The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1894-10-13
IT IS CATCHING.
California Plan is Already Initiated In
Virginia.

RICHMOND. Va, Oct. 12.-The north
bound passenger train on tue Richmond,
| Fredericksburg and Potomic railroad was
held up near Quantico. The engineer and
| fireman were forced from their engine aud
the engine was cut loose and sent ahead
! The express car was then entered, the mes
sengers covered with pistols and the safe
] blown open aud robbed. The runaway
locomotive was stopped at Quantico by
obstrGctiing the track.
1t is stated here that there was an unuS-
uaiiy large amount of money on the train.
probably $4,000. The robbers. seven IN
number, were masked end did not blow
open the safe as first reported. They
! forced the messenger to open 1t.
The express messenger. L. T. Cruthfield,
and his helper, II. MURRAY, barricaded the
doors of the express car, but they were
blown open with dynamite.
After the robbery the thieves made Oft
with their booty in the direction of the
Potomac river where it is thought they
had boat in waiting to take them to the
Maryland side None of the robbers en-
tered the passenger coaches.
The operator at Brooks, six miles from
Quantico, discovered that the engine was
graphed to QuantIco, where switch was
thrown so il was brought into collision
with two loaded freight cars aud wrecked
III al this not been done the engine would
have collided with the south-bound pas
senger train.
WASHINGTON, Oct. 12-The train which
was held up was the through special from
Jacksonville for New York. DULY few
passengers stopped off when the ira Il
reached this Citv, the remainder going
north. The following facts in regard to
the hold up were obtained from the bag
gaGeman of the train:
1t is customary for all trains TO stop at
Acquia Creek several miles below Guam
tico for water The train was two or
three hundred yards this side of the creek
at 9:26 tonight when the engineer got a
signal TO stop. The porter Went forward
to see what had caused the signal and was
confronted by the robbers who, il was
learned. had given the signal.
There were seven or eight of them and
as soon as the engine stopped they walked
back towards the train aud commenced to
fire their weapons. at the same time warn
ing everybody to keep inside the cars. A
number of shots were fired but by the
greatest chance no one was hurt, for by
this time the passengers had become eX-
cited by the fusilade.
Some of the more daring ones threw open
the windows to learn the cause of the fir
ing but upon seeing the masked men they
became aw3re that the train had been
held up by desperate men. The robbers
by their bold course thus iutimidated the
passengers aud train crew, aud thereupon
quickly came ella moring upon the express
Car. They found the doors tightly barred
and were unable to force an entrance by
persuasion or threats.
Their tine was precious aud they were
vuan fiNaR IN Do hair rynrlr ~ mildly Tt,av
were supplied with dynamite. and by its
use thr door of the express car WAS shat
tered and All entrance gained The mes
senger was in the Car at the time, and they
told him they would blow him up if be did
not open the door of the safe. The mes
senger appreciated that he was in the
hands of desperate men. and after demur-
ring he obeyed their demands and opened
the safe.
The men got every cent of money that
was in the car No one knows just how
much the safes contained. but Que of the
employees said he Thought it would prOba-
bly, amount to $4,000 The safes are
brought from various places along the
road and frequently three or four are
taken aboard at Richmond.
After looting the car of all the money,
the robbers uncoupled the engine from the
train and ran it several M les up the road
until a coal chute was reached, where il
was wrecked. The train was left standing
until an engine was brought from Qaau-
tico The train remained at the scene of
the robbery two and half hours and ar
rived here at l:l9 Ii. m.
The door of the express car showed evil
dence of the dynamite, and all the glass
panes in 1t were shattered. 1t was, how
ever, allowed TO proceed To New York, and
the expressman, Crutchtieid, who was in
charge, accompanied 1t. The robbers IS
capped with their booty, and up TO this
hour have not been appre ended.
In fact the police department of this city
at , a. N. had not been notified of the hold
up IL Is thought the men escaped across
the Potomac to the Maryland side of the
river.
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