The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1897-10-21
THE ROBBERS HAD TO MAKE TWO
SEPARATE AND DISTINCT
FIGHTS.
PLANS PREMAIURHl EXPLODED
me right With the Conductor Came
Before 1t Was Expected, hut the
Robbers Were Grit to the
Very End.

master Powell of the International and
Cheat Northern Railroad. who was on
the train that was held up at Mcneil
last tuesday afternoon, some facts were
made known that have not hitherto
been recorded and which 20 to prove
that the robbers were the coolest men
on record. 1t was learned from Mr.
Powell that the robbers made their fight
on the conductor at least Il mile from
the place where they robbed the paSsen-
gers, and after the skirmish with the
conductor that they took charge of the
tram III reality and ran 1t down to their
pals hiding place, about a mile from
Where they shot the conductor, and
there stopped it again and robbed the
| passengers. Mr.. Powcll's story is
| most interesting one, and the only
| reason that the writer has been unable
to secure it before was that Mr. Powell
was so busy ut work trying to catch the
| robbers that he has not been in the city
Mr.. Powell says that when the row
came up he was sitting in the front
passenger coach, near the small COM
partment adjoining the baggage car.
That when the conductor went through
the train to collect fares after leaving
| Mcneil, that the two train robbers
were standing between the first ana
second coaches on the platform. As the
conductor approached them they walked
on through the car, ahead of him. out
onto the rear platform of the last coach.
lie followed them out there to collect
their fares. Mr. Powell says that while
there the rucus came up and he is UNI
certain as to whether the robber shot
the conductor there or in the coach.
That while the rucus was at its height
, Conductor Haley told him that he had
been shot while running down the car,
but later he had said that he was shot
on the platform.
At any rate when Haley came running
through the train to the front coach,
in which Mr.. Powell and most of the
: other men on the train were, the two
+ robbers came after him post haste.
4 The one nearest was close behind him
t when Haley fell in the front coach, and
| shot at him several times while he ran.
A When Haley fell in the front coach Mr..
Y Powell, who was seated near, sprang
$ to his rescue thinking that 1t was n
@ 'mean fight" that was going on. Ele
: tried to dsarm the robber, and in doing
d so had lively scufile His pal came up
: about this time and showed Il gun
V against Mr.. Powell's right ear and fired
J. it so close as to almost deafen Mr.
Powell. While this rucus was going OF
q the young man who had gone hunting
o with Mr.. Powell and who is a switch
man in the yards here, pulled the bel
rope and the train came to full stop
The robbers jumped off the train at once
N one on either side, and about the same
p time the negro porter, who had been IL
IN the rear coach, jumped off and came NJ
o. toward the front, meeting the robbel
ID about midway of the train The robbel
o opened fire on him and the negro re
piled with his pistol, but soon took tt
, cover. While all this was going on Mr.
- Powell went forward into the from
r. coach where his shot gun was, an'
l. taking it out of its case and securing
Y some cartridges, loaded with No. shot
10 he returned to the platform between tn
first and second coach for the purpos
III of engaging in contest of shooting
IL with the robbers. While he was secur
Is ing his gun Conductor Haley was in tn
). car talking to him and telling him hov
II the whole matter had started and h0V
n he had been shot while going to tn
front end of the train for his pisto
r. When Mr. Powell went out on the plat
u form between the first and second coac
= he jumped to the ground having wv
E. cartridges in his double barrel shot gun
u and several more in his pocket. Just a
81 he got OH the ground the robber
IL climbed back on the train. and 1t starte
y, quite suddenly. Mr.. Powell asked
J. man standing on the platform to tax
his gun and hold it while he put hi
Il hunting dog on the train, that anime
having jumped off with him. The ma
took the gun and Mr.. Powell grabbe
his dog, intending to put him on IN N
$. platform of the rear car as 1t passed. II
d succeeded in getting the dog onto Tn
l. platform. but failed to get good mol
N himself. and as he ran along trying
y make the jump, his foot hit rock an n
le down he went while the train rap!dl
e disappeared in the distance. HIS &c
p Jumped the minute he fell, and the r.
1t suit was that both of them were thel
lie on the track, while the train ana q
n robbers were rapidly disappearing IN u
~ direction of Duval. Mr. Powell did nc
n know whether the robbers were on u
n train or near him, and he accordin
> picked himself up and looked care1ui
% around. Some 200 yards to the east !
saw the cap of the negro porter SIKH
ming along in the brush like the ownt
was in a hurry, and not being certa
q it was the negro porter or the ira
,. robbers, Mr.. Powell said nothing, b'
70 pretty soon he did discover that 1t WI
i. the negro. though he was too far ava
y by that time to be yelled at. AS Duv
was the nearest section at when
could get a hand car to come to tow
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