Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1901-04-23
DARING TRAIN ROLDFUP
5 our Masked Robbers Hold Up
an Express Train in
Arkansas.
Express Messenger Compelled
atPoints Of Guns to Open
the Safe.
Train Unoccupied and Cars Sep.
arated From Ensine..Bil
Sum Stolen.

Little Rock, Ark, April %. - The
Choctaw, Oklahoma and Gulf passenger
train, which was held up at midnight
four miles west of Memphis. arrived
here this morning half an hour late.
Sidney Drew. a negro porter. who was
shot by bandits, was taken to the hos
pital. His condition is serious and he
may die. Express Messenger Meader
was badly beaten over the head and
shoulders with a pistol but he was able
to continue his run. The passengers
we're not moiested. Frank w. Has
kell. the local agent of the Wells Fargo
Express Company. could not estimate
the amount the robbers secured, but it
Is said to have been over $4,000.
The train left Memphis at ll:4O last
Inigfrt and made the usual stop at
Bridge Junction, Ark. AT this point
six masked men boarded the train, but
were not seen by any of the train
crew. When a point half mile west of
Iron Mountain crossing had been
reached Messenger Meader started to
cross over from the first car to where
the other express safes We're. AS he
l3bHelleu alilt. QpDlI ne lpuIlu nlIOSell star
ing into the barrels Of two revolvers
and two shotguns and saw four mep
lstandlng' on the PLATFORM He was Inn
mediately grabbed by one of the rob-
hers and his pistol which he carried in
| a belt around the waist was taken from
| him. About this time the train began
TO slow up and came to full stop.
| Then shooting began. The two men
t1,
ear captured Sidney Drew the train
| porter, and made him uncouple a. that
! peifi.. The engineer and trenen had
been taken care of by this time. Under
| orders from two of the men who had
mounted the cab. Engineer johnson
| started up the locomotive and ran 1t
/ with the two baggage and express cars
for about half a mile. The place where
the cars stopped is in the midst of
dense canebrake and ten or fifteen
miles from any habi;ation. The track
is raised fifteen feet above the sur
| rounding country.
| When the engine stopped George
Ward. a boy who had been riding on the
lblnd baggage sprang off and started
Into the woods y shot from one of the
llohbers brought 1:r back to the train.
Then "open til safe or we will kill
you" was the s zen To the messen-
ser by one q ts sabbers. who seemed
Eco be the leader Sic was very calm
while the other three We're very much
lieScited and worked like amateurs. The
lnlssssnger oheyed and one of the men,
who carried sack. placed all the con-
tents Of the safe in It,
'sNew you and the kid get into the
Car ahead was the next order. Mead
isr did not seem 10 move fast enough to
suit the fellow who had him in charge.
SO he delivered a few blows with
heavy revolver h. carried. After tho
was in the other car the rob-
Der continued To beat him just for pure
meanness, the messenger says, until he
Ms very badly bruised.
Gne robber guarded the two prisoners
svhile theothers were blowing open the
/ thru SAFE with nitro glycerine. This Vas
accomplished in a fow moments and
after placing the contents of the safe
into a sack the robbers jumped of the
chr and with a few parting shots dis
lappeared into the canebrakes. The en-
gineer ran back TO the rest of the train
and as soon as the coupling was made
started as fast as possible for Edmon-
SON twelve miles away, the nearest tele-
graph station. where the affair was re-
lslsorted to Superintendent Harris. The
superintendent Immediately wired the
convict camp AZ Hubert. five miles
Isthis side OF the scene OF the hoid-up,
asking that the hioodhounds there be
placed on the trail of the bandits. Re-
wards Will be offered.