The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1905-04-10
Exprcssman Gave Cairo Mail
Clerk Warning OF Hold Up
HAD A pRESENTMENT
THAT SOMETHING WOULD HAP
PEN AND 1T DlD-AMATEUR
WRITER TELLS OF HOLD
UP ON NJ. & o.


written by mail clerk who formerly
lived in Cairo. His friends have ask
ed that his name nor be published.
The article refers TO a hold up which
happened few years ago and which
will probably be remembered by a
number Of Cairo.tes, especially by the
railroad and express men.
Here's the tory:
Seventy ne was pounding the big
slippery steel rails as she slowly
climbed the steep grade. The rehec
Il sion from her headlight was casting
all kinds Of fantastic shadows on the
dark gray rocks in the cut. Now and
then some night bird. disturbed by the
glare Of the light and the laundering
Of the engine, would dart from ont
the, oycrhang ng cliffs and whirl away
to be swallowed UP in the black night.
was busily engaged in my car;
tho mail was extra heavy that night.
hal caught several mlsconnections
that the day man should have got and
it took hustling to ger It ready for the
junction not far away
Tho car in use that night was q com
hlnation one--cxprcss in front and
ma in the middle and baggage in the
reas A small door was cut under the
counter in the mail car where the pa
PER- were handled that would allow
man u crawl through into the bag
gsf.e compartment
There had been numerous hold
ups'' on the different railroads
throughout the country which had put
rho officials on their gard, and they
had but recently issued orders to all
crews on pas sengcr trains to 81 arm
cd While on duty; ar as a preeantien
the company had furnished short dou-
hlr narrelcd shoiguns, tHat wcrotmadc
for hard shooting ai close range.
These were carried in the express and
baggage cars. Buncl. who was a ter
Tur % the railway and express compa-
MES, was then IN the zenith of Ills
glory, and as consequence was hold
ms full sway throuihout South Ala.
bairia North Mississippi ana parts Of
Lcnisiana. The railway officials had
been expecting for some time that
sooner or later Bunch AMI his gang
would make an attempt to get IT. his
wSrk en- tho road. as very neat
job" recently done on a line near
principal station Of the Mobile and
Ohio was thought to be his work.
My run was night one known in
tnc. railway mail service as the Cairo
and Mobile, the terminus of which
wa West Point, Miss. The night in
question the train was Ragged near
Bucatunna Miss, a small way sta.
ton. AS this was ont of the ordinary
for the fast night trains, tho express
messenger, as be aficrward told nc
more through fun than anything else
called out TO me. Look out for
Bunch | made him some onhand
reply and continued at work. had
presentment though, that all was not
right, although the train was still in
motion, out going very slew, having
nearly come to standstill suppos-
ed possibly the engineer was slowing
up for one of the many slow boards
that were erected where the bridge
gang were at work. But somehow
could not help but feel uneasy and
went 70 the side door of the car, open
cd tho upper half and looked out in
tho night Fer moment | could dis
tEngu.sh nothing, but | felt the engi-
neer again apply his air brakes and
again slow down.
Chen Il was | could make out from
tho light Of The fire box of the engine.
which WAS partially open. the forms
OF two or three men as they crawled
MP on the tender
BY this time | was fully aware that
II i was rot Bunch and his gang. who
ever they were, they were up 10 some
kind OF mischief hastily gathered
up my loose regieters that were in n
drawer under the letter case. and
thought | would slip back into the bag
gage car anu hide them between the
Trunks that were stacked up in the
car.
l could moi refrain from again going
to the side door and looking out. THO
train was at a siandstill. The engine.
express, mail and baggage were Just
clear Of high trestlc The smoking
car, two day coaehcg and the sleeper
we're standing % tie other ide. max
ing Il impossible for any che to get 10
front end. The men knew the spot
well ana that was the cause of the
slowing down once cr twice. Taey
got the car ia inst the position they
desired. The conductor was standing
ea the bottom step Of The smoker with
lantern in band giving signal to pull
on over the bridge. not knowing at
the tine what the trouble was. 7
didn't know. nor did he. but afterward
found ont. that the engineer and fire
man were covered by big Colts re-
yolver in the hands of two viIlainoua
look 'ng men. OF course they did not
have time TO look for the conductors
signals
Slamming the door stopped down
and crawied under the counter. JUST
a / srnut "a rfr7sr,ien IN er,ta