The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1897-11-07
A SUCCESSFUL HOLDUP
THEY BLEW OPEN THE SAFE
The AFFAIR Occurred at a Water Tank
Siding in New Msxico-The Engine
and Express Cars We're Cut
on and Looted.

Albuquerque. n. A.. Nov. s.-The
boldest and apparently most successful
hold-up In the history Of the Santa Fe
Pacific railroad occurred tonight AT
about O'Clock near Grants station.
The regular passenger train reached
Grants about 20 minutes late and con-
sisted of "A mail car. deadhead bag
gage car the regular baggage car, an
express car. a day coach. a chair car
and two slecpers.
ON going To the water tank at a sid
as Saints, the train was taken posses
sion of by desperadoes the party be-
ing supposed 10 consist OF four men. as
no more than that number were seen.
After securing possession. one of the
men took possession of the engine and
another member of the party 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 on. the messenger was or
dered out of the car and none but the
robbers went on ahead. As soon as the
tfdln WIS CUT abuuutttI tiuiNN
walked to Grants station and sent a
message To Sheriff Hubbell of this
county. saying:
Train No. held up at Grants.
Robbers have taken possession of the
train and run out east about mile ana
half. They were blowing up the safe
In the express car just after I started
10 walk back to the station. They had
no horses. but IL Is likely they had
horses near where they stopped the
train"
About the same time q message was
received from Division superintendent
Hubbard of the Santa Fe Pacific at
Gallup, saying:
our No. ? held up at Grants Can't
say result of the robbery. but express
has been blown up and operator at
Grants thinks IL 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. !. from the East. Was taken by
Sheriff Hubbell and Deputy sheriff
Fred Fornoff. who are now on their
way TO the scene. A later MESA &c
says that after the robbers had blown
up the safe In the express car and loot
ed II. the engine and cars were aban-
doned and ran back into the cars left
standing ON the track. II is presumed
that they reversed the engine and sent
II back 10 make a complete wreck and
block the track. III such We're their In
tentioDs they were entirely successful,
for the express car. the day coach and
chair car were telescoped, afterwards
taking fire and being totally destroyed.
The baggage In the baggage car was
all taken out before the fire reached II.
There has as yet been no word re-
ceived that would Indicate any loss OF
! life or bodily injury, but the question
| viii he In doubt until some one arrives
from the scene. IL will be several hours
before the track at the point where
the fire occurred will be made pass
able. but IL is thought that the engine.
mail car and two baggage cars which
/ were ahead Of the express car and were
not reported as injured, will come on
to Albuquerque without waiting for the
wreck Ia be cleared up. No description
of the robbers or clue 10 their identity
has yet been received here.
The Santa Fe Pacific has recently
been sending out hundreds ~ laborers
among them being many very tough
! characters. a large number of them
were located near Grants, and one the-
ory advanced is that some of these
men did the work. II IL not known
| how much The robbers secured, except
they took whatever the Wells. Fareo's
safe contained. No mention Is made
Of any mulestation of the passengers
IL IL known that none Of the employc,
/ Of the express company were injured
Later reports reach here of IA rumor
/ that when Engineer Harry McCarl was
ordered from his engine. Fireman
Henry Abel was taken on ahead by tht
robbers and was killed by the explo.
sion when they blew up the safe. NJ
train will reach here before ; o'clock