Evening star., 1901-09-04
Big Train Robbery Four Miles South
of Texarkana.
.OBBERS GOT MUCH BOOTY
One Of the Highwaymen Was an
Expert Engineer.
PASSENGERS NOT ROBBED

TEXARKANA, Ark, September 4.-No.
l Cotton Belt passenger train, leaving Tex
arkana at 9:25 pm, in charge of Conductor
Armstrong and Engineer Henderson was
held up and robbed near Eylaw, four miles
south Of TeXarkana, last night
The train was tagged by one of the rob-
bers, who forced the fireman to go back and
cut off the mail and baggage cars. and re-
turning, forced the engineer to give up the
management of his engine. One of the
robbers, who. it appears. is an expert en-
gineer, ran the engine, mail and express
cars about a mile from the point where
the first stop was made and forced the
express messenger to open his car. The
robbers then blew open the safe with dy-
Mantle, securing, it is said, very large
amount of booty. The exact amount is
withheld by the railroad and the express
people, but 1T is known that very large
Shipment was made on this train.
RObber Engineer at Throttle.
The robbers after securing the loot cut of
the engine from the mail and express cars,
and forcing Engineer Henderson to get off,
they took the engine in charge of the rob-
Der engineer and went south at full speed.
At 40 o'clock this morning the engine had
not been found.
No passengers were molested. They were
their valuables. The robbers were evil
IDENTIFY in possession of all facts concerning
this particular shipment Of money, togeth-
er with schedule of the train, as their
scheme was successful In every respect. A
suspicious character was seen to board the
head end Of the train on leaving Texar-
kama. Railroad employees here are conf
dent that the robbery was committed by
railroad men, from the manner in which
they Superintended the cutting off of the
cars and the handling Of the engine.
Wild, Timbered Country.
The spot selected for the robbery was
we'll adapted for this kind Of work, being
very wild and heavily timbered. The con-
ductor and several passengers walked back
to Texarkana, distance of four miles.
The sheriff and posse have been summoned
to go in pursuit Of the robbers. At this
hour the passenger train stands in two
pieces, with the engines whereabouts un-
known. So far as known no one was In
jured. There were five men in the gang.
BlOodhOunds on the Trail.
ST. LOUIS, September 4.-Only meager
information has been received at the Of
fees in this city of Vice President and
General Manager Britton of the ST. Louis
Southwestern road Cotton BelO regarding
the robbery of passenger train last night
near Eylau CTexas) station. After blowing
open the express safe with dynamite, 1t Is
stated, the robbers secured two sacks OF
loot. This they transferred to the engine
which had been detached from the train.
Engineer Henderson was compelled to put
out the headlight and the robbers took
charge Of the engine.
Two of the robbers assured Henderson
they knew much about running the en-
at full speed, followed by Engineer Hen
dersons on handcar, which he had secured
from d nearby section house. Henderson
came up with his engine about four miles
from the scene of the robbery. The ma
chine had been deserted by the robbers,
who, the engineer believes were all rail-
readers. The bandits had escaped into the
dense woods surrounding the track at this
point.
Henderson ran his engine back, coupled
the train together and the run southwark
was resumed after several hours delay.
Posses I'm Pursuit.
At 2 am posse of horsemen, under the
sheriff of Boyd county, left Texarkana to
scour the woods on both sides Of the track.
They were followed at 2:3O am. by an
other posse on an engine.
Bloodhounds kept at the penitentiary at
Rusk, Texas, for pursuing escaped con-
victs were Immediately taken to the scene
Of the robbery on special train. Every
thing that can be done to capture the rob-
bers, the Cotton Belt officials say. will be
done.
Engineer Henderson was unable to give a
definite description of the gang. They were
all closely masked; but he was sure they
were young men.
Chief Wheeler of the railway detective
service has gone to the scene from Tyler,
Texas, and officials expect detailed report
from him shortly.
General Superintendent Fuller Of the Pa
cific Express Company said he had received
no particulars Of the hOld-up. He did not
believe the loss was heavy, but he declined
to say how much money was shipped on
that date. When asked what he thought
the robbers carried off in the two sacks
they were reported to have taken from the
express car, Superintendent Fuller said they
might have contained silver currency, pos
sibly 81 600 in each.
Banks were closed in st. Louis on Mon
day when the train left here, and for that
reason it is believed by the railroad Off
cials that the sum of money Skinned was