The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-03-28
TOLD BY THE ENGINEER.


Chattanooga, Tenn, March 27.-Cin-
cinnati Southern train No. 5 arrived
here on time today, although it stopped
a few minutes to kill three train rob-
berS. A News reporter met the train
on its arrival here and obtained the
following interviews from the con-
ductor and engineer:
Engineer Tom Springfield had been
running on the road for number of
years and is regarded as a very reli-
able engineer. This is his first expert
ence with train robbers and he told
the following story:
I'VE were coming along on time. En-
CINE $50 is a bumper and Rankin, my
fireman, was keeping her hot We had
mail, express and baggage car, a
smoker, two day coaches and two
sleepers. We left Somerset on time. I
slowed down a little as we ran through
tunnel No. g. about ten miles south of
Somerset, in Pulaski county, KY.
About 300 yards this side of the tun-
mel a man on the track with a white
light lantern. tagged me down.
Was n Lonely Spot.
'"This is one of the loneliest spots on
the road. You know it is up in the
rough and rugged mountain district of
Kentucky. There is not a house within
two miles of the place. In fact, 1 do
not know a house that is nearer than
Greenwood. That little station is about
two miles to the south. The road
somewhat curves and altogether a
better place could not have been Sc
lected for a train robbery. The fellow
in front kept swinging his lantern. He
stood in the center of the track. I
could not imagine what was the mat
ter
'"Did you think of train robbers?'
mo, I did not"
Did you suppose that a freight
train was ahead?"
mo, 1 did not did not think any
thing. I just saw the fellow swinging
his lantern and 1 stopped the train. 1
did not see anybody else. When I
stopped to see what he was swinging
the lantern for the fellow climbed into
the cab and said: Stand here till
tell you to go on and pointed pistol
at me. He stood on the left hand side
of the cab. He looked like a des-
perado. AS near as 1 can recollect,
he had a big black moustache, a SLOUGH
hat, and rather seedy clothes. He
looked like rough countryman. The
fellow did not say another word, but
kept his pistol pointed at me-"
Looked Like a Cannon.
did he not seem alarmed when the
shooting was going on?"
mo, he just kept standing there
with his pistol pointed at me. 1 don't
know what kind of a pistol it was,
but it was a big one
With this the brave engineer
Strengthened out his hand and placed
his left hand almost to his right elbow
to show the length of the robbers piS-
toll. 1t might have been horse pistol.
Rankin, my fireman" continued
Springfield, looked out of the cab
on his side and said: They've killed
two of Them but the fellow kept me
covered with his big gun and did not
say d word. After one or two more
shots were heard up in front the robber
dropped out of the cab and said: Go
ahead / opened the throttle and we
ran into Cumberland Falls, about four
miles further down.
When asked why he did not shoot
the robber as he left the engine Mr.
Springfield said neither he nor his
fireman had any weapons of any kind
After the fellow told me- to 90
ahead, we had gone but a short dis
tance when Rankin found a wounded
man on the tender. We stopped at
Cumberland Falls. four miles from the
tunnel and put him off, leaving him in
the telegraph office. He was badly shot
in the arm and side. He said he was a
tramp stealing a ride and that he was
not with the train robbers. but we do
not believe it. We were not stopped by
the robbers more than ten minutes.
We came on TO Chattanooga and got
here on time. That is all 1 know about
it, and I don't want to experience any
more fellows standing in my cab and
pointing big pistol at me-"
Engineer Springfield is a citizen of
Chattanooga and resides on Montgom-
cry avenue.
..We,re Held Ip-
superintendent Campbell. of the
Southern Express company. says there
was only between $40 and $50 in money
in the express safe. Dave Laski, the
express messenger on the train, seized
his carhina when the shooting began