The Winslow mail., 1897-02-13
The Hold-up OH the A. & P.

On Monday night last No. l passen-
ger train going west was held up about
$50 p. m, nine miles east of Peach
Springs, by three men. There are a
series Of deep cuts where the hold-up
took place which necessitates the en-
ployment of track-walker. The, train
robbers captured him as he came from
one of those cuts and held him until
the train came along, when they forced
him to flag it. AS soon as the train
stopped two of the robbers, with Win
chesters in hand, jumped On the en-
gine and, covered engineer Daze and
fireman Bartoo, while the third man
was shooting along side the train to
prevent the arrival Of assistance, Then
Messrs Daze and Bartoo were COM
manded to climb down and were lined
up alongside the trackwalker.
The next move was to cut the train,
which they proceeded to do, but made
mistake by cutting it between the
mail and express cars, and commanded
Mr.. Daze to get on his engine and pull
up. Mr.. Daze says he hadn't moved
more than a car length, when the mis-
take was discovered and he was order
ed to stop and back her.
Mr. Somers, the express messenger,
took advantage of. these little mishaps
and prepared himself to give them a
warm reception. When the mail car
was backed down, the first man who
showed himself was shot down. This
frightened another one OF the robbers,
who saw the shot fired and his partner
fall, and he, undoubtedly thinking dis
cretion the better part of valor, took
to the rocks. The one who appeared to
be the leader, was in the mail car while
shis was going on, but it took him only
a few seconds to discover that he was
unsupported, when he snatched a few
registered letters and decamped also.
On occasions of this kind there are
always more or less amusing, as we'll as
ludicrous. incidents, happen. The en-
gineer and fireman in this case, how
ever, took the matter very coolly. One
of the robbers commanded Mr.. Daze to
block the engine, which he proceeded
to do very leisurely, when sharper Or
der come to hurry up. Mr.. Daze re-
piled that he was getting along iDyears
and besides was cripple--that' he
couldn't hop around like kid. Di
rectly afterward he was ordered to
climb up and look into the window of
the mail car, to see who was in there.
"Oh, can't climb up there" was the
answer. Then they wanted him to go
into the express car, but the step vas
too high for him to mount.
One of the robbers had fireman Bar
too covered with a pistol and was firing
down the train with another in the 9TH
er hand, when the Kid cautioned him
to be little careful which gun be pull
ed off. After the robbers had left,
thinking they might return, Bartoo
went into a passenger coach and in
quired if any of the passengers had
guns. He was shown all sizes from
% up to Al. He informed the owners
that none of tsem were any good in
such an emergency, when man crawl
ed out from under seat and pulled
double barrened shotgun after him
loaded with buckshot.
The train then pulled into Peach
Springs, gave the alarm, and we are in
formed there was posse on the ground
the next morning at five o'clock with
bioodhounds ready to take the trail.
Train robbers will learn, after they
receive few more lessons such as the
two last attempts have proven, to give
the Atlantic & Pacific a wide birth.
| This is the second attempt made on