The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1911-12-14
HOLDS UP III fR TRAIN ain
Robbers Seize Registered Nail and
Make Coed Their Escape.

two BANDITS DID JOB
Second Section Of Robbed Coast Line
Pursuing Detectives Special
Flyer Came Up as Robbers Fled
Wrecked Shortly Afterward by
Southern Railway Freight.
e The Atlantic Coast Line train
which left Savannah for Charleston
twenty minutes late Tuesday morning
at about one o'clock was held up and
robbed a short distance from Hardee-
vile just before day Tuesday morn
ing. The train was running IN two
sections because of the heavy pas
senger traffic and the express car
which the robbers were believed to
be after was carried on the second
section and escaped. The robbers,
however, captured the mail car and
secured several sacks of registered
mail. r,.~,9 - Il assfr.
D. H. McRoy, the night operator
in the tower at Hardeeville,. states
that the train reached his station In
good condition and he gave it the
signal to go ahead. Shortly. after the
train got away from 'Hardeeville and
before it had gotten out of sight, 1t
stopped. He was. surprised to see
this, as it had no signal to stop at that
point. Just about that time the sec
ond section OF the train arrived from
Savannah and McRoy advised the
crew to 60 ahead and find out what
tho trouble was with the rffstisectton.
Arriving at the spot where the first
section had stopped, the train crew
found the utmost confusion reigning.
The robbers, two in number, had
forced the engineer to stop his train,
and, covering the,eaagman and sffhe
conductor with pisto1sathey made the
fagman open the mail car, after 1t
had been detached from the train and
run some distance Here two mall
clerks were found at work and they
were made to give up two bags OF
ret,istered mail. The robbers then
nade.athstrS escape. LAS quickly as
poHsible, Savannah was notified of
the.sobberys and aaspecfar train, con-
sasting of an engine and two cars,
with several Coast Line officials and
detectives, was en- nsroute to tile scene
whitman hour.
The special was in charge. Of Engi-
neer l.. E. Rawls and5a conductor.
The Coast Line and the Southern use
the same! tracks out of Savannah to
Hardeeville, and while en- route TO the
scene of the robbery, the train with
the detectives on board ran into a
freight. train of the Southern Rail-
wsy. The wreck delayed the arrival
of the officials and the detectives for
some time and they did not reach the
scene of the robbery until several
hours after it had occurred. The rob-
bers, it is believed, boarded the train
at Hardeeyille, as the dispatcher
thinks he saw two suspicious looking
characters get aboard at that point.
He thinks they got between the two
front coaches and from there made
their way to the tender and to the
engine. The train that was held up
was in charge of Engineer j. E. Far
ris of Charleston, Conductor Damon
OF Florence and Fireman Abe Will
liams, colored. Engineer Farris says,
in his report to the officials of the
Atlantic Coast Line, that as he was
leaving Hardeeville he looked around
and the two men had climbed into
the cab and had him covered with
revolvers. They ordered him to go
ahead and after getting just north of
the north switch ordered him to stop.
They made him and his fireman get
down on the ground on the left side
or the engine. One, of them stood
guard over them while the other
looked after the others. Conductor
Damon went up to the engine on the
right side and was shot 7at"by one of
the men and made to .goto the postal
car and have the postal clerks come
out, the robbers threatening to blow
up the car if they did not do so.
Ed. Dozier, the colored porter, came
up shortly after this and he was also
held up by the robbers. The engineer
and the postal clerks were put on
the engine and Farris was made to
pull ahead a short distance with the
postal car.
The clerks were then made to put
all the registered mail into bags.
A large, stout man appeared to be
the leader. Bloodhounds were dis
patched to the scene from Beaufort
and Hampton counties, with officers.
Another special train, carrying the
special agents Of the Atlantic Coast
Line, United States postal inspectors
and railroad officials, has been sent
from Savannah to the scene of the
robbery. Orders were also issued by
the railroad officials to prevent any
one from going about the place, il
possible, until after the bloodhounds
have reached the scene. The robbers