The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1898-04-30
COT BUT LITTLE CASH.
Robbers Held Up ~ Tram on the
Southern Pacific
THE EXPRESS SAFE WAS DYSAMlTED,
Hut II WINS Empty--Thc UcEistcred
Mail Pouch Riacd-Rangers
In Pursuit..

Train No. % OF the Southern Pacific
which left Houston Thursday morning for
California, was stopped BY train robbers
at lonely spot two miles west OF Com.
stock, Texas. station thirty-fivc miles
west OF Del Rio. Texas, eighteen minutes
past midnight Thursday. After delaying
the train for more than an hour the ROB
bers. unable 10 secure any money. mounted
horses and rode to the north.
Passengers arriving on the Southern Pa
cifc last night from San Antonio re-
ported that Captain Mcdonald Sergeant
Sullivan and other State Rangers had
been placed in pursuit of the bandits. The
latest word from the section OF the hold
up was that the officers and the robbers
had exchanged shots. Further details we're
not forthcoming.
Superintendent Taft, Assistant Superin-
tendent Mackenzie and Special Officer
Dodge Of the Wells Fargo & Co.'S express
received the news by wire yesterday morn
Ing at Waco. They arrived in Houston
last night on the Houston and Texas Cen
trail and Mr. Taft and Mr.. Dodge will
leave this morning OH train No. 20 for
Comstock to make preliminary investi-
CATION To reporter for The Post last
night Mr.. Taft said the express company
did not lose dollar by the robbery. The
safe had been blown open, bu; since the
preparation of former hold ups in that
vicinity the company has sent no money
Wasfarn INF ,-fa 4,
route. The messenger was Richard Hayes
the conductor, James Burns and the mail
agent, C. l.. Lippold, the latter two hav-
ing been in former hold-ups.
The first information Of the robbery
was received by the Southern Pacific Of
ftcials early yesterday morning. The de-
tails were very meager, but the report
made by the train crew was sufficient to
show that the bandits invoked the same
tactics TO complete their Job as those in
varlably employed by the latter day train
robber.
AS train No. 90 pulled out of the town
TOUR men, wearing masks. climbed on the
front platform OF the first car, and after
Deing out OF the station crawled over the
tender of the engine and at the pistols
point compelled Engineer Walter Jordon to
stop the train at the second mile post AS
the train came to a standstill the robbers
detached the mail and express cars. aud
ordered the engineer to RUN a mile further
He did so. Here the ouartette of han
dts were Joined by two others. bath
masked, with half dozen mounts In raadi
ness. Messenger Hayes was powerless to
resist the attack, and the robbers, unable
TO effect entrance to the through safe any
other way. placed a quantity of dynamite
on ITS TOP and touched it Off The safe
,aeiuea 70 the blow and came open. The
Top ana sides OF the express car were dam
aged considerably, but no one was nilIrst
There was not dollar in the safe and
seeing that their attempt had been unsuc-
cessful' the bandits rified the registered
man pouches and hastily rode away. A,
soon as they We're out of sight. Engine or
Jordon returned with the detached nor.
tlon of his train, and backing TO Com
STOCK, sounded tho alarm. The STATE
ranger force was placed OF the bandits,
uaehs several hours later and started in
The governments loss is no known rb.
registered business of the section was, ~, ~,
San Antonio is said to be very light.
pei hio Texas, April 2a.-Reports from
the comstock robbery say that the ba,.
dts secured $3.50. presumably from Tho
man pouches. detachment OF the State
Rangers en- route to spofsord Junction and
High Bridge were passengers on /, train
passing three hours later. As The tr,,,
approached the spot where tho rohher,
nad oeen committed they saw throo mon
on horseback near the track The trn;,
slowed up and the men began TO RIM tba
hangers firing as they went Tho Ransers
instead OF proceeding to High Bridge m
,oausu ineir horses on the spot and are
now giving chase to the robbers.