The Mena star., 1899-06-22
THE BANDITS GOT BUT LITTLE.
BAGGAGE AND MAIL CARS WERE GIVEN ALL THE ATTENTION.
The Robbers Did Their Work With Scarcely Hitch - Engineer Rod- man Tells How It Was Done
 Leader Ran the Engine
 The Bandits Caught.

The Kansas City, Pttsburg & Gulf passenger train No ?, southbound, generally known as the Cannon Ball. was held up by robbers at 2:45 a. m. last Friday, one and one-half miles south of Shady Point, | T., the first station this side of Spiro. the junction of the Ft. Smith branch with the main line. The train was in charge of Con- ductor T. NJ. Sullivan and Engineer H. II. Rodman, with c, Penrod as fireman, W. T. Cough, brakeman and $. J. Hightower, porter.
 It is generally conceded that there was only three men in the gang of robbers, though some of the tram crew claim to have seen fourth. The work of the bandits was carried out without a hitch, and nothing in their actions would indicate else than that they were old hands at such out lawry
 So far as financial results are con- cerned, however, the robbery was decided failure, as all the booty ob- tained for the efforts expended was S5.00 in money, the personal property of the mail clerk and one registered letter, contents unknown.
 Engineer Rodman was the man whose contact with the robbers lasted from the flashing of the red light in front of his engine until they dis appeared as he took charge of his en- zine and ran it back to the part of the train that had been cut off. He relates what he saw of the affair about as follows:
 The train had been stopped several times during the night Ly signal and when it was again Jagged with red light Engineer Rodman thought noth ing unusual of it and applied the air and stopped. In turning around to inquire into the cause he found him. self looking,into the barrel of Winches- ter in the hands of a masked man. Another man was at the same instant covering Fireman Penrod, and mo- tioned to him to get down. The lead CT then told the fireman to go with the third mem Der of the gang and cut off the two head cars (the mail and bag gagel, and said: Do it d--d quick or I will fill you full of lead"
 e h olr air hose, but did not know how to un- couple the cars. The robber captain became very impatient at the delay and yelled: Hurry up; if he don't do it kill him. No. G." The leader and second man were all the time cover ing Engineer Rodman with Winches- ters, but at this point the captain drew a revolver and fired shot from It back along the train, his companion also firing one shot. A third shot was fired by the man in charge of the fireman, which struck the ground and threw gravel into the fireman's face, who immediately jumped up and ran  passengers, and then on back to give the alarm at Shady Point station, where word was wired to Ft Smith. Poteau and Mena.
 The man who had been with the fireman then came back and said some thing to the leader that was inaudlole to the engineer The captain then told Mir Rodman to take his lantern and cut off two head cars d--d quick, and then give him the signals, and give them right, too, or he would kill him. Mir. Rodman went back, found the air hose cut. cut off the cars as ordered and signalled to go ahead, all the time being covered by the third man, designated by the leader as No o.
 The captain then moved engine