Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1915-10-23
R. WRIGHT HAD A
lPREMON|T|ON OF
A TRAIN WRECK
TRAVELLING NAN WHO WAS PASSEN-
GER WAS SILENT OML0OKER WHO
WAS NOT APPROACHED
UNC CONF ORrABLY HIDDEN BETWEEN
TWO SEATS We FEARED EVERY
MOMENT WOULD BE HIS LAST

~ had preSentlmen that bandit were
gong to held up that tram Monday before
left San BenIto." declares Randolph
Wright. Houston travelling man, who was
night ~ told r. L. kowalskl of Browns
VILE and Mr. Jones ~ the Downs store M
San Bento that something was going 10
happen. but | laughed down my own fears.
The next morning Kowalski and Jones
came running up to the wreck IN an auto
mobile. fully expecting to find me dead
But | wasn't"
WRIGHT II "t the opinion that had sin
gle one of the passenger had Gun or pis
tnl and had they firph. even though every
bandit m the tram hsd been killed. none of
the passengers would have had chance
for their hvcs hecaure of the men ont side
he believed that resistance would have
meant that the tram would have. been blown
~. Tie bandit had hnmh- as one was
found the next dav hv officer
1--WE were Knocked ~ the floor Nv the
ash and icltlne." ald Wright. N telling
his story of the robbery and murders VI
wa fully two minutes. ! believe until the
bandit BEGAN appearing ~ the doorway
next The rear coach They were coming np
slowly. apparently due to the fact that the
end ~ the coach was tilted fully Eve feet.
They hegan adraneins into the car. frlng
a- they came Every one had crouched ~
the floor If the smoker. and irving to hide
saw ~ opportunity ~ Get between two
eats turned back f. back. Two Mexican
women were seated on one. and they had
-hawl and comfort whieh hung inst over
the top of the hack of the seat, and shaded
the opening from casual view. ! dived IN.
backed up against The steam pipes and
pulled nv le-F mp over my head as far a.
possible to keep my feet from view IN the
aisle.
"Dnring ths time the Mexcans kept mp
their shooting and they fired perhaps 10 or
100 shots before II ceased They began
walking ~ aud down the aisle demanding
money and asking where there were more
"grlngo-" 7 could ~ six ~ eight feet up
and down the aisle. and watched the ban
dit a. they walked back and forth IN front
of the opening ! could hear the Jingle Of
money as the bandits took Il from the
pockets Of the dead and wounded and then
! thought would save what ! could Of my
under the steam pipes. Ny money | also
took from nv pockets. and peelng off one
bill as 2 contribution f. the fund IN case |
wa- robbed I placed the balance IN my
shoes
AT intervals | peeped from my hiding
place aud observed the movements of the
bandits. Most Of them Judge the num-
her to be five or slx-had on khaki pants.
~ had on shoes with the exception of one
little fellow. apparently Is years old. who
was barefooted. One man who seemed to
b. the leader Of the hunch-a big fellow
had = red bandana handkerchief conceallng
the lower part ~ his face. | could see the
tips Of his great. hristhnc moustache. how
ever. for the corners iutted ont over the
top Of the handkerchief.
"The bandits passed me up entirely.
Time and time again they passed directly
IN front Of me. demanding to know where
there were more gringos, and more FIRE
quently than not stopping right IN front Of
where ] was Every moment ! expected to
be ny last. and that fact that the two
Mexican women were still pleading for
their Iives did not assure me IN the least
because ! was afraid they N their exclte
meni would shout out that | was under the
back Of their seat AT this time ! heard
the bandits demanding 70 be let into the
ilavaiorv Then two shots broke out over
the eroans IF the wounded men near me
That was when Dr Mccain and Wallis
were shot
"Again four ~ iive Of the Mexlcans be
ran walking backward and forward ~ the
car. looking for Americans, but still pass
ing me up. BY this time bad come to the
conclusion that every American on the ear
except myself was dead or wounded. I
could hear nothing but the groans Of the
wounded. Peeping out again | saw one Of
the bandits taking off Copcral McBee's
shoes. and heard the poor fellow say:
"'Give me a gun Give q a chance! I'll