Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1902-01-30
ROBBERS HOLD UP TRAIN
South Carolina Bandits Secure Contents
of Local Safe.

South Carolina Bandits Secure Contents
of Local Safe.
Branchville, S. c., Jan. PA carefully
planned and audacious express robbery
took place about O'Clock on the South
ern Railway this evening, when the pas
senger train from Charleston reached
nearly the exact site of the successful rob-
berry of two years ago, near Fifty'elghth
station. five miles from Branchville. Seven
men, or probably eight, we're riding on
the platform between the engine and bag
gage car concealed by the darkness. None
was masked. At the fifty-ive-mile board
two men crawled over the tender and COW
cred the engineer, John Reynolds, with
Winchesters. They fired two shots, one
ball passing through Reynolds cap. Fire
man Cobb escaped by jumping OIL Con-
ductor Black, who ran out, was also COW
cred and ordered back By order OF these
men, brakeman uncOupled the express,
mail and baggage cars, which were taken
to Fifty eighth station, leaving the rest OF
the cars on the main line. Here several
shots we're fired into the express car and
one man climbed up, covered Express
Messenger Hall with Winchester, com
pelling him to open the door. Three men
entered the car and stripped the local safe.
After threatening Hall with instant death
if he did not open the through safe, and
finding he knew nothing of the comblna'
ton. the safe was rolled out on the plat
form. The engineer was ordered to re-
turn with the three cars to the train ana
he obeyed, bringing the train with no iur'
ther incidents into Branchville. Nothing
was seen of the men or the safe on passing
Fiftv.eight. There was only a 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
aud no passenger molested. The robbers
took the pistols from only the EMPLOYEES
who were armed and resistance was out OF
the question. No measures have so far
been made to follow the robbers. 1t is
boped that bloodhounds will be on hand
in the morning.
The leader is supposed to be Barton
Warren. Warren was arrested charged
with having single.handed robbed the
Southern Express car just below Branch
vile in the Fall of 1899. He was tried il
1901, and owing to popular feeling in hi
/ favor and able counsel the case resulted il
a mistrial. His bail was furnished, thel
came a revulsion in popular feeling, ant
/ fearing conviction, few days before tn
. next session of the court, five months ago
s he killed Thomas Watson, his forme
e friend, but one of the principal witnesse
e against him.
S Warren has since been at large, an
s some say that he has been seen in Branch
+ vile at night several times since, thoug
d $500 reward had been offered for his car
Il ture. Since the killing it is said there hs
been another attempt before the DARN
e performance of this evening, to rob th
v express train between BTanchville an
d Orangeburg, and this too, has been attrit
:. uted to the outlaw, Warren.
b BLooDHoUNDs FAILED TO TRAIL.
is Charleston, S. c., Jan. 20.-Accordir
d TO the latest advices from Branchvil
d developments concerning the express rol
a berry. so far as made public, are not in
ss portant. 1t is know that after securlr
n the express safe the robbers went to II
0. house of negro named Kearse and In
o. pressed his mule aud wagon. The par
then conveyed the safe to point on Il
e. Edisto river, some six miles from FIT
id eight. Utterly failing to open it, th'
r. threw the safe into the river where it W
ly found this morning. The amount Of plu
en- der secured amounts therefore to abo
ed thirteen dollars, enough to cover the CO
Is. of ammunition expended.
,c. Sheriff Dukes, of Orangeburg was {
of hand with his hounds but they failed
ly find any trail from the river, and the par
it. returned to Branchvlle.
d. The bunging work of the robbers al
,er their want of expert knowledge point u
ii. nistakably to local talent. 1t is said ii
ne clues are in the hands of the express o
ey cials, but these are not given to
he public.