, 1897-11-08

Train and T~elescoped Three Cars.
Albuquerque. n. NJ. Nov. 6.-The
boldest n apparently the most sue.
c~essful hold-up in the history of the
Santa Fe Pacific railroad occurred to,
night about 9 O'Clock near Grants sta.
tiOn. The regular passenger train
reached Grants about thirty minutes
late and consisted of a mail car, a dead
head baggage car. the regular baggage
car, an express car, a day coach. a
chair car and W. sleepers.
On going to the water tank at a sid
ing two miles east of Grants, known as
Saints. the train was taken possession
of by desperadoes. the party being sup
posed to consist of four men. as no
more than that were seen. After Sc
curing possession of the train. one Of
the men tool possession of the engine
and another member of the band cut
the train in two just ahead of the day
coach, and the engine and the attached
cars were taken half a mile further
east.
At the point where the express car
was cut out the messenger was ordered
ont of the car. and none but the robbers
went on ahead.
AS o o as the train was cut, Con,
ductor Aldrich walked to Grants sta.
ton and sent a message to Sheriff Hub
bell of this county, saying. Train No.
2 held up at Grants. Robbers have
taken possession Of train and run out
east about a mile and a half. They
were blowing up safe in express car
just after l started to walk back to the
station. They had no horses, but it
is likely they had them near where they
stopped the train"
About the same time a message was
received from Division Superintendent
Hubbard of the Santa Fe Pacific at Gal.
Imp. saying: Our No. . held up at
Grants. Cant say result of the robbery
but express has been blown up and
oIt alpl At HldIltS tIlHh II Is DtllS
burnt. as he sees fire in the direction Of
the train. Please send posse to pursue
robbers"
In response to these messages train
No. ! from the west was taken by Sher-
if Hubbell and Deputy Sheriff Fred
Fornoff, who are now on their way
to the scene.
FURTHER DETAILS.
Albuquerque, N. NJ, Nov. THE No.
2 passenger train of the Santa Fe Pa
cific, which was held up at Grants sta
ton last night. reached the city at
1870 o'clock this morning. Conductor
Aldrich states hat just as the train
came to a halt at Grants a fusilade Of
shots rang out on the air. and as far as
he could see several men boarded the
train, one on the engine. He and the
engineer. II. D.. McCarty. were on the
platform. but ran and caught the train
as ii was moving ont. the fireman, Hen
~ Abel, being compelled at the point of
a cooked revolver to pull the train up
at the stock yards, about two miles dis,
tant. The conductor. fully realizing
that something was wrong, left the
train at the stock yards. where the rob-
bers had ordered the train stopped. and
ran back to the station, telegraphine
the news to Division Superintendent
Hubbard at Gallup and Sheriff HUB
bell.
In the meantime, however, the rob-
bers. who wore false boards and were
unmasked, cut the mail coach. day and
chair coaches and the Pullman sleeper
from the engine and express car. and
the fireman was again ordered to pull
the latter further up the road. They
commenced dynamiting the express car
and the third explosion blew out one
end of the ear, Abel being forced to
assist the robbers. Once inside they
picked out a safe. which they surmised
contained considerable money and val
uables, and placed on it a stick of dyna-
mite, a few Jumps Of coal IN the dyna>
mite, and then attached a fuse, which
they lit. and blew a hole in the safe.
They helped themselves to a number
of packages containing gold and silver
coin. which they placed in a sack, and
then left the car. going in the direction
of the Malpoi rocks. where their horses
were picketed. The express car was on
fire, and Abel. thoroughly frightened,
and after seeing the robbers at a safe
distance, backed the engine and ex>
press car into the other portion OF the
train. left standing at the stock yards.
and in consequence the express car,
day coach and chair car were telescoped
and all three destroyed by fire.
Express Route Agents Bay and Tice,
who went out to the scene last night,
returned this morning. and they state
that the robbers did not get into the
most valuable safe. which, with two
others. were badly warped and dam
aged by fire. They think. however.
that the robbers secured several hun.
bred dollars, but the exact amount will
not be known for some time. as all the
papers and records OF the car and safe
were burned in the fire. The baggage
was all removed before the fire got un,
der Roadway and saved, and the passen-