Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1894-10-27
ROBBED THE EXPRESS.


West-i;ound Through Train ON tho
Texas d Pacific Held Up by -Four EN-
pert Robb rs-They Secure Twenty Thou
sand Dollars aud Make Good Their Es-
cape, Leaving n Like Amount In n Coia-
bination-I Locked safe.
FORT WORTH, Tex, Oct. l9.--The
west-bound Texas & Pacific through
train for California, leaving here at
o;O5 a. m, was robbed about IL o'clock
to day, seventy miles west of here,
near Gordon. The robbers secured
about S20,0 900 from the Pacific Express
Co., and but for their inability to open
the safe of the Texas & Pacific Coal
Co., containing $4,000 in gold, would
have made a better haul. -Four men
did the work. They came upon section
gang about noon, covered them with
Winchesters and forced them to
spread the rails and flag the on
coming train. The engineer and
fireman were then lined up with
the section gang and guarded
while two men entered the express car
and covered the messenger before he
was aware of their presence. Messen-
ger Marshall was ordered to open the
safe containing the money of the
Texas & Pacific Coal Co. Telling them
he could not do this, they seized pick
and ruined the combination, remark
ing: IF we can't get that money
those - miners at Thurber shan't.'
The robbers fed southwark and no
trace of them has yet been secured
Rewards aggregating 81 900 have been
offered for their arrest, The money
secured was taken from the way safe.
The train crew first saw there was
something wrong when they were four
miles east of Gordon. The section
gang was tagging the train, and it
was seen that Il rail had been removed
After two of the robbers had covered
the engineer and fireman with rifles
and walked them in front Of the en-
gine two more of the gang made their
appearance. The whole gang then
forced the fireman and engineer to
walk ahead of them to the express
car and forced the messenger to
open the door of the express car.
After the door had been opened the
engineer and fireman were taken
back to their engine by two of the rob
bers. The two who remained to loot
the express car took every valuable
package except those in the through
safe. The handle to the combination
of the through safe was smashed by
the robbers in their efforts to force it,
but all they could do was to batter the
safe badly. The money which was in
the through safe belonging to the
Texas & Pacific Coal Co. was going tc
Thurbcr to pay off the large number OF
men employed in the mines there. One
package which is known to have been
taken contained $1,000.
The only time the robbers used then
revolvcrs was when Baggageman Al
meras became too inquisitivc. lie
peered ont OF his car door to see what
the trouble was and not being quicl,
enough when one of the robbers told
him to take his head in, he had mar
row escape from being struck with a
bullet, which imbedded itself in the
casing of the door.
The crew say that the robbers die
not occupy more than thirty minutes
in the job, and acted as if professionals
of long experience. The robbers KEEP
an eye on the mail clerks, but did no
bother tie mail pouches or paSsen
gers. The work was done so quichl,
and quietly that the passengers wer,
ignorant that anything of the ltint
was transpiring until the job wa
nearly over 1t is supposed the rob
bers had confederates in hiding neal
by with horses to aid the gang in es
Gaping, because there was no sign o
horses near the railroad.
When the robbers disappeared tht
train was run wide open to Gordon
from which point the railway, expires.
and county officers were notified b,
telegraph of the crime. Posses wer,
formed at once to pursue tn,
bandits. When the train arrived
at Thurbcr an engine loaded will
posse aimed for business wa.
found waiting under full head o
steam, and ii was hurried to the scent
of the daring hold-up. Marshall, tn,
express messenger, refused to say any
thing about the robbery, except to ex
press his thanks that the men had no
killed him.