The Savannah morning news., 1901-04-24
ROBBERS GOT $4,000
ARKANSAS BANDITS MADE A VERY
NEAT HAUL.
ROBBERY WAS WELL PLANNED
LEADER WAS COOL, BUT OTHERS
WERE EXCITED.

The Negro Porter, Who Was Made
to UncoupIe the Cars, is Seriously
Manufacturers Messenger Did
Everything the Robbers Ordered
Him to Do and Was Then Badly
With the Train-No Arrests Have
+ Been Made Yet.
Little Rock Ark, April 2S.-It is stated
that over 5000 was secured in the hold
up of the Choctaw, Oklahoma and Gulf
passenger train at midnight near Iron
Mountain crossing, four and half miles
west of Memphis. The train reached Lit
tie Rock. half an hour later at clock
this morning. Sidney Drew the negro
porter who was shot by the bandits, was
taken TO st. Vincent's Hospital, where
his wound was dressed. His condition Is
serious.
c. 7. Meader, the express messenger,
was badly beaten over the head and
shoulders with a pistol but was able to
continue his run. The passengers were
not molested. Six masked men boarded
the train which left Memphis at 11:40
| o'clock last night, when it made the us
ual stop at Bridge Junction, Ark, after
crossing the Mississippi river bridge.
| They escaped observation. When a point
| half a mile west of Iron Mountain cross
| ing had been reached Messenger Meader
| started to pass from the first car to the
second, where the express safes were, as
| he had finished arranging the baggage As
| he opened the door he was confronted by
tn W re-
voivers and two shotguns One of the
| gang greppled with Meader and secured
the pistol he carried around his waist.
Made Him UncoupIe Cars.
About this time the train began to slow
up and soon came to a full stop. Then
the shooting began The two men VINO
had boarded the rear of the second car
captured Sidney Drew, the train porter,
| and made him uncouple the cars. Under
| orders from two of the men who had
| mounted the cab, Engineer Johnson pulled
| the two baggage and express cars about
| half a mile away from the balance of the
train, to point in the midst of a cane
brake and ten or fifteen miles from any
| habitation.
| When the engine stopped George Ward,
a boy, who had been riding on the blind
baggage car, sprang off and started into
the woods. A shot from one of the rob-
| bers brought him back to the train.
open the local safe or we will kill
you" shouted the leader of the gang to
the messenger. The messenger Obeyed
and one of the men placed the contents
of the local safe in a sack.
Nov you and the kid get into the car
ahead, was the next order. Meader did
| not seem to move fast enough to suit
| the bandit who had him in charge, and
| he fell upon Meader with the butt of a
| revolver with which the express mes
| senger was severely beaten over the head
| and back. The boy, frightened almost
| out of his senses, covered in a corner
| of the car and was not attacked.
Used Nitro-GIycerine on Safe.
Meanwhile, four of the gang were at
| work on the through safe in the second
| car About a pint of nitro glycerine was
| poured into the door When everything
was ready a fuse was lighted and all left
| the car.
A terrible explosion followed. The door
of the safe was blown off and hurled
| through the side of the car, striking a
| tree twenty yards away. The robbers
then re-entered the car and it was the
work of a few moments to transfer the
| contents of the safe to the sack. Every
! thing was taken The robbers then jump
ed off and with a few parting shots, dis
appeared into the cane brakes.
| Engineer johnson ran back to the rest
of the train and as soon as the coupling
was made pulled away for Edmonson,
the nearest telegraph station, twelve miles
distant. Here the affair was reported to
Supt Harris, who Immediately secured a
pack of bloodhounds and hurried to the
scene.
Messenger Meader says:
II was made to open the local safe with
my keys / was then ordered into the
car ahead and heard them blow open the
safe. They beat me with their pistols
Just for meanness. for | did all they told
me to do without protest. They had the
drop and / did not care TO get shot. l
saw six of the men and all wore masks.
They appeared to be young men. All were
excited but the one who seemed to be the
leader"