The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-12-29
a. Z. sToEeER's uERoIsM.
He Escaped Prom Train Held Up
by Bandits i'm Time to Prevent IA
Collision


From the st. Louis Republic.
From out of the wilds of New Mexico
comes a story of thrilling adventure that
has for its hero a. F. Stoeger, a WELL
known St. Louisan.
Stoeger is the general agent for the
American Brewing Company. and resides
at No. l.Sl1 Kennett place.
He left St. Louis nearly two weeks ago
for trip through Texas Arizona and Cal
ifornia.
Having completed his business in Texas
a few days ago, he boarded a Southern Pa
citic train, known as the sunset Limited, "
bound for Arizona. His trip was without
adventure until his train pulled out of a
place called STEMS Pass, in the wilds of
New Mexico, about midnight Thursday.
The train had gone but a short distance
toward the Arizona line when the engineer
saw danger signal ahead, and brought
his train to stop. As the train stopped
several armed bandits came from ambush.
Two Of them boarded The engine and kept
the engineer and fireman covered with
their guns. while the others made for the
express car, keeping up a fusillade the
while.
The shooting aroused the sleeping pas
sengers and badly frightened many, Stoe-
ger, divining the cause of the trouble, hur-
riedly dressed himself and slipped from the
car.
The robbers were too busy battling with
the express company's guards to notice
him, and he ran some distance down The
track in the dark.
1t is said that he journeyed about a mile
IL e 4
the sound of the robbers fusilade, when
he saw the headlight of another engine
approaching in the darkness. 1t was on the
same track as the sunset Limited" and
he realized that something must be done,
and done quickly. He hurriedly gathered
together a lot of rubbish and old paper.
and, applying a match, soon had a fair
sized bonfire ablaze on the track. The sig
hal was effective. The rapidly approaching
train slackened its speed and Stoeger
climbed aboard. He related what had hap
pened a mile above, and the train bore
down cautiously on the scene.
When the two trains came within hail
ing distance the bandits had fed, leaving
one of their number dead. Then for The
first time was it realized what heroic
service Stoeger had performed. But for his
timely warning, there was every danger
of the latter train crashing into the Sun
set Limited and many lives would have
been lost 1t was a very dangerous under
taking for Stoeger, and, whatever his mo-
tive in leaving the train attacked by the
robbers. the end branded his action as one
of great heroism.
A. r. Stoeger is 30 years old, married.
and an Austrian by birth. He has been a
resident of st. Louis for ten years.
The telegraphic story of the robbery is
as follows
Denver, Col, Dec 1O-A special from
FL Paso, Tex, says: Meager particulars
were received in this city late last night
from San Simon, a small station just east
of Wilcox, Ark, on the Southern Pacific,
Of train hold-up. Train No. 20, the
Sunset Limited, had just left STEMS Pass,
N. NJ, near the Arizona line, when the en-
gneer noticed a danger signal in front
and Immediately applied the air brake.
No sooner was tho train brought to Il
stop that five men stepped out from their
hiding places near the tracks, all heavily
armed. One covered the engineer with his
Winchester while the others gave their at
tention TO the train proper, more especially
to the express car, firing their guns in the
air and otherwise frightening the passen-
gers.
cat this point the guards in the express
car took hand in the fusilade. Thirty
or forty shots are said to have been fired
by both sides. One Fargo guarc,
JFuIliiB6 Uy Udillt, SuCCEtueu III
Robber Cullen, who was nearest the car,
and who was evidently the leader, for as
soon as the other robbers noticed his
body lying on the ground they 1ost cour-
age and made a break for their horses,
but another bullet from Jennings Win
chester evidently struck one of the fleeing
robbers as he was seen TO fall, and was
assisted out of range by his comrades. No
express money was stolen and none of the
passengers were hurt.
A later Geographic account adds the fol-
lowing particulars: SANDY Collins was
shot and killed by Express Guard Jen-
nings. Previous TO the arrival of the tram
four bandits rode into the station and
held up and robbed Agent st. John and
Section Foreman McMullen, and at the
same time cut all wires. so that no warn
ing could be given when the train pulled
into the station. Robbers attacked the
express car and ordered Messenger Jen.
nings to surrender. In the cGr were Ex-
press Guards Thatcher and Jennings, and
when the leader of the robbers was shot
IN the head and instantly killed by Jen-
nings, the other robbers mounted their
horses and fed.
1.-The body of the dead bandit was taken
to Tucson. The railroad company, ex-
pecting trouble, had been employing extra
guards for weeks past. officers are in
pursuit of the robbers.
collins, the dead bandit was until re-
Gently employed a cowboy in the San
Simon valley ranges, in Eastern Arizona,
and bis companions, instead of being the
Black Jack gang, as originally supposed.
are now known TO have been a band OF
cowboys. The ROBBERS did not even sue
coed in gaining an entrance to the car
When they attacked the train, Express
Messenger Adair and the two guards, Jen-
nings and Thatcher, opened fire, and the
fusilade was on when Collins got in good
range and was shot and instantly killed.
whereupon the others fed. But little
money was secured from the station agent
and section foreman. The original gang
are still thought to be in hiding in their
retreat in the Sierra Madres, in Old Mex
ico."