Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1911-10-10


told him to shut up so tiereely that
he obeyed the order at once.
The man who had gone forward
came back and said something to
Bunker which seemed 10 be satisfac-
tory. The train WAS running At full
speed. and the two men were evident
ly much pleased al their chance for
escape. Each held Il revolver In his
hand, though no one disputed their
will One of the farmers wives gave
evidence uf Mysteries. while the other.
appearing "a rely upon being Il wom-
an, beratpI he robbers soundly. Her
husband begged her 10 he quiet. while
the husband of The other woman tried
to keep his wife from IL collapse. The
few other passengers in the car sat
still. nor during 10 move finger. AS
for the conductor he sat crouched
down in seat trembling like Il leaf.
One of the farmers and his wife
were on one side of the car. and the
other pair were i few seats behind
them on The opposite side. both being
near the middle. Bunker stood with
his back against the forward door.
while the red headed man stood i'll a
similar position with regard to the
rear door. The woman who had pro-
tested got up from her seat and turn
ed it over so that she would ride
backward. The robbers made no OBJ
lection to this. and the husband meek
IL ocoriacnod
The two couples We're now riding
face to face. one couple looking at
Bunker. while the other looked at his
assistant. The train was going at a
furious rate. and whenever it came to
a curve the robbers found ii difficult
to maintain their positions. After one
of these turns. with consequent dis
turbance of the mems equilibrium,
two shots rang out simultaneously.
In a twinkling the status was
changed. Bunker sank on the floor.
and his pal. who heard the glass In
the top of the door behind him crack.
looked vainly for whoever had fred
But second shot stopped his obserya-
tons. The farmers wives. who had
done the shooting. unbuttoned their
dresses and threw them off. display
ing mems clothing. while their attend
ants, opening the forward door, rushed
over Bunkpr's body to the next car.
One of them. stopping before the door
of the baggage car. threw ii open,
while the other stood with Il cooked re-
INT IA,
The robber who was stationed there,
having his back to the farmers. was
defenseiess and obeyed IN order tc
throw up his hands The baggage
man disarmed him. while one of the
farmers went out through the forward
door and climbed over the back OF the
tender The engineer ootEpied one
side of the cab. white the rolbel guard
ing him sat on the other side both
looking forward The din prevented
the newcomer froci being beard, and
he had an opportunity to demand the
| surrender of the robber. though the
latter held Il cooked revolver in his
right hand Cronchlng behind rle
robber, then yelled ut the top of his
voice for surrender. The robber hes
itated for moment bat, seeing that
every chance was against him. com
| piled. Then the engineer, at nod
from the farmer, stopped the train
We must return To the operations of
Pierce Robbins Through the boy who
had seen the robbers in the saw mill
| he had gained a knowledge of their
whereabout Intuition told him of
their plan. Believing that they had
the money they had taken on their
persons and desiring that they should
not have an opportunity 10 get rid of
it. he preferred to take them while on
train to surrounding them in the
mill. SO he at once laid his plans ac-
cordingly.
He placed four good men. disguised,
| at the station on each side OF the
point where they would be likely to
| board the train. not knowing which
way they would go. Each train was
| watched. and the extra man on the
locomotive gave away the presence of
| the robbers. The engineer. the bag
| gageman and the conductor were all
! in the plot. No one of them was to
make any resistance.
Robbins and a picked man played
the women's parts 1t was Robbins
who made bold to protest against the
action of the robbers. and it was he
who when in the ear with Bunker and
the red headed man had arranged and
by preconcerted signals announced the
attack, though ii had been determined
| that those wearing women's dresses
| should fire the first shots, owing TO
their being better able 10 conceal
weapons and draw them more quickly.
When the members of the posse col
iected in the passenger car II was
found that Bunker had been killed out
right and the red headed man badly
wounded All the robbers were search
ed, and every package OF bills they
had taken from the bank-was found
intact As soon as all was ready the
train was backed down 10 the station
last passed, where kilograms were sent
announcing the capture, and new
train was made up TO take the passen
gers and the prisoners to Eureka.
The directors of the bank paid lib
orally for the recovery of the stolen
money. and the boy whose indolent
amusement of fishing had led to the
capture received a check large enough
to give him an education
1t was not long before every one OF
the robbers who had been captured
alive was convicted and seut for 8
long term to the peni:entiary.