Birmingham age-herald., 1894-10-14
Was the Robbing of an Express
 Gar by Bandits.
THE AGENTS EXPERIENCE
ALarge Pile of Doodle Secured. A Run Away Engine.
 Reward Offered.


 the feeling uppermost hereabouts concern ing last nights train robbery within twenty five miles of this city. The details are as follows:
 The train held up was the northbound express train on the Richmond, ,Fredericks- burg and Potomac railroad, leaving Rich mond at o clock last night. The train left Fredericksburg at 8:5S o'clock, on time. The robbery occurred near Aqua creek, between Brooks station and Wide Water, an exceedingly wild part of the country, well situated for the purpose. It is not known yet at what point the robbers boarded the train, and the first intimation anybody had that trouble was brewing was when two men jumped from the tender down into tue cab, and, leveling revolvers at the astonished engineer and fireman, or- dered them to stop the train. The engineer hestated for and instant, but when in- formed that he must stop the train or be killed he closed the throttle, and the train, which had been running about forty miles an hour, slowed up, and finally came to complete standstill.
 The fireman and engineer were compelled to leave the engine and sit quietly on the bank alongside the track. Then the ban dits, who were seven in number, and all disguised by masks or by handkerchiefs tied over the lower part of their faces, made for the Adams express car, which was in charge of Messenger J. s. Crutch- field. One robber entered he car. AS de- scribed by Crutchfeld, he was of heavy build and dressed like q farmer, although he seemed to thoroughly understand the express business. He had red handker- chief over the lower part of his face.
 tsWhen the train was stopped,' says Crutcbfied, s'I opened the door of my car. The robber fired shot al noe. l lodged back and closed the door. He called out: sOpen that door. did not do it. Open that door, or I'll How the wbole d-n car to pieces with dynamite.
 stThen he threw a stick of dynamite; 1t struck the door and shattered 1t and the casing. The force ot the explosion knocked me if my feet. l then opened the door. One robber came in and made me open the safe. He took everything in 1t. There was one package which he must have thought contained only papers, for he threw it into the box again. It contained s6sOO. Then he said: 'Open that other saie.'
 .s.Thatis is simply dead head safe, ex- plained. s1he h-i it is, he roared. Show me your way bill for 1t. l started to get the oill and he said: Put your hands up. Show me the paper and l'll
 ssHe looked at the bill and was satisfied that the second safe contained nothing, which was true.
 .sThe man was very cool all the time. We had seven or eight through express pouches, each containing packages of money, how much l cam 'tgness. The man cut small slit in each pouch and took every package.o Crutchfield thinks there may have been $i50, GOO in the packages.
 The robbery occupied about twenty nin- utes, The night was dark and the place was deep cnt. Tbe engineer and fireman sat on one side of the train during the rob- bery, and were 10 feet from two or three robbers as they fired shots into the air. The man who entered the car seemed to be the leader, although man on the outside, with high keyed voice, had good deal to say about things. This man was tall and ran about good d-al. He drove Charley, the negro porter, who rushed ahead at first, thir king that tramps were shooting, back into the sleeper and fired two shots at him.
 The train crew, the postal clerks and all of the messengers were thorougly cowed, the terrific dynamite explosion having caused them to fear that they would be blown to pieces al any moment. Conductor Birdsong, who is one of the oldest con ductors on the road, alone of those In the rear coaches showed fight.
 He passed through the train asking each passenger if he had revolver. and finally succeeded in finding a small revolver. Armed with this he stationed himself at the head of the ladies' car, oautioning the passengers to keep Jnelr b0atb AHu rohaAu quiet. He cooliy asserted that he would Kill the first person who set foot In the car. All the passengers hid their valuables, and many of them dropped down in the ailses and between the seats.
 There were seven postal clerks in the car ahead of the express car. The postal car was full of windows, and the clerks were badly frightened. They had no arms. The postal car bad many sacks of registered mail matter. but no effort was made to touch them. When the robbery had been shot into the express car, gave the word, ssGo ahead with the engine"
 The bandits compelled the engine crew to unceuple the locomotive, jumped aboard and made good their escape In the dlrec- tion of the Potomac river, where 1t IS sup posed they had boat in waiting to lake them to Maryland. The robbers are sup posed to have left the engine before 1t passed Wide Water, and the telegraph that something was wrong, telegraphed ahead to Qnantico to look out for wild engine.
 switch was thrown just outside of Quantico, and when the engine arrived it was thrown over on 8 switch crashed into Q number of freight cars, and in moment more a huge pile of debris marked the spot where the collision occurred. The engine was thrown on it's side and is a complete wreck. The freight cars were reduced to kindling wood.
 The Atlanta special was standing on the main track at Quantico and narrowly en- capped being struck by the runaway engine.
 A brakeman had just thrown the switch as the wild engine dashed into the yards ..and out of the side track into the freight