The record-union., 1894-10-12
The Robbers Escape Toward This
City On the Locomotive,
And Then Send II Back to Crash Into the
Train-NO CIeW as to Who
The Robbers Are.

One of the boldest and best-planned
train robberies that has occurred any
where of late was committed within six
miles of this city last night.
The overland express is due here from
San Francisco at $40 o'clock. The rail-
road office was apprised of the train leay-
ing Davisvllle, thirteen miles distant, at
9:l5 o'clock, but as it had not reached the
city long while after it was due, a
switch engine was sent out to ascertain
what was the trouble.
1t was found that the train had been
held up six miles out on the Yolo plains,
and it did not reach the city until after
midnight.
The train was in charge of Conductor
Dick Moore. The engineer was William
Scott and the fireman was E. S. Lincoln.
a REcoRD-UNIoN reporter saw Engi-
neer Scott soon after the train arrived,
and from fim learned the following par
ticulars of the hold-up:
I'VE were about three minutes late in
leaving Davisville," said Scott, land had
reached point opposite what is known
as the Sheep Camp, on the Carey ranch,
some six miles from the city, when two
torpedoes were exploded on the track.
OF course we stopped, and had no sooner
done SO than two men wearing masks
over their faces climbed upon tho engine
and covering myself and the fireman
with pistols compelled us to get down.
''They prodded us sharply with their
weapons and made US march before them
to the express car. Then l was told to
tell the express messenger, ]. f. Paige,
TO open the door.
Il did so, and he refused. At the same
time he looked out through the glass in
the upper portion Of the door to see what
was up, and as he did so both the robbers
turned loose their pistols at him.
Paige jumped back, seized his rifle
and shot down through the wooden Dor
ton of the door, tearing a big hole in it.
The bullet came very near hitting me.
The robbers threatened to kill Lincoln
and me if the messenger did not open the
door, so we had no alternative but to beg
him to do so.
when the door was opened the rob-
bers compelled Paige. Lincoln and N.Y.
self to sit in the doorway while they ran
sacked the express matter. They carried
away several packages in bags.
''Then they mounted the engine. cut it
loose from the train and went off toward
the city. They must have gone several
miles, as it was some time before we
heard the engine coming back up the
track.
The robbers, it appears, had left the
engine. broken in the headlight and ex-
tinguished the light. then reversed it and
sent it back by itself. The steam was
nearly gone when it reached us, but it
had a Roadway of seven or eight miles an
hour. and crashed into the mail car,
smashing the forward end and wedging
the tender so tight that it pulled the
train into town when we started up.
''The robbers must have purposely let
out much of the steam so as TO prevent
US from following them up, in case the
collision did not wreck the engine"
Engineer Scott said that, aside from
their threats, the robbers did not abuse
him or the fireman. nor were any of the
passengers molested.
PREPARED FOR BUSINESS.
''Talk about GOODNESS and nerveu said
Scott, ''why, those fellows had more of
these qualities than any men 1 ever saw.
They went about the business as if it was
an everyday matter with them
''They both carried rifles, and each one
had a big six-shooter. The pistols ap-
peared to be new ones, and the cartridge
belts they wore also seemed to be new,
and were well filled with cartridges"
When the engine returned, the mask
worn by one of the robbers was found on
the step. 1t was piece of the leg of a
pair of wooden drawers, with holes cut in
it for the eyes.
Engineer Scott said one of the men was
upward of six feet tall, and the other
about five feet ten inches. The former
had long and slender white hands, as if
not accustomed to hard or rough labor.