Democratic Sentinel, Volume 8, Number 46, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 12 December 1884 — ROBBERS ATTACK A TRAIN. [ARTICLE]

ROBBERS ATTACK A TRAIN.

The Thieves Plunder the Passengers and Carry Off Six Thousand Dollars. Thej Are Tracked to Their Homes by Bloodhounds and Identified. [Little Rock telegram.] The passenger train on tho Little Rock, Mississippi River and Texas Railway was stopped, between 10 and 11 o’clock last night, at a point three miles below this place by five masked robbers, who ran the train on a switch and then proceeded to plunder it. The conductor, Pat Rice, and the express messenger, Honeycutt, were in the baggage-car, and when Rice started toward the engine the robbers opened firo, shooting at him five times. Both he and the messenger were then covered with revolvers, as were the passengers in the front car. The rear car carried some forty people. The rapid discharge of fire-arms and the sudden stopping of the train created great alarm, and an indescribable panic ensued. Suddenly the door opened and a slenderlookiug white man appeared, and, covering the passengers with a six-shooter, ordered them to “hold up their hands. ” No opposition was offered, lip went the hnuds of all. While this was taking place three of the robbers were at work upon the safe in the baggage car. and the riuging blows dealt upon it could be distinctly heard. The robber who guarded the door talked constantly and in a jocular strain, say.ng that he was a relative of Jesse Janies, and that he had fifteen men guarding the train and intended to make a clean sweep of all the money and valuables belonging to the passengers. “You will," said he, “have a cnuuce to contribute to the missionaries. " As he spoke he was joined by a second robber, who, flourishing a pistol, began snatching watches and pocketbooks indiscriminately and tossing them into n sack he carried. He went through the car in about ten minutes. By the time he had finished the safe was burst open and plundered, and the passengers in the rear cars having been relieved of their money, the robbers told the passengers to remain in the car for ton minutes, as it would be unhealthy for them to venture forth before that time. They then plunged into the woods, disappearing in a westerly direction. The following is a list of the principal victims: H. B. Dow, of the firm of Cole & Dow, of Little Rook, lost nearly SSOO. L. Thompson, of Pine Bluff, Ark., lost a gold watch and $lO in silver. Z. T. Hedges, of Little Rock, lost n gold watch and a small sum «of money. W. Richards, of Little Rock, lost a gold watch and money. W. Dyer, engineer of tho snag-boat Reese, lost n sum of money. J. M. Blair and wife, lost $lO or sls. Matt Coen, of Littlo Rock, lost $7. John W. Dillon, of the firm of William ltesor & Co., of St. Louis, could not tell how much he lost. J. C. Duncan, of San Antonio, Tex., a stockman, lost SBO. Mr. Dunoon savod a largo sum by hiding it under his seat-cushion. Geo. W. Atkins, of Pine Bluff, lost S2O. T. B. Martin, of Little Rock, lost $5. Freeman Smith, of the firm of H. Waterman & Co., of St. Louis, lost $2. He saved a package containing SBOO by’hiding it in his boot. J. W. D. Cook, of Atlanta, Gn., lost only sl. Robert Allen, of Little Hock, lost $10.50. C. Z. Williams, of tho Cole Manufacturing Company, of Memphis, Tenn., lost $170; Thos. B. Martin, of Little Rock, lost a gold watch. J. S. Whiting, of Little Rock, losj; a watch and chain and S2O. In addition tho roadmnster and all the train hands lost sums ranging from SSO to SIOO. Tho ex-, press car of the Southern Express Company is said to have contained about $2,000. The ' total amount secured by the robbers is os- * timatod at SB,OOO. Little Rook has been in a state of great"' excitement all day on account of the affailr. Early this morning bloodhounds were put, on the trail of the robbers, and followed them straight into the city. Before noon Joseph Cook, J. C. Jones, John Clifford, Charles Campbell, and a boy named Parker, five in all, hud been arrested. Jones will probably be released. Three of those arrested have been identified as among the robbers. The State has offered SI,OOO for the capture of tho lobfcers, to which the railroad company has added a like sum. Circumstances point strongly against Cook, Clifford and young Parker. In addition to their being identified, it is proven that they were away from their boarding-house until 2 o’clock this morning.