Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1905-02-18
A HOLDUP FOILED.

worth relating. 1t happened not sc
uaaAs years ago, when w. c. Brown
now Vice president of the New York Cen
tral anG Lake Shore roads, was a diyi.
sion superintendent of the Burlington
with headquarters at st. Joe
One SUNDAY evening Mr.. Brown was
smoAin2 the p!ss OF peace With his fam
lily In order TO square himself for being
absent from home an entire week while
fixing q washout He heard timid rap
at the rear door. and, opening it, saw q
roughly-elad stranger. The vagrant
for such he appeared to be, informed
the superintendent In q husky voice that
he must speak privately with him.
Brown let him In. whereupon the
stranger whispered in his ear that be
was member of . train robbing gang.
but had decided to quit the business and
blow" on his -pals." Brown scented q
touch" but consented to listen to the
mans story.
The fellow said that his gang had
planned to hold up the night Chicago
express In deep cut about two miles out
ST St Joe. The place was wild one
and had been rendezvous for years for
the Jesse James gang. The superin-
tendent listened while the tramp re-
lated what the former believed to be a
fairy tale. He declared that the express
was to have been held up the night be-
fore Ii appeared. however. that local
freight generally preceded the express
m IA $40 ha uYal
where 1t was sidetracked to allow the
superior train to pass.
When the nocturnal visitor had fin
ished his story he was trembling and, as
Brown expected him to do, begged for a
drink of whisky or enough money to buy
one. He got the stimulant and a curt
dismissal Although he did not take
any stock in the man story, Brown got
to thinking about the matter and con-
cluded it might be just as well TO call
up the chief OF police.
While trying TO get his connection the
wires evidently became crossed and
Brown felt creepy sensation as he
heard a voice asking whether No. 10
was to go out ahead of No. As that night.
No. 10 was the night express and the
other was the freight. The reply came
over the wire that No. 10 would go out
ahead of the freight. AS speedily as
he could Brown called up the train dis
patcher and demanded to know who had
been talking with him regarding the
trains. The dispatcher said he didn't
know, but that some one called him up
and stated he was going to go out on
No. 10. Then he wanted to know Ii the
train would leave ON time or would
leave after the freight.
The division superintendent glanced
at his watch and found it was within 30
minutes Of No los leaving time. 1t was
the work Of few minutes to commune
cate with the yardmaster and train dis
patcher and order dummy train made
up which should be an exact counterpart
OF No 10. Having accomplished this.
he. got his friend. the chief of police, on
the wire and asked him If he could have
20 OF his best rifle shots at the depot
with 80 rounds OF ammunition within
the next half hour.
What's up?" asked the chief.
Get 'em there and inquire after
ward" snapper Brown.
The dummy started out on the time of
the regular Her engine cab bristled
with rifles, and from the windows OF
her coaches peeped more than score OF
gun muzzles, for the chief had doubled
the number of men requested by the
ixt ioht
were out in those coaches and Pullmans
which contained the sharpshooters. AS
No. 10 drew rapidly into the cut made
famous by association with Jesse
James, the engineer got the red light
ahead. He obediently gave two blasts
of the whistle, which is the answering
Eyes" to a signal, and applied the air
braA es.
AS the dummy came to a full stop
eight masked robbers arose from the
tr-ss which grew profusely along the
r.gnt of way and started for the ex-
press car. This was the agreed signal
and from the engine to the rear OF the
train there came fusillade worthy OF
a small Port Arthur engagement. The
robbers, although taken by surprise,
were game and returned the fire. At
the first volley three Of their number
fell, but crouching in the ditch the 9TH
ers blazed away at the car windows
The battle ragged for 30 minutes, the
robbers. realizing that II they arose and
ran they had small chance Of escaping
death. They therefore tried to main
tain their ground. but with three dead
and three grievously wounded, the other
two held a white handkerchief aloft on
gun barrel. After the surrender
which was effected without loss OF life
on the part Of tho poaioe, but at the ex-
pense Of many wounds. the dead and
wounded were brought into st. Joe and
the night exprees vent on Its wsg
safely.
The following morning the papers
throughout the osrntry heralded the
battle In thrilling front-page stories