The San Francisco call., 1898-03-30
SAVED BY
 THE NERVE
 OF 4 GUARD Valuab bles on a Santa Fe Train Are w ell
 Protected. Brave Charles N. Fowler Puts a Crowd of Ban
 dits to Flight. Jumps From the Express Car and Begins Shooting, With
 Telling Effect. LEADER SHOT IN THE ARM Train Robbers Commence Operations by Firing on the Engineer and Fireman at Grants Station.
Jumps From the Express Car and Begins Shooting, With
 Telling Effect.
LEADER SHOT IN THE ARM
Train Robbers Conanence Operations by Firing on the Engineer and
 Fireman at Grants Station.
Special Dispatch to The Call.

LOS ANGELES, March 29.-The westbound Santa Fe overland was held up at 12:30 o'clock this morning at Grants Station, on the line of the old Atlantic & Pacific road, in New Mexico The robbers secured nothing, and were put to flight, owing to the special guard of Wells, Fargo & Co. in the express car, Charles N. Fowler. His coura- geous conduct saved the express com pany a large sum of money, according to information received in this city by Superintendent Pridham of Wells, Far go & Go.
 The story of the attempted hold-up is quite sensational. The train had stopped at Grants, as usual, when the engineer and fireman were immediately fired upon by bandits, the fireman be- ing wounded and the engineer forced from the cab. The conductor was at the station. Two of the robbers then pulled the train slowly down from the station about a thousand feet, while the others cracked their firearms at pas senger car windows and at the express car, through which they made several holes.
 After this attempt to intimidate the express messengers and passengers ! break into the express car. But they had failed to reckon on the guard in side-Special Agent Fowler. Fowler had kept quiet while the train was pulled away from the station, but when 1t came to a standstill he unlocked and opened the door and jumped out, rlfle in hand, right among the bandits.
 These worthies were so taken back that before they could put a hole through Fowler he had plugged one of them in the arm. The wounded man made a break for his horse and the others followed. Fowler was unable to hit any one of them, however, as they wariIy lodged about in the half light. rendering his shots ineffective.
 When Fowler winged him the wound ed man exclaimed: I'm shot; get me away from here; we can't finish this job tonight" He seemed to be the leader, and when he quailed the others made no further resistance. Fowler followed them as they ran, but they got to their horses and whisked away before he could get in another effective shot, the men being familiar with the ground and consequently nimbler.
 The nervy guard returned to the train after a short chase and prepared him. self to stay and join the hunt for the men. As soon as possible officers were wired for and before morning the coun- try was being secured on every hand The men, Fowler says, are all Ameri- cans and mounted on good horses. No damage was done to the train except to drill a few bullet holes into it, and no one was hurt but the fireman The robbers did not get at the treasure in the express car, and the train presently proceeded on it's way to this city.
 Charles Fowler has been in the ern- p1oy of Wells, Fargo & Co. for many years as a guard. He is a Texan by birth and is lifelong frontiersman.