Los Angeles herald., 1909-12-21
THUGS BEAT AND
ROB BRAKEMAN
Posses Start to Find Three Highway
men Who Brutally Assaulted M.
D. McMann, Trainman,
Near Arcadia
tcoutinued from Page OneI


der charge of Sergeant Cooke, to hasten
to the crossing.
Other trains about the yard were
sidetracked, and with drawn guns and
scattered along on each side OF the
track, the police awaited the coming
of the train. 1t had been arranged that
the freight should be "highballed,'
meaning to come ahead at full speed.
AS the train came up to the crossing
the patrolmen waited in the darkness
for the two bandits to appear, but there
was not a stir. and search of each
car failed to reveal any person, outside
of the train crew. Conductor L. A.
Fisher then rushed frantically from
the caboose, shouting that the bandits
had escaped and that Brakeman Cox
was also missing.
The electric motor engine known as
the torpedo" engine was uncoupled
and switched to another track, and
with six patrolmen on board made a
record breaking run back, the powerful
searchlight being played along each
side Of the track, in the hope of finding
Cox.
At Oneonta Park station Conductor
Fisher stopped TO telephone, and no
ticed a figure half lying and half sitting
on a bench near the station. 1t was
Cox, who was dazed and in semi
conscious condition, his face badly
swollen, and a cut and large lump on
the back of his head showed evidence
Of rough usage
Cox Tells of Affair
After the administration Of stimu-
lants Cox revived enough to give an
account of what had taken place. He
told that the train, made up OF eighteen
cars, stopped near Arcadia, as it was
necessary to take the cars up steep
grade in two sections. While the rest
Of the crew were with the first section
Cox was left alone in the caboose. Two
men entered, one of them asking for a
ride to Los Angeles, at the same time
looking about the room.
Seeing that Cox was alone, the
shorter of the two men drew revolver
and with an oath told Cox to give up
every cent he had
Cox started to comply, when the
bandit with the gun stated that he
would do the searching, and after go
ing through every pocket found poe
textbook which contained $5.15. Empty
ing the pocketbook, he threw 1t in
Cox's face, and with a warning not to
leave the caboose the two men stole
away in the darkness.
AS soon as he thought it safe Cox
hurried to the nearest telephone and
summoned an officer, but a search Of
the yard failed to reveal the men.
The train then proceeded, but had not
gone far when the two men were seen
riding on a fiat car. At San Marino
the train was stopped and a telephone
message was sent to Los Angeles that
they had two bandits aboard and
wanted police at hand when the train
reached Los Angeles. AT San Marino
the two men got off the car and walked
leisurely about, in a defiant manner
in full view of the crew, none of whom
carried a gun.
Full Speed Ahead
From San Marino Motorman Arm
strong shot ahead at full speed after
the bandits had again boarded the
train, his idea being to maintain such
speed that the two desperadOes would
not dare jump off, and thus take them
to Los Angeles.
Evidently the two men were wise to
the program, for before reaching
Oneonta Park station the men climbed
through the cars to the caboose ana
tried the front door, which had been
securely bolted by Cox. Nothing
daunted, they climbed over the top of
the caboose, and, at the risk of their
lives, crawled through the rear win
dow.
The shorter of the men pointed his
gun at Cox and on penalty of death
told him to pull the air" which in rail
road parlance means a slackening of
the speed Cox did as told, and then
he was hit on the head with the butt
Of the revolver and kicked off the car.
The two men, taking advantage of the
slackened speed, jumped off and disap-
peared in the direction of Pasadena.
Cox was able to distinguish the direc~
ton taken by the men after leaving
the car, and also to crawl to the bench
at the station.
The motor engine was then hurried
to Pasadena, and the police of Pasa-
dena, South Pasadena and the sheriff's
office of Los Angeles notified, and be-
fore s o'clock yesterday morning the