The evening world., 1894-10-13

cab, and then the whole crowd got u
on top of / I, They turned on steam
and started for Quantico station as fas
as the engine could carry them. q
course that left us stalled In the middl
OF the road. The conductor and enginee
pursued the engine on foot as fast az
they could run for six or seven miles
When they reached Quantico stapol
they found that the desper,a r. Ices ma ma,
ming wild, and that, through the clever
ness OF the, operator, II had been side
tracked and ditched Just In time to pre-
Everything seemed to come their
way. At any rate, they had the thing
well planned and well executed. They
had boat in readiness near Quantlco
station, and we all thought that they
succeeded in getting across TO the
Maryland shore with their plumber.
Secured S15O,O0O.
IT was told that they overlooked one
pouch In the car in their hurry. l don I
know just how much they got away
with. but some Of the trainmen thought
II must amount 10 at least Sl6O,Wo or
possibly 100000 The express messengers
did the best they could to prevent the
robbers from getting into their car but
the dynamite and the revolvers of the
gang were enough to make any man
weaken. They threatened to kill the
messengers on the spot II they refused
to open the safe.
Ine messengers refused 10 ylelu "
their demands until the captain OF the
gang said: I'll give you just thirty sec
onds to get to work Then the men gave
in. l don't blame them for that. II the
railroad people had had lot OF Win
chester rifles hanging up along the side
Of the car the passengers might nave
done something to help them out. AS 1t
was II would have been foolhardy to AZ
tempt to resist the demands OF the train
robbers"
The Adams Express Company itself
Is not informed as to the amount or
dent L. C. Weir said this morning that
rs the way bills were destroyed they
could not Judge yet OF the AMOUNT Of
packages received south of the point OF
robbery were gone, and 1t will take some
time to ascertain the loss.
dstestXss haye mem ws ss
ington to gather clues. Express messen-
ger b. F. Crutchfed, who came to the
general Offices here, this morning, left
York, to help them In their work.
President J.. C. Weir, OF the Adams
Express Company. according to the ad-
afternoon, was OF the opinion that the
amount OF money lost would not exceed
$4,000, although he admitted 1t might
The money was shipped from many
points. some of which may have con;
signed greater amounts than usual, ana
this element of uncertainty. together
with the destruction of the way bills,
made II difficult for him TO ascertain
the exact amount. He said that the
robbers had taken all the money con-
looked two packages OF bonds worth
sl6,500 and also failed to secure guam
tlty OF jewelry. which arrived safe In
New York this morning.
He had no hesitation in generating |
Messenger Crutchfield and his helper |
from being in any way to blame for
now on HIS way to the scene Of the
wreck to give aid to the Company's de- |
tectiNes In terreting out the perpetra-
tors OF the hold-up.
train was the through special, No. Is.
from jacksonville for New York. Only
few passengers stopped of when the
train reached this city, the remainder
going north. The following story OF
The hold-up was obtained from one Of
The trains crew:
stop at Aqua Creek, several miles be-
low Quantico, for water, The train was
two or three hundred yards north OF the |
creek at 9.l6 tonight when the engineer |
got a signal to stop The porter went |
forward to see what had caused the glg- |
nal, and was confronted by the robbers:
There were seven or eight of them, and |
ms soon as the engine stopped they |
walked back towards the train and com !
menced to fire their weapons, at the |
same time warning everybody to keep |
ihsitt bic Cars
Passengers TerrorIzed.
"a number of shots were fired, but by
the greatest chance no one was hurt. for |
by this time the passengers had become |
excited by the fuslllade, and some OF the |
more daring ones threw open the win
dows 10 learn the cause of the alarm
Upon seeing the masked robbers. how |
ever, they became aware that the train |
had been held up by desperate men and
lnLFl NF ataFlNN
The robbers by their bold course thus
intimidated the passengers and train |
crew, and thereupon quickly clambered
Upon the express car. They found the
door tightly barred, and were unable
to force an entrance by persuasion or |
threats. Their time was precious, and
rapidly, The robbers were supplied with
dynamite, and by It's USE the door of
the express car was shattered and an
entrance gained.
The messenger was told that he would |
be blown up II he did not open the door |
Of the safe. He appreciated that he was
In the hands of desperate men, and after
demurring. 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 mach the safes con- |
thought 1t would probably amount to
$4,000.
1.-THE safes are brought from various
places along the road. and frequently
mond. After looting the car of all the
money the robbers uncoupled the engine
from the train and ran II several miles
up the road into coal chute. where 1t
was wrecked.
1.-The train was left standing until an
engine could be sent TO bring II on to
Quanttco. We remained at the scene of
the robbery for fully two hours and a
half. and reached here at l.l9 A. NJ"
1t is thought that the men escaped
across the Potomac River to the Mary
land side of the river
Details Of the hold-up add to its daring
character, and also tend to show that
several of the robber gang were men OF
experience in the railroad business
Seven men composed the gang, and their
demand for the waybill when the eX-
press messenger declared that one safe
was empty, and remark they made to
the fireman, cautioninS him about dis
connecting the air-brake tubes when he
uncoupled the engine on their demand
show that some members of the gang
had been railroad hands at some time or
other.
Messenger CrutchhcIds story.
Besides, after the engine was uncouplei
II WAS boa rdel nv the rubDars ap1 rur IA,