The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1899-12-06
TRAIN ROBBERS
Raided the Columbia and Charles
ton Train Friday Night.
HELD UP TIE MESSENGERS.
Secured Seventeen Hundred Dol
lars, then Stopped Train and
Stepped Off Into Woods.
Sheriff in Pursuit.

A special dispatch from Branchville
to The State says two robbers, supposed
to have boarded the train on the Charles
ton Division Of the Southern Railway
at that place about six o'clock Friday
evening, entered the express car four
miles below Branch7ille, and while
one covered the express messenger with
revolver the other secured the money,
which, it is said, amounted to about
sl,700. After securing the money
they pulled the bell cord, signalling the
engineer to stop, and made good their
escape before the train came to stand
still. The sheriff of Dorchester county
way Immediately notified, and is in
pursuit Of the ROBBERS. This is very
unusual occurrence for this part Of the
country, and every effort will be made
to capture the robbers.
HOLD UP YOUR HANDS.
A dispatch from Bamberg to The
State says daring robbery occurred on
the express train from Columbia for
Charleston Friday night just east OF
Branch7ille, in which five highway men
entered the express car between Braach-
vile and Reeyesville with drawn revol-
7ers and demanded that the Messenger
hands up and hand over his vslaaoles,"
which he uLhesitatingly did The
bounty secured by the robbers is said
to amount to about 81, 900, and is prin-
cipally collections from way stations Of
the railroad. The robbers, after secur-
ing the cash, pulled the bell cord,
stopped the train and made good their
escape in the thick woods nearby. None
Of the passengers or train crew knew
anything Of the robbery until it was all
over. 1t is supposed the robbers Sc
creted themselves on the platform be-
| tween the engine and express car at
Branchville and entered the car by
smashing in the door as the train left
for Charleston, taking Messenger
Rhodes completely by surprise, and be-
fore he could secure his rife, which
hung nearby. 1t is said posse is be-
ing organized tonight in Georges to
pursue and, if possible, capture the
gang. It is the 6rst robbery Of the
kind that bas ever occurred in this part
of the country.
DONE BY A LONE RoBBER.
A dispatch from Charleston says an
unknown white masked man robbed a
Southern Express company car near
Branchville, s. c., OF the Southern
railway Friday night. The train had
just left the station when Messengers
Ramsey and Rhodes were covered with
TWO reyolvers held in the hands Of the
stal9art robber. One messenger was
made to stand with his hands over his
head aud the other was commanded to
hand over the money packages in the
| safe. Seventeen hundred dollars were
secured and the robber, after warning
the messengers not to put a foot outside
of the car until the train had got under
headway again, pulled the bell cord
and jumped off as the train slowed
up. The conductor saw the robber as
he escaped alongside the track, but
thinking him tramp signalled the en-
gineer ahead. When the train got IN
der headwsy the messengers came out
| and told their story. The car was
combination baggage and express car
and the door had been opened to per-
nit the conductor to reach the baggage
| section, which was in the forward sec.
tion of the car. 1t was on account Of
this fact that the robber was able to
enter the car. One Of the safes in the
car which escaped the robbers notice
contained $1,000. The sheriff Of Dor
chester with six men and TWO hounds
has been hurried to the scene Of the
robbery and will take up the chase.
A special from Branchyille says that
two men committed the robbery, but
the messengers who arrived in Charles.
ton say that there was only one robbsr.