The record-union., 1897-10-13
DARING ROBBERY
NEAR AUSTIN, TEX.
-Four Men Hold Up a Cannon Ball
Train in Broad Daylight.
The Conductor and a Passenger Shot, but
Not Seriously Wounded.
The Bandits Fail in Attempt to
Loot the Express Safe, but Re-
lieve the Passengers of All
Their Loose Change, Securing
About Two Hundred Dollars.

AUSTIN, Oct. 12-This afternoon
at $50 o'clock, broad, open daylight,
and within twelve miles of the corpo-
rate limits of the city, the southbound
Cannon Ball train on the International
and Great Northern was held up by
four men and robbed. The. conductor
of the train, Tom .Healy, was shot by
the robbers While resisting them, but
fortunately not seriously wounded.
One of the passengers had his shirt
collar carried away by a pistol ball
that was aimed at his neck, and an
other received a bullet wound in the
hand.
The passengers were robbed of some
5000 in money. The bandits attempted
to rifle the safe in the express car, but
We're unsuccessful.
When the train reached MCNEIL, a
small station fourteen miles above this
city, two heavily armed men boarded
the train and took up their stand on
the rear platform. After the conductor
had checked up the train, he reached
the platform, only to find a pistol on
either side of his head. The men de-
manded that he stop the train. He de-
clined to do SO, and began to run
through the train, with the two rob
bers in close pursuit. He had not gone
half the length of the first car when
the foremost robber shot at him, bring
ing him to the floor with a pistol wound
in the right arm.
At this juncture the other robber
pulled the bell cord, and the train was
brought to a standstill. 1t was evil
IDENTIFY at the appointed place for the
train had hardly stopped before two
other men, whose faces We're covered
with masks, stepped out from the trees
and began shooting into the cars In
stantly all was confusion.
The two men on the train were in1me-
diately Joined by those from the woods,
and began their work AS the train
porter spra- from the rear coach and
ran for shelter, a robber began shoot
ing at him, and the negro emptied a
revolver in return, without effect. The
express messenger looked out of his
car, and, taking in the situation. left
his car and ran through the woods, and
was soon lost to sight.
The robbers, in the meantime leav-
ing two men to guard the three coaches,
which were packed With passengers,
proceeded to the express car and de-
manded that the baggage man open
the express safe, but upon being as
sured that he could not do so, turned
their attention to the passengers. They
took only money from them, not over
looking a single cent and walking two
by two through the cars, so as to
always keep their eyes on all the pas
sengers. After securing about 5000 in
this manner, they uncoupled the engine
from the train and started off down
the track. After going several miles
they set the lever at a moderate gait,
and left the engine, scampering into the
surrounding country.
The engine came on to the flag sta
ton at Duval, four miles below, and
was there captured, and the station
agent returned to the scene of the rob
berry with the engine, secured the train
and came on to this city, arriving here
shortly after dusk.
officers have gone to the scene with
bloodhounds to locate the robbers.
The two men who boarded the train
at MCNEIL were not masked, but the
other two bandits features were con-
Cealed.