University of South Carolina Libraries
E STABLISHED 1835. NEWBERRY, S. C., FRIDAY, JANUARY 31, 1902. TWICE A WEEK 1.50 A YEAR COLUIBIA TRAIN HELD UP. EXPAXS CAR ROBBED AT 58, NEAN BRANCHVILLE. 1ifty-Night to the Station Where a Train was Robbed Two lears Ago-a Baud of Seven or 10ght Men Engaged In the Robbery-Local Express Safe Robbed and the Through Ex prms safe Taken Off the Train. which is then Al lowed to Proceed. [Special to News and Courier.] Branahville, January 27.-A care fully planned and audacious express robbery took place on the Southern Bailway this evening when the pass enger train from Charleston reached nearly the exact site of the success fal raid of two years ago, near Fifty eight Station, five miles from Branch ville. Seven men, or possibly. eight, were riding on the platform between the qngmie and baggage car, con cealed by the darkness. None was masked. At the fifty.five mile board two men crawled over the tender and covered the engineer, John Reynolds, with Winchesters. They fired two shots, one ball passing through Rey molds's cap. Fireman Cobb escaped by jumping off. Conductor Black, -who ran out, was also covered and ordered back. By order of these men a brakeman uncoupled the ex ipres, mail and baggage cars, which -d~re taken to Fifty-eight Station, esaving the rest of the cars on the rkack. At Fifty eight several shots eswe fred into the express car and on man, climbing up, covered Ex MsuJfessenger Hall with a Win . ester, compelling him to open the oor. Three men entered the car and sripped the local safe. After threatening HalLwith instant deat. if he did not open the through line ise, and finding he knew nothing of the 'ombination, the safe was rolled M 6uon the platform. Then the en insr was ordered to return with the three cars to the train and he Sobehed, bringng the train with no hther incidents to Branchville. 4-ohng was seen of the men wor the safe ,on passing the sta ton. There was only a small amount -a~f booty in the local safe and no one hers knows the contents of the through safe. No mail or baggage was touched and no passenger mo Jasted. The robbers took their pis tois from the only employees who were armed and resistance was out of hequestion. No measures in the line of pursuit have been taken so far. It is hoped that bloodhounds sill be on hand in the morning. AJOTRB ACCOUNT. Columbia, January 27.-There was the- time when train robberies were always credited to the f ar West, but -they are getting common just about S&ation 58, on the South Carolina and Georgia division of the Southern Railway - Tonight there occurred there, for the third time in a year or two, a glaring hold up. First there was the.Bartow Warren case, in De cembier, 1899, when $1,600 was stolen. Then there was the abortive hold up in October, 1891, and tonight there oceurred the chief robbery of all. It was s well planned and as boldly 'C executed as ever described in the Nick Carter series. Every detail seemed to have been carefully mapped out. It took more than an hour to -carry through the whole robbery, but Pno chances were taken at any time. The robbery and hold up was of the regular night train from Charleston for Columbiar leaving Charl.-ston at 5.10,.and arriving here at 10.25 at night. Tonight the train did not arrive here until considerably after 11 o'clock. The cause of the delay being that the band of robbers bold and deliberately interfered with the traffie for more than an hour. STOPPING THE TRAIN. About 52 or 54 miles from Char leston, and quite near Branchville, three men crawled over the rear end of the tender, over coal and all, to us~e their influence to have the train stopped. They talked to the colored fireman first and told him they want ed the train stopped. The colored fireman ~told Capt. John Reynolds, the engineer, that some men wanted him to stop the train. Engmneer Reynolds asked the fireman what it was he said. The fireman repeatec the message. The negro insistei that the men wanted the trair s'opped and Capt. Reynolds said h( was not stopping the train. Ther there came a pistol shot, then a rifl( shot, and then a bullet grazed th( veteran engineer's skull cap. H( looked around and saw three men al his side. He wanted to get out oJ the cab and leaned out to get out ol the range of subsequent bullets The fireman had jumped and waE running for dear life. Capt. Rey. nolds came to the conclusion thal discretion was the better part of valor, and he did not see any use to jeo pardize the engine, and to save the property and possibly a wreck he stuck to the engine and did as nearly as he could what he was ordered tc at the point of a rifle. At first there were three m i on the engine with him, but later on two remained, and at no time was he without the com pany of one of the robbers and hiE rifle. In fact, the guard over him got quite talkative and said that he was there to do nothing but watch him and make him obey orders. When the engineer stopped the train the man asked for the colored fire man and said that they wanted him to uncouple the train. The fireman had gone, so the men had to get down and go back to do the work. They uncoupled, but the hooks caught, and they cried out to their lieutenant to have the