The Van Buren press., 1895-10-12
MASKED ROsBKRS
Held Cp . Traia - The Rriscs Xeal
CAx4ea, l. Z.

Rrsn the Post Disy4KA
The nor1hhound Frisco train was
robbed sf CASTOR, /. T.. Effy miles
south Of Fort Smith Sunday night.
There were SIX nen IN the party, and
After holding up the train one stood
guard over the passengers while the
Others cut loose the express car and ran
II up the track. They failed to get a
the through safe. and the amount &C.
cured from the lccal, IS cents. disgussed
them, 30 they threw 1t on the noor and
left H. They cursed the messenger for
not having more money and left. The
train was crowded with people coming
to Ringing Crns, but the robbers
said they did not want anything from
the passengers A great sensation and
almost q panic was proiuoed among
them by the action Of boy who became
scared and ran The robbers guard
told him 10 halt and fired through the
bottom Of the car; the boy stumbled
and fell and 1t was thought he was
killed The robbers were very cool and
IL is thought fhey were old hands at the
business 1t Is Laid 70 the Christian
brothers gang. but as the United State.
AArshal's 8 Office II ID thought to be .
new gang. The Christian brothers have
. host of friends near CASTOR and were
nArbored there after they escaped from
Oklahoma Ii was near there that they
bad the fght with the officers In which
one Of the gang. John Fossenden. vae
killed.
Supt- Simpson. Of the Well Fargo
Express Company. received by wire
1 >A~ q
The train hAd stopped 1t Castor tank
for water The spot il . lonely one.
There isn't . residence In sight and q
heovy forest of live oaks stretches in all
directions for milee. An UNMARRIED pail
Of clouds mufaed the expanse Of sky from
zenith to horizon, and not = star was
visible. Almost before the engine had
como TO fun sop it was boarded BY two
men wearing MASKS Of handana hand
kerchiefs and aourishing hig revolvers.
The engineer and fireman knew what
was meant and realized that resistance
meant death
Meantime two Others Of the gang were
going through the day passenger ooach
firing their pistols into the hoor and
terroriking the passengers into silence.
A fifth man stood In the shadow Of
the tank and gave directions to the
Others. The engineer and fireman, ai
the points Of revofvers, were forced BY
their captors to uncouple the comhinA-
tion mail and passenger coach and the
baggage car from the main train, and
with the Eve bandits in the cab, TO run
the engine and t~o cars to point two
miles above the tank.
Before leaving the main train they
made the conductor send \ fagman bach
to prevent . collision. They also
forced the conductor to accompany
them. Arriving at the rendezvous they
demanded Of Well Fargo Express
Messenger Andrew of Fl. Smith. to oper
the safe. When informed by him thai
it had . time lock, and he couldn ;,
therefore open the safe. they threatened
to blow it mp with sticks Of dynamite
which they carried.
The conductor told them that they
might blow the whole train to smither-
eens without damaging the safe, and
this induced them TO turn their attention
from the express to the mail car. They
rifed the mail pouches, but got very
little money.
Supt. Simpson. who has been mainly
instrumental In having the old Cook and
other gangs of Indian Territory train
robbers captured or killed off during
the past year, thinks this band Is AZ
entirely new one, and ie inclined K
believe that ii was led by some railroad
man, because of the accurate mowled8s
displayed in the handling of the train.