The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1912-03-15
DAVID TROUSDAL[
HERO OF HOlO-UP
IS SON OF MAURY
SINGLE HANDED He KILLS TWO
BANDITS AND RECEIVERS
STOLEN GOODS.
WORKED MOST clever RUSE
Young Hero Is Only Thlrty.Two and
Is Son of Wilkes Trousdale, of the
Biebyville Section-Has other Rel
atives In County.


the attempted hold up of a Texas
train, is a former Maury county boy,
son of Wilkes Trousdale of the
Bigbyville section. He is a nephew
Of David TrCusdale of the same Sec
ton, and has numerous relatives in
this county.
Young Trousdale has been away
from home for several years, and
Until recently was express messen-
ger on train running out of Memphis.
His exploit in thwarting hold-up of
a train in Texas reads more like fic-
ton that reality, illustrating the
aptness of the old saying that truth
is often stranger than fiction. He
is of rather quiet and retiring dis
position but his friends always be-
lieved thai he would render good
account OF himself whenever the OPP
portunity came. Young Trousdale's
relatives learned of this daring deed
this morning and while alarmed over
the danger that he ran they were
naturally gratified at the successful
outcome of his courage and heroic
deed.
The following is graphic account
OF the attempted hold-up:
! SAN ANTONIO, Tex Mar IA
Clvid A. Trousdale, young express
messenger, recently from Memphis,
Tenn, is the hero of the hour in
Texas Single-handed Trousdale
thwarted the hold-up of Southern
Pacific train near Sanderson, killed
the two bandits and recovered the
property one of them had taken from
the express boxes.
The robbers boarded the train, No.
}, westbouni. a few miles east of
Sanderson. The mail and express
cars and the locomotive were detach-
ed from the passenger coaches Then
the engineer. under cover of the rob-
Ders' guns was compelled to run the
two or three coaches ahead of the
lest of the train.
One of the robbers took Trousdale
back to the train and held him un-
Ter guard, while the other robbers
covered the crew in the cars ahead,
and started to rifle the safe and ex-
press boxes.
Trousdale is said to have employ
che old ruse of signaling to an mag
nary person back of his captor.
When the robber turned, Trousdale
grasped a mallet and before the high
wayman could shoot dashed out his
brains
Then arming himself with the dead
robbers gun, Trousdale waited for
the return of the other bandit After
he had rified the express boxes, the
second highwayman came back to
the coaches. Stepping from cover
rrousdale killed him.
All of the stolen property was re-
covered and the train proceeded.
Trousdale, who is 80 years old, was
recently promoted to the express
run. He lives in San Antonio.
When the train was half mile
westward and stopped around a
curve. Trousdale rose to the occas-
ION. To the robbers he pretended
to take the affair with good nature,
and especially he seemed the most
dciie sort of catspaw for the robber
who stood over him compelling him
to rife packages and boxes.
4 Then, just for feeting instant
the bandit took his eyes off Trous-
dale, and the next moment he was
in eternity. Trousdale had seized
the big ice mallet and Drained him,
striking crushing blow upon the
side Of the head.
AS the man lay inert Trousdale
quietly and slowlxs took upa the six-
shooter which had clattered loudly
TO the floor, and crouched near the
wall of the car, waiting for the attack
he knew would come.
He waited long time, It seemed,
for the man up In the engine had
confidence in the other outlaws abil-
ity. Growing uneasy. the engine
guard Jumped quickly from the cab,
releasing the engineer and ran back
to the express car. Trousdale bare
ly heard his footsteps before the rob-
Der had rushed halfway into the car.
ne shot was enough to lift off the
top of his head. Trousdale quietly
informed those Of the crew waiting
, outside In the darkness that the hold.