Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 19, Number 65, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 22 April 1898 — TRAIN HELD UP. [ARTICLE]

TRAIN HELD UP.

Engineer Killed and One Highway, man Fatally Wounded After Mall Car Ha* Been Rifled. Los Angeles, Cal., April 21.—The Banta Fe overland No. 1, west bound, was held up at the Mojave river bridge, two miles west of Oro Grande, in Ban Bernardino county, at 2:30 o’clock Wednesday morning. Engineer Gifford vaa killed by one of the robbers, the >ther of whom was mortally wounded iy Gifford in an exchange of shot*. The two robbers flagged the train at the ipproach to the bridge, and, boarding lhe engine, took the engineer and firenan back to the express car and enleavored to detach it from the pas-

senger coach, but could notuncouple it. They succeeded in cutting off the mall car and compelled the engineer to pull up to the siding. Here they rifled the the mail and secured the registered matter. They then backed down to the train and were proceeding to the express car, when Engineer Gifford opened fire on them with a revolver. He fatally wounded one of the robbers, Paul Jones, of Oro Grande, but the other escaped after shooting Gifford with a charge of buckahot, killing him instantly. Express Messenger Mott remained on the rear platform of the express car. The train, with the body of the engineer, proceeded to this city. The sheriff arrived at the scene at six o’clock Wednesday morning and tracked the escaped robber to Cummings' ranch and into the hills. He had a horse." His identity Is unknown. The robber got nothing but the registered mail.