Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-10-13
The Express Messenger, Wanted N
Acknowledgement From the Bandits.

The Express Messenger Wanted nm
Acknowledgment From the Bandits.
Mr.. W. II. Robotham of Brooklyn. N. Y,
" no was on the train returning from Rich
mond. where he had been billing that city
In the interest Of the Virginia Jockey Club.
stated to Star reporter this morning that
when the train stopped most of the pas
sengers supposed some station had been
reached.
But we almost Immediately" explained
Mr.. Robotham, discovered our mistake.
for hardly had the train come to a stand
still when We heard a number of shots, fol-
lowed by the appearance on the train of
two or three men. The train was stopped
in a great cut, the banks on either side of
the single track being about fifty feet high.
There were about eight of the train rob-
bers, as far as We could see. Two of them,
the fellows who climbed down into the
engine and ordered the engineer to stop, had
evidently boarded the train at Brooks sta
ton. between Whitewater and Fredericks-
burg. But, of course, no one saw them get
on.
The point where the train was stopped"
said Mr.. Robotham. must have been ar
ranged between the robbers, for when the
train stopped we could see the rest of the
gang running down the banks. AS they ran
down toward the train the robbers fired
several volleys. and then it was that We
man and child on the train at once began to
hide their money and valuables. Before we
got very far In that, however, a robber ap-
peared at the doors of the cars and began
firing through them. That was done to keep
US still. and you can bet that 1t did. No at
tempt was made to rob any of the passen-
gers.
IAN this time" continued Mr.. Robotham
''the rest of the robbers were rifiing the ex-
press car. We could hear a shot now and
then. and heard the explosion of the dyna-
mite. We could also see the engineer and
negro fireman sitting on the bank beside the
engine with their hands held high up above
their heads. The conductor got hold Of a
pistol, and. supposing the engineer and fire.
man were robbers, was about to fire at
them, when some one told him who they
were.
The conductor was plucky chap,and We
had all we could do to keep him In the car,
for he wanted to go out with his pistol and
get a crack at the robbers. But he would
have had no chance against the gang, and
we finally convinced him of that fact, but
much against his WILL
when the engine was detached from the
train and pulled out, we hardly knew. 50
quietly was it all DONE said Mr.. Robotham.
The express messenger was a cool chap,
and asked the robbers to give him re-
ceipt for the stuff taken. They told him
that their receipt wouldn't help him. In
one of the pigeonholes was a roll of money
belonging to the company. But when the
messenger said that 1t was his the robbers
told him to keep 1t, explaining that they
didn't want any of his stuff. They also
refused to take package of bonds. While
all Of us were pretty uneasy, we took 1t
rather quietly. and one fellow on the train
yelled out to the robbers to touch the Pull
man porter, as he had about all Of our
stuff"
Mr.. Robotham explained that so far as he
saw none of the passengers were robbed
the robbers seemingly being bent only on
robbing the express car The robbers he
said, wore cloths over their faces, and that
while they were roughly dressed. they were
evidently experts in their business and had
undoubtedly previously arranged every de-
tail OF the robbery. The place where 1t
occurred. said Mr.. RobOtham, could not
have been better adapted to the purpose
When the robbers finally left the engine
they had. ne thought, made their way to
the river. and they boarded a boat in wait
ing for them.