Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1912-11-27
AT rain Holdup
That Failed
By EDWARD SEYMOUR

place, IN TACT. LOT Il IObDcAy
The train came to a full stop
shot was heard 1t came from the ex-
press car. but the passengers in the
ymoker and two passenger coaches
couldn't tell where il came from
There were not many passengers any
way The train was running very
light In the smoker were several
men, way passengers. who appeared
to belong to the country through which
the road ran. In the next coach were
two ladies' sitting together face to face,
while i'm the seat behind them was
dandified young man. apparently a ten
derfoot On the other side was n girl
travelling alone In the next car In
the rear sat an old man and an old
woman. the pcrsonification of John
Anderson My 10 John. Near them
was a maiden lady of fifty, with Cog /
giles.
Suddenly the front door of the fore |
most coach was thrown open and |
man appeared with a short rifle. with |
which he covered the passengers. while |
another man with his revolvers in his
belt stepped into the car and said:
Produce your vaiuableS,'
He was followed by another man,
who held n revolver in each hand
With the man at the door covering the
passengers with the rifle and n man
behind him with six shots in each
hand. the collector" was well pro-
tected In his work The passengers
sat perfectly still. each one pulling
out his or her valuahleS with alacrity.
After going throush the car rs the
collector approached the rear door the
man with the rifle followed him. The
passengers had submitted so passively
that this. ii seemed. would be attend
ed by little risk AS he passed the
girl she whisked a long knife from
under her skirts end, turning. drove
It into his back He fell with n grOan
The two men who were at the other
end of the car, completing their rob
berry, turned in time to see him fall.
One OF the ladies mentiOned-the one
who was facing the rear of the car
pulled n revolver from under her man
tel, fired at the collectors attendant.
and he went down. This left the col
lector the only rohher in the car. In
the few seconds that followed the dis
pc tching of his two pals he knew that
be was in danger, but from what per
son he was ignorant He had seen a
young girl stab the man with the rifle
and a handsomely dressed lady shoot
his attendant He could not single out
which OF the passengers would at
tempt TO finish him. There were sew
eral able men who sat near him, but
e
on them for a second, and during that
very small space of time the dandtied
young man who with others had turn
ed to see what was going on in the
rear put bullet through his forehead
The same plan had been devised anC
enacted in the second car. though viii
a different reception. When the col
lector and his support came TO the ole
man and old woman the woman Will
goggles. who sat farther in the rear
suddenly clicked a revolver and shO
the man standing in the front doc
covering the passengers. This divert
ed for the moment the attention of tn
collector and his attendant, and tn
old woman with marvellous quickneS
put a bullet through the attendant
Before the COLLECTOR could draw his r.
volver the Old man had shot him dead
The events in the rear car first cam
to conclusion The old maid tire
away her Spectacles. ripped up II
front of calico dress, threw h;
embellished with flowers on the tio'
and. being rid of women's appart
stalked forward. strapping man. II
old man and old woman each dOn'
white wig. The woman tore off n
outer garment. and each with Il 1
volver in each hand followed the 20
maid" she" threw open the doc
and the three of them stood on t
platform as the last shot rang out
the forward ear
A similar transformation scene b
been enacted there The girl who b
knitted one of the robbers became
young man of nineteen, the two lad
turned out n sheriff and his depu
while the dude WAS quieScent lOOki
man noted fer being one of the cool
and quickest shots in that region.
When the last rohber fell the dJ
.nrew open the rear door of the {
and those who had done the shoot
In both cars jumped off. Three men
the smoking car arose and Joined
scattering posse Three robbers. v
had captured the express safe by FIR
single shot that had hurt no q
were endea vOring to open it when.
each end Of the car. appeared Il II
bristling with revOlvers The robb
seeing themselves hedged in. fou
desperately. but were mastered.