The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-11-08
HOLD-UP ON THE SANTA FE.
TWO MEN RoB AN EXPRESS CIB
AND GET MUCH PLUNDER.

Robbers in View Mexico BLOW Open the Menoy
sars and Mako on with All lite Contents-
One Raan Staggered Under the Loaa-
Tho Thieves Were Cool and Deliberate.
ALBUQUERQUE, N. NJ, Nov. 1.-THE belated
train No. . from Los Angeles over tho Santa FS
Pacific Railroad, which was held up At
Grants Station at 8 o'clock on Saturday
night, reached here at 1880 this morning,
and the Wells.Fargo money safe, with the
big hole In the door, and its larger companions
which were used for the transportation Of ar.
ticles Of lessor value than gold coin and cur
rency, with their sides badly scorched, wore
viewed by o large crowd of curiosity seekers.
Tho train reached Grants Station at 7:50
o'clock last night, thirty minutes late. At this
point several robbers boarded II, and whom 10
stopped at tho stock yards and water tank,
something over q mile east Of tho station, the
shooting began.
There were o number of hobos around the
train, and the robbers shot all around them to
Brighten them away. The passengers thought
1t was tho trainmen who were shooting at the
tranps and felt no apprehension at frat.
The trainmen. seeing q largo number OF men
around the cars, were unable to distinguish be-
tween robbers and tramps, and thought they
were being attacked by a large force. Harry
McCarty, the engineer, was on tho ground ILL
ing the oil cups Of his engine.
When the firing began he went back into the
train. Express Messenger Lori un .erstood
tho situation whom he heard the shots, and
hid his watch and other personal val
uables in the car and then jumped out
Of 1t, locked the door and went back
into the day coach. He threw his tell-tele cap
under ono Of the seats and borrowed q hat from
. passenger and waited. expecting each minute
that the hold.ups would come back In search Of
him to open the car and the safe,
In tho meantime Henry Abel, the fireman.
who was on the engine. had been fred at several
times, ono Of the shots grazing his back and
passing up through the roof Of the cab. He
asked how many there were Of the attacking
party and some one answered: Fifteen, and
all armed"
Abel was then taken back and forced to un-
couple the express car. The engine, mail, bag.
gage, and express car were taken up tho track
about half a mile. When the robbers found that
the express car was locked they took 1t for
granted the messenger was inside and riddled
the door and sides with bullets.
When this was found to DO useless they began
to work On the door with giant powder. Three
shots were fred before an entrance was
effected.
As soon as they were inside tho robbers went
, directly to the money safe, and paid no atten-
tion whatever to the other three that were In
y the car.
l The fireman was sent to the tender for some
I coal, which was laid on top of the giant powder
D on the safe. and then the fuse was lighted.
The first shot was successful, and thon the
> fireman was forced to help them load the money
. into o sack, which was said to be 80 heavy when
. filled that the man who carried 1t bent over az
D he walked.
, After succeeding with their job, which took
' them nearly an hour. the robbers stin
seemed to be in no hurry and took time
a to ransack the messengers lunch basket,
5 finding in It three apples. Only two
! robbers had been at work on the car and each
D sat down and ate an apple. whilo the third was
given to the fireman. Whiskey bottles were
frequently passed between them and they left .
bottle with the fireman to be given to the engi-
D neer.
There were no horses in sight. but it IL thought
3 another member Of the party was waiting with
> horses near the stockyards, as the men started
off in that direction.
The fireman does not give q very clear do.
' %scription of the men. but thinks no could
identify them IL he saw them again.
a A young fellow. who was beating his way on the
top of the baggage car lay there and watched
the whole performance, and is sure he would
a know the men II he saw them again.
When the raiders left. tho fireman started
back for the train. His fire had run down.
ond while he was STOPPING over fixing up.
he ran too close to the cars to check
. his engine and the shock OF the collision over
turned a stove in the day coach and set fire to
the train.
r The fireman was under the impression when
I he started back that tho cars had boon
cut off at Gratis. and he did not think
he was near them until to- close to stop
Q After the fire started the two cars ahead Of
the combination baggage and express car
= were uncoupled and ran out to q safe
distance. BY the time the men gob
back it was too hot to uncouple the
the chair car. 80 it was burned with the day
-. coach and express. The two Pullmans suffered
no damage whatever.
There were not more than twenty-five
passengers on the train, and none
u Of them was molested. Ono excit-
able lady put her head out of the window. but a
u pistol shot and a western nickname caused her
to subside and close the window again.
4 Sheriff Hubbcll and Deputy Fornoff Of Ber-
nallo county and several OF the officers from
!, the Santa F6 Pacific are now looking for the
robbers, but the results are doubtful.
Q One man from Grants claims to have seen the
two men in a saloon there during tho day. but
all the clues are very slight.
BLACK Jacks gang Is credited by many
with being to blame for tho robbery. A peculiar
feature OF the case Is that a tip was supposed to
have been received a fewweeks ago bythe express
company that a hold up would soon be attempted
= and extra guards were put on. These have boon
on every train up to within n few days ago.
when they were taken off as useless.
1t Is impossible to get even an approx
mate figure on the express company's loss.
but 1t is known that recent money ship
ments from the coast have been large.
q the safe containing about $57, O0O. q few
d nights ago. In addition to the Wells-Fargo
standing reward OF $3.50, General Manager w.
@. Nevin OF the Santa Fe. Pacific and Southern
California railroads will offer a reward OF $500