The San Francisco call., 1897-11-07
BANDIT RAID
ON A SANTA
FE EXPRESS
Overland Train Robbed
and Wrecked in
New Mexico.
CAPTURED BY FOUR
OUTLAWS.
Detach the Express Car, Run
Ahead and Blow Open
the Safe.
INTO COACHES.
Fire Follows the Collision and
Four of the Cars Are
Consumed.
Detach the Express Car, Run
Ahead and Blow Open
the Safe.
ENGINE SENT CRASHING
INTO COACHES.
Fire Follows the Collision and
Four of the Cars Are
Consumed.
Special Dispatch to THE CALL

ALBUQUERQUE, Nov. 6-Overland
Santa Fe Pacific train No. 2, in charge OF
Conductor Aldrich, due at this city at
1925 O'Clock tonight was held up by
train bbers near Grants Station, N. Mex,
about ninety-fve miles west of Albu-
querque.
The robbers, four in number, boarded
the train at Grants, and at the stcckyards,
half mile from the station, ordered the
conductor to stop the train.
They then cut the train and taking the
engine and the express and mail cars ran
about a mile and half east of Grants,
where they blew open the safe. 1t is i'm
possible 10 learn at this hour what the
loss IL.
The robbers then reversed the engine
and sent it with the TWO cars crashing
into the ear.portion of the train, causing
a disastrous wreck. Four cars were de-.
stroyed by fire.
Sheriff Hubbard and his deputy of this
county left on train for the scene of the
robbery Immediately u pom receipt of tele-
graphic notice from Division Superinfen-
dent Hubbard at Gallup.
The train reached Grants about thirty
minutes late. 1t consisted of mail, bag
gage car, the regular baggage-car, an
express-car. day coach, a chair-car and
two sleepers.
On going to the water tank at a siding
two miles east OF Grants, known as Saints,
The train was taken possession of by the
desperadoes the party being supposed 10
consist of four men, as no more than that
were seen.
One of the outlaws took possession of
the engine and another cut the train in
two Just ahead of the day coach. The
engine and the attached cars were taken
half mile further east. At the point
where the express car was cut off the mes
senger was ordered out OF the car and
none but the robbers went on ahead.
As soon a. the train was cut, Conductor
Aldrich walked to Grants Station and
sent message to Sheriff hubbell of this
county, saying:
Train No. held up at Grants. Rob-
bers have taken possession of the train
and run out east about mile and half
They were blowing up the safe in the
express car just after l started to walk
back to the station. They had no horses,
but it is likely they had horses near where
they stopped the rain"
About this time message was received
from Division Superintendent Hibbard OF
the Santa Fe Pacific at Gallup saying:
tOur No boi nv, at CazJ.
say the result of the robbery, but express
has been blown up and operator at Grants
thinks it is being burned, as he sees fire
in the direction OF the train. Please send
posse TO pursue robbers"
In response to these messages train No.
l from the east was taken by Sheriff Hub
bell and Deputy ShsrIff Fred Fornoff,
who are now on their way to the scene.
Later messages suppose that after the
robbers had blown up the safe III the ex-
press-car and looted it the engine and cars
were started back toward the cars left
standing on the track. 1t is presumed
that the outlaws reversed the engine and
sent it back to make compile e wreck and
block the track.
II such were their Intentions they were
entirely successful. for the express-car
the day coach and chaircar were tele-
scoped, afterward taking fire and being
totally destroyed The baggage in the
baggage-car was all taken out before the
fire reached it.
There has as yet bsen no word received
that would indicate any loss of life or
bodily injury, but the question will be in
doubt until some one arrives from the
scene
1t will be several hours before the track
at the point where the fire occurred will
be passable, but it is thought that the
engine, mailcar and two baggage-cars,
which were ahead of the exp -ess.car and
were not reported as injured, will be apt
to come on TO Albuquerque without wait
for the wreck 10 be cleared.
NO description of the robbers nor clew
TO their identity has yet been received
here. The Santa Fe Pacific has recently
been sending out hundreds OF laborers.
among them being very many rough
characters.
A large number OF them were locat ed
north OF Grants, and one theory advanced
Is that some OF them did the work. 1t is
not known how much they secured. ex.
cept that they took whatever the Wells
Fargo safe contained. No mention is made
of any molestation of the passengers.
A late report reaches here of a rumor
that when Engineer Henry Mozart was
ordered from his engine. Fireman Henry
Abel vas taken on ahead by the
robbers and was killed by the explosion
when they blew up the safe. No train
will reach here before o'clock.
Purcha-rs CroEer's Interest.