The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-03-28
Their Warm Reception Due to
the Fact That OFFICERS
Were Aboard.
A TIMELY TIP IS GIVEN,
During the Fatal Fusillade the En-
gineer Was covered" by One
of the Gang.

daring but unsuccessful attempt at train
robbery occurred at 80 A. NJ. to-day in the
southern part of Kentucky, when six men
undertook to stop southbound train No. 8,
on the Queen and Crescent Railroad. One
of the six was killed outright, one died at
4 o'clock this morning, and the third, Civ
ing the name of Miller, lies here severely
wounded. The other three escaped. The
train reached Chattanooga to-day on time.
The reason for this summary disposal of
the train robbers is found in the fact that
some tidings of their purpose had been
given TO the railroad or express authorities
and T. r. Griffin, the Superintendent of
Police on the Southern road, had with him
on the train two trusted assistants. The
train had Just reached the south end of
tunnel 9, a mile north of Greenwood, when
the robbers signaled it to stop.
They had scarcely disclosed their pur-
pose when Griffin and his assistants began
offensive operations. In ten minutes three
robbers had bitten the dust, the other three
had flown and the train was speeding
on its way. No injury was suffered by any
one on the train.
A telegram from Cumberland Falls SAYS
the third man taken from the engine has
since died The robbery was planned for
March II, but as the creek was out of it's
banks the men were afraid they might be
caught, and postponed it.
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn, March 28.-
Cincinnati Southern train No. arrived
here on time to-day, although it stopped a
few minutes to kill three train-robbers. A
reporter met the train on its arrival here
and obtained interviews with the conduc-
tor and engineer. Engineer Tom Spring
field has been running on the road for a
number Of years, and is regarded as a very
reliable engineer. This is his first expert
ence with train-robbers, and he told the
following story:
1--WE were coming along on time. En-
CINE $50 is bumper, and Rankin, my fire.
man, was keeping her hot. We had mail,
express and baggage cars, smoker, two
day coaches and two sleepers. We left
Somerset on time. l slowed down little
as we ran through tunnel No 8. about ten
miles south of Somerset, in Pulaski County,
KY. About 800 yards this side of the tun-
mel man on the track with a white Ian
TIN tagged me down. This is one of the
4 peliest spots on the road. You know, it
mp in the rough and rugged mountain
district of Kentucky. There is not house
within two miles of the place. In TACT,
do not know a house that is nearer than
Greenwood. That little station is about
two miles TO the south. The road some
what curves, and altogether better place
could not have been selected for a train
robbery. The fellow in front kept swing
ing his lantern. He stood in the center of
the track l could not imagine what was
the matter"
Did you think of train-robbers
NO, did no."
did you suppose that freight train was
ahead?"
"No, l did not. did not think any,
thing. just saw the fellow swinging his
lantern and 1 stopped the train. did not
see anybody else. When l stopped to see
what he was swinging his 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 desperate. AS near as l can recollect
he had big black mustache, SLOUGH hat
and rather sandy clothes. He looked like
rough countryman. The fellow did not
say another word, but kept his pistol
pointed at me-"
shooting was going on?"
mo, he just kept standing there with his
pistol pointed at me. L don't know what
kind of pistol it was, but it was a big
one"
With this the engineer Strengthened out
his hand and placed his left hand almost
to his right elbow, to show the length of
the robbers pistol. 1t might have been a
horse-pistol.
Rankin, my fireman." continued
Springfield, "looked out of the cab on mis-
side and said, They've killed two of them
But the fellow kept me covered with his
blg gun and did not saya word. After one
or TWO shots were heard up IN front, the
TopDer dropped out of the cab and said.
Uo ahead.' / opened the throttle and we
ran into Cumberland, about four miles fur.
Their down"
when asked why he did not shoot the
ROPER as he left the engine, Springfield
SAID neither he nor his fireman han anv
weapons of any kind.
"After the fellow told me to On abaad uo
had gone but short distance when Ran
kin found wounded man on the tender
We stopped at Cumberland Falls forr
miles from the tunnel, and mt hin, ofe
leaving him in the telegraph office He
was badly shot in the arm and side He
said he was tramp stealing a ride. and
that he was not with the train-robbers bnt
we do not believe it. We were not STONED
by the robbers more than ten minutes We
came on to Chattanooga and got here on
time. That's all know about it, and 7
don't want to experience any more fellows
standing in my cab and pointing a big
pistol at me-"
superintendent Campbell of the South.
ern Express Company says there was only
between $40 and $50 in money in the ex
press safe. Dave Laski, the express mes
senger on the train, seized his carbine
when the shooting began and kept the
doors tightly locked. He knows nothing
about the robbery. Passengers in the
sleepers for New Orleans and Jacksonville
were not awakened. In one of the coaches
when the train stopped and the shooting
began, one man with a big mouth and
large voice, yelled, "By God, we are held
up"