Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1902-01-29
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Robbery Took Place Between charlsslon and
Augusta, Near Hrsnchsiiis

L III +. la
Branchville, s. O., January 27.--A
carefully planned Aud asidacious express
robbery took place about 4 o'clock on
the Southern Railway this evening whom
the passenger train from Charleston
reached nearly the exact site Of the sue
cessful robbery OF two years ago, near
Fifty Eight station, FIVE miles from
Branchyiye.
Seven men, or probably eight, were
riding on the platform between the
engine and baggage car, concealed by
the darkness. None were masked. AT
the b5-mile board two men erawled oyer
the tender and covered the engineer,
John Reynolds, with Winchesters. They
fred two shots, cKe ball passing through
Reynolds's cap. Fireman Cobb escaped
by jumping off. Conductor Black, who
ran out, was also covered and ordered
back.
BY order of these men O brakeman
uncoupled the express, mail and baggage
oars, whiclI " ere taken to Fifty Eight
station, leaving the rest of the train on
the main line.
Here several shots were fired into the
express car and one man, climbing up,
covered Express Messenger Hall with a
Winchester, compelling him to open the
door. Three men entered the car and
stripped the local safe. After threaten
ing Hall with instant death If he did not
open the through safe, and finding no
knew nothing of the combination, the
safe was rolled out on the platform and
placed on two-horse wagon, which was
driven away. Then the engineer was
ordered to return to the rest of the train,
and he obeyed, Bringing the train. with
no further incidents, to Branchville.
Nothing was seen of the men or the safe
on passing Fifty-Eight.
There was only small amount of
booty in the local safe and no one here
knows the contents of the through safe.
No mail or baggage was touched and no
passenger was molested. The robbers
took the pistols from the only employees
who were armed, and resistance was out
of the question. No measures have been
made to follow the robbers. It is hoped
that the bloodhounds will be on hand in
the morning.
LEADER SUPPOSED TO BE WARREN.
The leader is supposed to be the noto-
rious Barton Warren. Warren was ar
rested charged with having robbed the
Southern express car just below Branch
vile in the fall of 1899. He was tried in
1901, and owing to popular feeling in his
favor and his able counsel, the case re-
suited in o mistrial. His bail was fur
nished, but there came revulsion in
popular feeling, and, fearing conviction,
a few days before the next session of the
court-five months ago--he brutally MUIR
dered Thomas Watson, his former friend,
but one of the principal witnesses against
him. Warren has since been at large and
some say that he has been seen in Branch
vile at night several times since, though
$500 reward had been offered for his cap
ture. Since the murder it is said there
has been another attempt before the dar-
ing performance of this afternoon to rob
the express train between Branchville
and Orangeburg, and this, too, has been
attributed to Warren.
BLooDHoUNDs ARE WANTED.
Columbia, January 27.-A telegram has
been received here asking for blood
hounds to pursue the robbers. The
post Office at Walterboro, 20 miles from
Branchville, was blown up with dyna-
mite last night and robbed of several
hundred dollars. 1t Is believed the same
robbers hold ND the train.