegraphed to
Quantico to look out for it is incorrect.
The engine was rushing into Qauntico
station unannounced at the rate of
q mile a minute when a switchman
named O'Leary. by a happy instinct,
came to the conclusion that something
was wrong and instantly seized the
switch bar. threw the target and sent
the engine dashipg up a steep grade
into a coal dump where it smashed
three or four coal cars and appended it.
self ia a miraculous wreck. But for
his promptitude the engine which the
robbers had turned loose would have
dashed into the Atlantic express which
was then standing at the station with