cars slacked back. This was done, the mail, baggage and ex press cars detached and taken off from the passenger section of the train; meanwhile the other members of the band were keeping things lively with their rifles and oaths. ROBBING THE EXPRESS CAR. As soon as the front coaches were detached and a volley or two had been fired a squad of men made for the express car. While the car was being hauled off Express Messenger A. V. Hall was trying to get things in shape, not knowing what was go ing on outside. He blew out one of his lamps and was getting over to the door to blow out the other light when a pistol suddenly appeared on the bright side. The hand that car ried the pistol had smashed its way through the glass door of the car. Mr. Hall was directed to open the car door. He thought there was nothing else to do, as he was alone and had no means of protection. Then one of the men jumped intc the car and there came another. Messenger Hall was told to go ovei in a coroer and sit downj. He was accompanied to his corner by a mar and a pistol, and told to keep his back turned. Once he turned his head slightly to get an idea of whal was going on and he was promptly reminded by the chilliness of th( pistol at his temple that if he turnei is head much further it would leai to trouble. The other men in the car, two, it is thought, went througi the local safe and took therefrom al the money it contained, about $13 Then they wanted Messenger Hal to open the through safe. He toli them that he could not do so. The3 insisted, and he told them plainly that the through safe was locked ir Charleston and that he did not knov what it contained, that he did no have the combination to it, and tha it could only be opened at its desti nation and then not by him. Th< robbers evidently knew this was cor rect. They had the section pullei up to the station house at Fifty eight, and were explicit as to the ex act point they wanted the car taken and when they got there they un loaded the through safe, weighing five or six hundred bounds, into wagon that was in waiting and haule< it to some place they had, no doubt selected to blow it open. The con tents of the through safe could no be ascertained. Sometimes it con tains a great deal of money and a other times but little. The exac amount could only be ascertained a the Charleston office, where the saf is made up and locked, and no on here seemed to know what was in th safe. After the robbers left the ca they unloaded the express messen ger's pistols and returned them t him with their compliments. THE FLAGMAN'S STORY. Ic One of the most connected and G best stories for the whole affair is d; that told by Drayton Shirer, the in- : telligent flagman who went through tI the whole experience and who came b] very near being killed. He says w that he thought there was something si the matter with the air brake when ti he heard the noise and he went ahead t( to inquire into it. As he got up to h the express car he heard the shoot- c' ing, and the three men who were f walking on the ground cried to him el that he had better get inside or they 0 would kill him. He called to Bag ft gage Master J. XV. Butler, who let 0: him in the baggage car, and just as g' he got inside a bullet came crashing s3 through the side of the car just over SE his head. Mr. Shirer told the men i that he wanted to go to the rear end bi of the car, as there was a freight w train behind. His appeal to get tI back to protect the train did no good. 01 By this time he was in the baggage car and the train was disconnected f and he was taken on ahead about t two miles and the passenger part of T the train was left behind. The men ii kept up a constant fusilade and all r the time were insisting that it would be dangerous for any one to show their heads, and they cursed like tE troopers and called each other Mike tc and Pat, and all orders were to Mike w and Pat. b Mr. Shirer says that the men he fo saw had black faces, but he and the ec others are of the impression that th they were white men who had black- T" ened their faces. Conductor Black, w, who was in charge of the train, heard oc the firing, and before he could get vi up to the head of the train the front fo cars were detached and carried away. ca As his flagman had been carried off B: in the front section he had to piotect vi his rear end from the freight train in that was behind, and he gave that his personal attention, and when the engine backed up and got the train ul connected he went on to Branchville1] and reported the occurrence. m Mr. Fair, who was in charge of f the mail car, did not open his car door, nor was he anxious to have any s communication with the robbers.t They knocked at his door and he did not answer. And they left him alone T and he left them alone and nothing on his car was interfered with. gi THE BAGGAGE MASTER's sTORY. ci Baggage Master J. W. Butler tells w a good story about the robbers. All ar the way coming up he was "cussing'' 01 the heavy drummers' trunks that he vi had to handle, but when the firing se began he thought the drummers and tU their trunks were a God send to him, pl and he and Mr. Shiver did not hesi- V tate to use them as barricades against 12 the fasillade. al WHAT MESSENGER HALL SAYs. ti Express Messenger Hall had a short but a lively story. As he was made to keep his back to the robbers he could not tell much about them nor what they did. He gave a com.