The Washington herald., 1914-10-14

late. At last 1t was heard laundering
down the track, but TO the amazement of
the watchers IL passed without halt
Inc fact then developed that only the
westbound track had been brok=n.
Both tracks were now effectuaIly
broken and the party resumed its wait
ing, this time for a westbound train.
Box Full of Money.
Between 2:So and a m. the expected
train came along. at itssusuaI speed. As
the engine reached the point where the
track was torn up it swerved and fell On
its side, bringing the train to a standstiu
with a bump that startled the drowsy
passengers.
As the Rangers poured down the en-
oankment beside the train the conductor.
lantern in hand, came forward and, peer
ing at the faces OF the men who sur
rounded him. said Iaconically: Gentle
men. the train is yours
Two OF Mosby's men were sent into the
train, each entering a car. One OF them,
Charles Dear, saw a soldier in the farther
end of the car draw a revolver. A shot
from Dear and the man dropped. None
OF the other passengers offered resist
ance.
Near the stove was a group of officers
Dear ordered them to surrender. As he
approached them he noticed that one
had valise. which he tried to conceal.
The other officers advised him to give up
the valise. and this he did. Another on
GER had tin box, and this also was Sc
cured. The bearers Of the valise and box
were Mai. David c. Ruggles and Mai
Edwin l. Moore. paymasters.
As yet the Confederates did not realize
the extent of their good luck, but know
ing the valise and box must be valuable
Col MOsby assigned three OF his men to
take them and ride with all speed to the
shenandoah, cross and hide in the noun
tains
As the men rode OF the horse of one
stumbled over a stump, the box fell, and
its contents were scattered on the ground
The eyes Of the Rangers fairly bulged as
they gathered up the contents. A fortune
seemed before them. Hastily packing the
money back into the box, they resumed
their ride. reaching the mountains safely,
and cOncealing themselves in a cabin to
wait an opportunity of rejoining Mosby.
Meanwhile. all passengers were ordered
out OF the ten cars composing the train
and they were set on fire. One of the
cars was occupied by immigrants, who,
not understanding the cause OF the trou-
Bile, refused to leave their car until the
Rangers had set fire to bundles of news
papers under several Of the seats.
A Study ia Tactics"
There was much alarm among the pas
sengers, thus unceremoniously hustled
out into the cold OF a sharp autumn
morning. in a rocky railroad cut, by
armed men.
One woman, whose good looks COM
mended her to the Rangers, dramatically
called to Col. Mosby to save her, be-
cause her husband was a Mason. Mosby
smiled and assured her she would not be
harmed.
Another passenger was an Austrian Of
fcer, on his way to join Sheridan's army.
Mosby's men asked him why he was 60
study tactics" They relieved him Of his
money and his watch and eravely IN
formed him that this was the first les
son In tactics.
Separating the Federal military men
from the civilians among the passengers
there being twenty-five Rangers, see
ing the train well enveloped in flames,
set out with their prisoners on their ride
back to the mountains.
Before news OF their exploit had
reached Harpers Ferry-for they had cut
the telegraph-they were safe across the
Shenandoah. Cavalry sent out from
Harpers Ferry, Martinsburg and Bunker
Hill secured the country thereabouts all
day without seeing a trace of Mosby or
his men.
The next day Mosby reassembled his
command east of the mountains, and by
the rules under which the Rangers op-
Grated, the spoils Of the greenback raid
we're distributed among the men who had
Moshy. Each man received
about 5000. more money than most of
hem had ever seen. and more than any Of |
them had seen since the war began.
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