Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-03-13
BALKED IN H0[D4UPP|TNEY CONFIRMED
Train Robbers Met Death Senate Sustans Presidents
Texas Panhandle. Choice by so to e.
MESSENGER IS HEROlv OTE TAKEN AT 2 OCL OCk
Kills Both Hghwaymen After Re New Jersey ur Will Succeed the
sorting to Old Ruse Late Justice Harlan.
ON SOUTHERN PACIFIC DECISION ON ATTACKED
Attempted
Mail Cars Takes ear sion Yesterday Followed
Border w Hours Today.
MESSENGER IS A HERO
Kills Both Highwaymen After Re-
sorting to Old Ruse.
ON SOUTHERN PACIFIC ROAD
Attempted Looting Of Express and
Mail Cars Takes Place Near
Mexican Border.

SAN ANTONIO, Tex. March 49,
An express messenger named David A.
Trousdale baked the robbery of a
Southern Pacific train, near Sanderson,
early today, when he trapped two high
Waymen, who had held up the train
and killed them.
The robbers boarded the train, No.
8, westbound, a few miles east of San
derson. The mail and express cars and
the locomotive were detached from the
passenger coaches.
Then the engineer, under cover of the
robbers guns, was compelled to run the
two or three coaches ahead of the re-
mainder of the train. One of the robbers
took the express messenger, Trousdale
back to the train and kept him under
guard, while the other robber covered the
crew in the cars ahead and started to
rife the safe and express boxes
ITousdale Is said to have employed
the. old ruse Of signaling to an inn
aginary person back of his captor
When the robber turned Trousdale
grasped a mallet and before the high
,wayman could shoot dashed out his
brains.
Messenger Kills Second Robber.
Then. arming himself with the dead
robbers gun, Trousdale waited for
the return of the other bandit. After
he had rif1ed the express boxes the
second man returned to the coaches
Stepping from cover, Trousdale killed
him. All of the stolen property was
recovered and the train proceeded.
Trousdale Is young man, recently pro-
NOTED to the express run. He lives in
San Antonio.
At Dryden. about midnight, where the
robbers boarded the engine, they told
Engineer Grosh to keep moving till he
came to point about ten miles from
Dryden. When the train finally reached
the point designated Conductor Erkel
sent the porter, a negro, forward to see
what was the matter.
When the porter failed to return the
conductor himself went forward only to
bers' hands. Hurriedly he ran out of
range.
Made Crew Cut the Train.
The engineer was brought back to the
side of the mail car and Messenger Trous-
dale and Mail Clerk Banks were made to
get out upon the ground. After debating
a few minutes the robbers made the en-
tire crew help cut the train in two and
move the engine, mail and express cars
forward a short distance.
The express messenger and mail clerk
were by this time rifiing their respective
threats of instant death.
Conductor Erkel, hearing a train in the
distant rear, went back and had the
train, a freight, stopped. From this he
put up the telephone. always carried on
trains, and summoned officers from San
derson.
BY this time the robbers had driven the
train half a mile westward and stopped
around curve 1t was here that Trous-
dale proved that he had the stuff OF
- IT, hi To fIa rotnh hn faic od
to take the affair with apparent good
nature, and especially he seemed the
most docile sort of catspaw for the rob-
Der who stood over him compelling him
to rifle packages and boxes
Threw Captor Off His Guard.
In the midst of his work he turned
around and seemed to be signaling to
person behind his captor. For a fleeing
instant the bandit took his eyes off
Trousdale. Then, the next moment he
was in eternity. Trousdale had seized
the big ice mallet and Drained the bandit,
striking crushing blow upon the side of
the head Trousdale's first ruse had
worked.
AS the man lay inert, Trousdale took
up the six-shooter which had clattered
to the floor and crouched near the wall
OIL the car, WdllIlS lOI Tic attain uC
knew would come.
He waited a long time, it seemed, for
the bandit up in the engine had conf
dence in the other outlaws ability. FL
nally, growing uneasy, the engine guard
jumped quickly from the cab and ran
back to the express car.
Single Shot Kills.
Trousdale barely heard his footsteps
before the robber had rushed half way
into the car. One shot was enough to
lift off the top of the bandits head.
Trousdale quietly informed those OF the
crew waiting outside in the darkness that
the holdup was over
Trousdale is Tennessean. having come
to San Antonio several years ago, when
he entered the Wells Fargo employ.
At Sanderson, where the county author
tiles took charge of the bandits bodies.
they were still unidentified up to late
hour today. So far as now known. there
is no reason to connect the attempted
hold-up with any of the recent border
disturbances.
The bodies of the robbers were taken
to Sanderson. They are unidentified.
Southern Pacific officials express the
belief that the train hold-up was commit
ted by Mexican indictments.
IInI rnrr nIInAn nil