Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-10-13

ton oil the ROBBERY ana Will direct the Work
of detectives. who viii endeavor to run the
robbers down. Mr.. j. Q. A. Herring, the
Philadelphia agent Of the company, came
from Philadelphia this morning to assist
In the work of pursuit. The railroad and
express officials have notified the police
authorities OF Washington and Baltimore
and have asked their assistance.
Maj. Moore. chief Of police, this morning
gave instructions to the various ieuten-
ants at their meeting In headquarters and
general orders for q sharp watch for the
men were issued during the day. Special
instructions were given to the mounted
police outside the city limits.
The police department of the city, how
ever, is without jurisdiction unless the
guilty parties enter the District limits.
The police authorities are inclined to
blame the express messenger for failing to
offer resistance. and the belief is expressed
among them that the work was accom-
plished through the cooperation of some
one of the train crew.
One theory here to the identity of the
robbers Is that they were formerly members
OF some one or the other of the numerous
bands of so-cafied 'industriais.' who were
Coxey movement. While most of these men
were honest the various bands were Joined
by crooks and desperate men who would
not hesitate at crime, and who used the in
dations A number of former railroad hands
were in these ban6s, and some of them. 1T
is known. drifted down the Potomac, where
they eked out livelihood by fishing and
other means. In the neighborhood of Aqua
creek, near Quantico, several parties of the
wealers had rude shelters, and one con-
lecture is that the robbery may have been
the work of some of these men, rendered
reckless by their mode of living.
Hunting for Clues
There is a remarkable diversity of opinion
expressed among railroad men and de-
tectives as to who the robbers were. Some
of the oldest men in experience of both
classes incline to the belief that the deed
was committed by persons living in the
vicinity and across the river. 1t is general
ly admitted, even by those who think the
re bbery was planned and managed by pro-
fessionals, that some persons familiar with
the road, and especially with that portion
of II where the train was held up, were
cognizant of and had hand in the affair.
Some sensational people go so far as to
assert their confidence in the belief that the
Dalton gang had moved eastward and had
made their presence summarily felt near
Wide Water.
Such individuals refer to the boasts made
by the Daltons that they would not only
escape arrest In the west, but would take
a professional trip to the east one Of these
days.
Two ROugh-LOOking Men.
The managers of some of the downtown
ticket Offices remembered today that they
were called upon by two rough-looking men
on Monday or Tuesday of this week, who
were very anxious to get railroad maps of
the country lying between Washington and
Florida, and that they seemed much dis
appointed in not being able to secure fully
detailed maps of the region, such as the big
western TRUNK lines publish of the country
through Which, they run.
The sensational features of the case and
the mystery surrounding it. as well as the
substantial rewards offered for the appre-
hension of the thieves, will cause Virginia
in the neighborhood of Quantico and Aqua
creek, as well as Maryland, into which the
robbers are believed to have escaped, to be
overrun with detectives, and especially will
the amateur Vidocqs be attracted to the
mentioned in large numbers.
Excitement at QUantico.
Superintendent Thompson of the Rich
mond and Danville road, who came to Wash
ington this morning by way of Quantico
said the entire population in that neighbor-
hood was excited and loquacious and telling
various wonderful stories of the occurrence
The wild engine had run upon a coal sid
ing and wrecked two coal cars and itself.
Agent Carleton, at Quantico, telegraphed
that 1t was thought that eight or ten men
had been concerned in the robbery and that
they had probably crossed the river from
point near Wide Water
The Atlanta special, which left this city
at o:45 last night, was side-tracked at
Quantico waiting for the Jacksonville ex-
press, which was the one held up to pass
and Its passengers We're considerably eX-
cited when the engine ran into the siding
near them and was broken up, as we'll as
later when they learned the cause
The special was never In danger how
ever, as the switch into which the runa-
way engine went is always left open at
mat time OF night In order TO facilitate the
change of engines which occurs on the
express at Quantico The r.
+. and p. road ends a this station. and the
w ashingtOn Southern begins. Consequently
an engine of the latter company brings the
train to this city. The Jacksonville train
stops at the station upon it's arrival and
the engine Is detached and run into the
switch, while the Washington Southern en-
CINE takes it's place from another siding
opposite. The switch was open as usual
for this purpose last night, and would have
received the wild engine in any event. even
II the operator at Wide Water had not tel
egraphed ahead.
The Police Mt Once Notified.
A telegram received at 1:19 am. from
Richmond was delivered at police head
quarters in this city few minutes after
ward. The telegram reads:
Passenger train held up and robbed to-
night near Quantico. Robbers went toward
the river. May have crossed into Maryland
VIII you kindly notify county authorities?
One thousand dollars reward for arrest of
guilty parties. L. F. ID. MYERS,
President r., F. and p. r. r."
This was the only official notification of
the robbery received at police headquarters
here. and nothing was known by the officers
concerning the amount taken by the bold
robbers.
The police are inclined to the belief that
the robbers were not all professional robbers
but that some of them were men who were
more familiar with train service than they
were with train robbing.
The demand made for the manifest the
police imagine, shows that there was at
least one railroad man In the party, and the
robbers wanted to know just what was in
the safe before they went to work
Ferried Across the River.
This morning q soldier, stationed at Fort
Washington, called upon Inspector Holm
berger at police headquarters, and told him
of three men who were ferried across the
river from the fort to the Virginia side
yesterday by an old colored man. Two of
them were rough looking, but the third
member of the trio was a good looking
man, who was well dressed. When the
colored man returned to the fort he told
the sergeant he thought the men Were
crooked They were strangers in that
locality, and on their way across the river
the old man said they were reading a Stor,,