The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-03-28
STORIES OF TRAINMEN.
The Engineers and Conductors Ac-
count of the "Hold Up."


STORIES OF TRAINMEN.
The Engineers and Conductors Ac-
count of the sHold Up,
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. March 27.--When
the held up train arrived here the en-
giileer and conductor were at once inter-
viewed. They related thrilling stories of
their experience Engineer Thomas Spring.
field, who lives here, has been running on
the road for a number of years and is
regarded as reliable man. This is his
first experience with train robbers. To a
reporter he said: I'VE were coming along
pr time. Engine $50 is bumper and Ran
kin, my fireman. keeping her hot. We
had a mail. express and baggage car, a
smoker, two day coaches and two seepers.
We left Somerset on time. I slowed down
a little as we ran through tunnel No. 9,
about sixteen miles sodth of Somerset. in
Pulaski county. Kentucky. About three
hundred yards this side of the tunnel
man on the track with a white light lam
tern tagged me down. This is one of the
loneliest spots on the entire road. You know
1t is up in the rugged mountain district.
There Is not house without two miles
Of the place In fact, don't know of
house that Is nearer than Greenwood That
little station was about two miles to the
south The road somewhat curves, too, and
altogether a better place could not have
been selected for train robbery. The fell
dow in front kept swinging his lantern. He
stood in the center of the track. 1 could
not imagine what was the matter
"Did you think of train robbers?" asked
the reporter.
mo, did not"
Did you suppose that freight wreck
was ahead?"
mo, did not. did not think anything.
just saw the fellow swinging his lantern
and | stopped the train. | did not see
When I stopped to see what he was
swinging the lantern for the fellow climbed
tell You to 60 a on sand and pointed ae pistol e' at
me. He stood on the left hand side of the
cab As near as I can recollect he had
rather seedy Clothes. He 'o looked ri like s'" a
rough countryman. The fellow did not say
s another word, but just kept his pistol
did he not seem alarmed when the shoot
mo. he just kept standing there with his
pistol pointed at me. 1 don't know what
kind Of pistol It was, but it was big
one. With this the engineer Strengthened
out his hand and placed his left hand al
most to his right elbow to snow the length
OF the, the robbers ,o pistol. 1t might have been
se .,Ran1ln; my brennan M continued spring
and said They've killed two ?" of nus th saae
But the fellow kept me covered with his
a
one or two more shots were heard up
an front the robber backed out of the cab
and said go ahead opened the. throttle
and we ran on to Cumberland Falls about
four miles further down.
When asked why he did not shoot the
weapons. After the fellow told me to 60
ahead. said the engineer. I'VE had gone
but short distance when Rankin found
wounded man on the tender. We stopped
al taQx in f11a ali
graph office. They say he was badly shot
in the arm and side. He said he was a
with the train robbers, but we do not be-
1eve it. We We're not stopped by the rob-
to Chattanooga and got here on time. That's
all | know about it. and don't want to
experience any more fellows standing in
my cab pointing big pistol at me-
THE CONDUCTORS STORY.
Conductor Peter German. who was In
charge of the train, says: 1--WE were six
teen miles south OF Somerset and had
come through tunnel No. 3. / was in the
sleeper checking up my fares when
the train came to a stop. got off on the
ground with the fiagman. / saw the blaze
of pistol, and then another one / told
the flagman ne had better climb back on
the train, as the shooting was going length
wise of the train and he might get shot and
did the same. | then went forward and
found that the train robbers had boarded
us. There were five of them. One watched
the engineer, three entered the baggage car
left-hand side Of the train When the
train stopped Algood went out of the car
and as he stepped on the front platform
the. robber, or the robbers. on the ground
yelled: Throw up your hands or Til shoot
YOU Instead of doing this Algood drew
lis pistol and began shooting The other
G and ddy joined AsOod ran in Se
fusillade. They killed one man. another
was wounded and died at O'Clock this
morning. The third We left at Cumberland
Falls.
.'It was all done SO quickly that there
does not seem much to tell. In ten minutes
, we We're re-, going on. a wrscking train fol-
of our train. and We left the detectives and
their prisoner to be taken on by it. The
day coaches were fairly well filled. The
passengers were somewhat alarmed, but
as the train soon moved on they were reas-
sured. Not one Of the railroad employees
or passengers was hurt Nor so far as
know, did bullet enter coach. The shoot
ing was done along the train We found
one rarbine they had dropped. The rob-
bers evidently thought they entered the ex-
press car when they entered the baggage
car. don't know who the robbers We're
but they are supposed to be men living near
superintendent SampbeII. of the southern
Express Company, says there was only
between $40 and $50 in money in the ex-
eenger on the train. seized his carbne when
lightly locked He knows nothing about
the hohup In one Of the the day coaches
began, man with a big mouth and loud
voice yelled: eve are held up woman
and children began crying. and everybody
began throwing money and jewelry under
the seats They did not sleep any more.
III Oberdorfer, of New Orleans. and A. G.
Miller. Of Louisville We're among the pas
Mrs Cooper wife of Governor Mckinley's
corresponding secretary. sent telegram