The Topeka state journal., 1897-11-08
HELD UP, ROBBED
and BURNED.
Highwaymen Stop an Atlantic
& Pacific Train
At Grant Station, 95 Miles
West of Albuquerque.
BLOW OPEN THE SAFE,
Carry. Off Bags of Gold and Sill
YER Coin.
Fire Breaks Out and Three
Coaches Are Destroyed.
BLOW OPEN THE SAFE,

Albuquerque, N. NJ, Nov. S.-Atlantic
| and Pacific passenger train No. from
the west was held up near Grants sta
ton, 50 miles west of this city, at 1880
Saturday evening.
After blowing open the express COM
pany's safe, the robbers wrecked the
train, which caught fire, the express,
baggage and smoking cars being totally
destroyed.
The train reached the city at 1880
o'clock yesterday morning. Conductor
Aldrich states that just as the train
came to halt at Grants station, a fu-
sillade of shots rang out, and as far as
could be seen several men boarded the
train, one on the engine. He and En-
gineer H. D. McCarty were on the plat
form, but ran and caught the train as
it was moving out. The fireman, Henry
Abel, being compelled, at the point OF
a revolver, to pull the train up to the
stock yards, about two miles distant.
The conductor, fully realizing that
something was wrong, left the train at
the stock yards, where the robbers had
ordered the train stopped, and ran
back to the station, telegraphing the
news to Division superintendent Hub
bard at Gallup and Sheriff HubEell. In
the meantime, however, the robbers,
who wore false boards and were un-
masked, cut the mail coach, day coach,
chair car, 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 COM
menced dynamiting the express car, and
the third explosion blew out one end of
the car, Abel being forced to assist the
robbers.
once inside they picked out a safe,
which they surmised contained cOnsid-
cradle money and valuables, and placed
on it stick of dynamite, a few Jumps
of coal on the dynamite and then at
tached 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 express 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 We're teIescoped and all three de-
StrOyed by fire.
Express route agents, who went out
to the scene, state that the robbers did
not get into the most valuable safe,
which, with two others. were badly
warped and damaged by fire. They
think, however, that the robbers Sc
cured several hundred dollars, but the
exact amount will not be known for
some time. as all the papers and rec
ords of the car and safe were burned in
the nre.
The baggage was all removed before
the fire got under headway and saved.
The passengers were not mOlested.
United States Marshal Foraker tele-
graphed to Washington for authority
to employ five picked men to take the
trail of the gang. The marshal left for
Grants station and expects to receive
an answer from the Washington au-
thOrities there.
He is satisfied that the original Black
Jack gang of desperadOes is responsible
for this crime. He says there are eight
men in the band, and last week he had
information that they had returned
from Mexico and were in Arizona.
For some time Marshal Foraker has
been trying to get authority from the
Mexican government to arrest this
gang. He has known the location of
their stronghold in the mountains, and
had hoped to be able to bring them in
to the United States to stand trial for
the many crimes supposed to have been
committed by them in New Mexico and
Arizona, but the government of Mex
leo refused to give any authority in this
matter, insisting that before any step
was taken, all the evidence against
Black Jack and his gang should be laid
before and reviewed by Minister Ro-
nero at Washington.
1t is feared before their arrest can
be effected the Black Jack gang will
have reached their mountain hiding
place and be free from arrest until
Mexico can be prevailed upon to con-
sent to their extradition.