Southwest-sentinel. [volume] (Silver City, N.M.) 1883-189?, 1894-02-20

A well Laid scheme FOR Libefating Two
Conviots on Their way 20 Prison.

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A well Laid scheme FOR Liberating Two
Convicts on Their Way 20 Prison.
Il never understood, remarked a gem
ofal passenger agent while discussing q
recent train robbery. chow It was that q
whole trainful Of people would allow
themselves 10 be held mp by n or two
bandits till some years ago, when / was
making a trip over the Michigan Central
road. Then tho mystery was explained
to me 1 Twas on my way-from Detroit
TO Chicago and had taken q seat in the
smoking car to enjoy my cigar.
cat the time the smoking cars Of the
Michigan Central were equipped with
comfortable revolving chairs. Shortly
after taking my seat / noticed that there
were two convicts aboard. They were
in charge Of two deputies and were be-
ing conveyed from Detroit to the state
prison at Jackson They sat there talk
ing to their guards c~omplacently as If
they had been going to some more agree
able entertainment. All went well un-
til Ypsilanti was reached. Half way be-
tween that place and Ann Arbor is a
small road crossing named Geddes. As
We approached it an ordinary looking
passenger went through the carin acare-
less manner, rolling his eyes from sideto
side. casually inspecting the occupants
of the car. When he reached the pris-
oners, he pulled a whisky flask from his
pocket and in an ofhand way remarked;
Here, you fellows, have a drink. 1t
will be a long time before you have an
other
"The convicts accepted the invitation,
took a good long pull from the bottle
and handed IL back to their apparently
chance acquaintance, who pocketed IL
and passed into the next car. Hardly
had he disappeared when the convicts,
with a motion quick as fash, pulled two
r%evolvers from somewhere on the seats
beside them and presented them at their
guards. Before any one in the a had
time to realize what was taking place
those revolvers were going bangl bangl
just as fast as the triggers could be
pulled. The only men who appeared to
have any presence Of mind were the two
deputies. They had seen the two re-
volvers coming, and by some dexterous
move managed TO strike upthe ~convicts
arms so that tho balls, instead of strik-
ing the victims for whom they were in
tended, passed through the roof Of tine
car. While [ Q scufie was at It's height
the bellrope was pulled in some mysteri-
GUS manner, and the train came to a
dead stop at the crossroads near Gedde'
station, where a fast team Of horses
hitched to a light wagon was standing.
By the time the train stopped, though,
the convicts had been overpowered by
their guards, but not until IS shots mad
been fred.
1.-THE whole thing was evidently a con
certed scheme to hberate the convicts
The man with the whisky flask was az
ally, and his tender Of the whisky was
signal that everything was ready ant
tho time for action had come. The at
tempt at escape fortunately failed, bu
il you had seen that car while the shot
were being fired you could readily havl
understood how easily a few armed rob
bers overpower q train. Every chair il
the a was vacant, and the former oc
cupants were crouching in corners D
wherever they could hide themselves be
hind some object that might stop a bul
let. When everything was quiet agai
and the convicts were in irons, no lie
than 10 men were counted coming fror
the dressing room of that smoking car.
Chicago Post.