The Mathews journal. (Mathews C.H. [Court House]) 1903-1937, 1912-02-15
BANDITS ROB and
DYNAMITE TRAIN

MEMPHIS, TENN Special.-Rock
Island passenger train No. AZ, bound
from Memphis for Little Rock, Ark
and points west, was held up by ban
dts and dynamited seventeen miles
east Of Hurlburt, Ark. early today
The train, which is one of the fastest
on the road, carried a large amount of
specie and many express money or
ders. The exact amount of loot Sc
cured by the robbers is not known
but express company officials said il
was not heavy.
The mail, baggage and express cars
were destroyed by dynamite. The
bandits cut all the telegraph and tel
ephone wires between Memphis. HurI-
burt and Little Rock. Bill Williams
"a negro brakeman. was killed by the
explosion. A tramp riding on the
blind baggage was blown into a hun
dred pieces.
The express safe was blown, but
Only two drafts, one for $500 and
ar ther for $500, and $50 are miss
ing.
Postoffice inspectors sent to the
scene say they believe the robbers
failed 20 get any of the registered
mail. The United States Express
Company admitted today that they
carried probably "A half-million dol
lars out OF Memphis last night on the
train, mostly going to small hanks
between Memphis and Little Rock
This money was in a separate safe
under guard OF two armed messen-
gers. They were instructed by the
local agent. f.. w. Ford. of the ex-
press company, to sit on the box until
the last dollar had been delivered
The men. according to the express
company officials. never left their
posts when the bandits fired a hum
dred or more shots at the car after
leaving II 500 yards west OF Hurl-
burt. .
fusillade OF bullets greeted the
passengers who stuck their heads out
OF the windows. and when the postal
car was opened three men stuck guns
IN the faces OF the clerks and or
dered hands up.
In the meantime four robbers had
gained an entrance into the express
car. The messengers heard them COM
ing and concealed the chest with the
big shipment of money. They stood
guard near IL. but finally were forced
to be bound.
Trainmen working in the yard
heard shots and a switch engine was
rushed TO the scene with a full crew.
This frightened the bandits. and soon
after the first safe in the express car
was blown they jumped from the
train and ran.
The robbers fired off two blasts of
dynamite, and shattered the car. set
ting it on fire. So terrific was the
defamation that passengers were
thrown from their berths and win
dows in houses a mile away were
broken. The passengers were not mo-
Tested. The robbers fed in time to
allow the trainmen to extingish the
blaze.
No. 4S left this city at 1901 A. M.
The bandits had boarded the train
near the Arkansas line, and, when
the train was approaching Hurlbut
they drew their weapons and COM
PEELED the trainmen to halt the train.
There is a bridge near the scene of
the holdup. and it was first thought
this structure had been exploded The
explosions were two minutes apart,
the second being fired four minutes
after the first, both being plainly Wis
ible in the yards here, seventeen miles
away.
AS soon as the robbers had fled with
their plumber word Of the outrage was
sent to Hurlbut and to the city
This is the second time within two
months that No. 43 has been held up.
A posse of railroad detectives, far
mers and county authorities set in
pursuit of the robbers with blood
hounds within two hours after the
holdup.