The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-10-13
TRAIN ROBBERY.
About S2OO,OO0 Stolen
From the Express Car.
Unique Spectacle in the History OF
New York RaiIroading.
BY The Associated Press.

north bound, which was held up last
night on the Richmond, Fredericksburg
& Potomac Railroad, reached the Penn
syivanis depot at Jersey City at
S:O5 this morning, bringing
with 1t the badly shattered express
car No. 214. The Adams Express Com
pany's messengers left the train and pro-
ceeded at once to the headquarters in New
York city. They reported that all their
safes were rified by the robbers. 1t is
supposed that the bandits obtained be-
tween S15O,0O0 and 100000.
When the express car, which Is one be-
longing to the Atlantic Coast Division,
was side-tracked, passengers, passers- by
and trsinmen gathered around TO examine
the spectacle unique in the history
of rsilrosding in New York City.
1t was found that the heavy
oak doors had been splintered by the sticks
of dynamite forced into the car by the
robbers. In addition to this mark left by
the revolver bullets as they plowed
through the woodwork OF the car were
plainly visible. Every pane OF glass
in the windows OF the car had been
broken by the force of the explosion and
small fragments were still scattered over
the floor OF the car. The officials of the
Adams Express Company in charge OF the
car at the depot claimed that only
the pouches and safes had
been ransacked. the other
packages in the car remaining intact.
Many of the passengers who witnessed
the hold-up left the train at Washington
and Philadelphia, but a few OF them
completed the journey to New York
City. Trsinmen were, as usual, reti-
cent about discussing the affair, but
Colonel j. NJ. Shakleford, a newspaper
man who happened to be on board the
train at the time, discussed the incident
freely and gave graphic account of the
manner in which the robbers secured
their plumber and made their escape. He
told the following story:
about seven or eight miles the other
side OF Quantico station the train came to
a sudden stop. When he train stopped
the conductor, M. A. Birdsong, was
thus addressed by one of the
masked robbers evidently the cap
tain OF the gang: Throw up your
hands or we'll blow your brains out
From the manner in which they arranged
the signals for stopping the train, as we'll
as the manner in which they afterward
ihoNo hhNh NoNeRN' ~ WIS N'AN~hN
that several members of the
gang were experienced railroad
men. That they were desperate men was
even more evident, and the conductor and
the firemen lost no time in obeying their
instructions and wisely, too, / guess.
There were at least six or seven
masked men and / could plainly dis
tinguish them all in the clear moon
i.h ~ ha rlx,o In
did they come to me that in spite of their
masks am almost sure that / could recog-
nize some of them. When the alarmed
passengers crowded out OF the cars to see
what was the. matter the robbers fred a
perfect fusilade OF shots to intimidate
them as we'll as to frighten them.
"The robbers rifled the express car with
out loss of time. They put their sticks OF
dynamite under the door OF the express
car and blew 1t open.
'The manner In which these men got on
the train was a mystery at first, but we
afterward discovered that they in all
probability boarded the car at White
brook, q few miles the other side
OF Qusntico Station. They evi.
IDENTIFY climbed upon the platforms,
and while the train was in motion worked
their way along the top OF the cars until
they succeeded in boarding the engine.
Then they held up the engineer and
fireman. The engineer, Frank Gal
lsgher, was an old employe on
the road and as brave as could
be the railroad men tell me, but two or
three robbers attended to the engine while
two or three more looked after the express
messengers and another one or two
guarded the passengers and train.
Some OF the desperadoes even went $50
far a. to converse in clever daring
fashion with the passengers aud the train
men. This made Us all the more indig-
nant, but wo could do nothing to help
ourselves.
"All OF the passengers were cool and
collected after the hrst flush OF excitement
was over. Tho most novel thing in the
entire proceeding was the way in
which the robbers made their es.
cape. They cut the engine loose, piled
their plunder into the cab and then the
whole crowd piled in on top OF t. They
turned on steam and started for Quantico
station as fast as the engine
could carry them. When they left the
engine they turned Il loose, but through
the cleverness Of a telegraph operator IL
was side tracked and ditci ed Just in time
TO prevent n collision with a south boun
train"
The Adams Express Company is not
definitely informed ne to the amount OF
money secured by the robbers. l.. G.
Weir, president Of the Adams Express
Company, said to an Associated Press rep
resentative this morning that n the way