-c plete story of the occurrence to the P express authorities, who are already b at work on the matter. He thinks A that there were certainly five, and " possibly eight, in the band of rob- i bers. THE ENGINEER's ADVENTURE. The most picturesque story is that of Egineer John Reynolds. He put , no frills on his story. He is one of the oldest and best engineers on the ~ road and tells how he weighed the whole matter, and decided that it was the best for him to remain at his post and not try to be funny. As soon as the men got on his cab theye examined him to make sure that he ti Lhad no pistol, and examined his Ispectacle case to see that it was not a pistel case. One of the men told, him that the shot which cut his cap b Iwas accidental, and that they would E not harm a hair on him for the Iworld, and assured him. IOne of the men called him Ly name and another referred to him as "Uncle Johnny," his nickname. It Swas evident that the men or some of them knew him very well. Capt. rReynolds says that he did not know ' any one of the three men on the cab I with him, but that they all looked r like natives, and that one of the men ,oked like what he would call a Oose Creeker-sallow-faced and ark-complexioned. All three of the .en he saw were white. None of iern wore masks or had their faces lackened, and they talked freely ith him. One of the men sat at his de for over an hour and after the irough safe had been removed he >ld the engineer to go back and get is train, and he remained on the ib until the engine had gone back illy half a mile, when he told the igineer to slack up and let him get T. He made the engineer go back Mily half a mile from the main body the party and the safe before he t off, and then Mr. Reynolds went owly back to tako up the passenger etion. Flagman Shirer protected ie rear of the bob tail car as it went ick to pick up the passengers, who ere no doubt, greatly puzzled at all tat was happening about two miles F. Mr.. Reynolds described the en as being "ordinally country iks" as far as he could judge by teir appearance, dress and language. here were certainly five, and very kely eigbt or nine, in the party of ibbers. BARTOW WARREN SUSPECTED. There is a strong supposition from e features of the case that J. Bar. w Warren has something to do ith the robbery. It will be remem red that he was tried some time ago r an express robbery, but the pros ution resulted in a mistrial. After e trial Warren shot and killed omas Watson, who was one of the itnesses against him. The killing eurred in the streets of Branch lie and although rewards are out r Warren's arrest he has not been ptured. It is said people about ranchville have seen hint in the cinity and he is suspected aw being hiding in that neighborhood. EFFORTS TO CATCH THE ROBBERS. Mr. Richardson took the matter ) with Governor McSweeney to ght and Governor McSweeneyT im ediately offered a reward of $400 r the arrest of the parties connected ith the robbery. Superintendent idler will go to the scene and be iere by daybreak in the morning. he Southern Railway and express tective force went to work at once i the case. Bloodhounds were tele "aphed for and the sheriffs of Dor ester and Orangeburg counties ere asked to do what they could, id posses are reported to have been -ganized at Branchville and Reeves lle, and they are said to be out ouring the country to get a clue to e robbers. It is reported that the arty drove off in the direction of Talterboro. To-morrow Governor [Sweeney will communicate with .1 of the sheriffs in the vicinity and k them to do all they can to arrest te robbers, for the peace and dig ity of the State. BULLET HOLES IN THE CARS. The baggage, express and mail ars bear testimony to the night's ex - erience. There are a number of ullet holes in both sides of each. .11 of them seem to have been iade with Winchester rifle bullets. 'he general impression among the -ain crew is that the robbers got on e train and secreted themselves 'hile the train stopped at St. George r Reeveville. It is not certain at !hich station the men secreted them alves on the train but they seem to ave done so pretty effectively. The ten had plenty of ammunition, which aey used freely. And they were rofse and violerat in their oaths. The Express Company will do verything within its power to cap re the robbers, but no shipper will >se anything. No express freight ther than two safes were interfered rith. The robbery will compare in oldness and execution with any in ipress annals. 'UMPED SAFE IN THlE EDISTO--FoRCED A NEGRO TO TUR~N OVER~ WAGioN TO THEM--SAFE RECOVERIED iN'rACr. [Special to The State.] Branchville, Jan. 28.-There are o developments in the expre s rob >ery which occurred near 58 last ight except the finding of the safe n the disto rive r this morning. Pinckney Carson, a negro living near the scene of the robbery was forced under penalty of death to haul the safe to the river. The negro Carson was asked about the robbery this morning and admitted that he had been forced to haul the safe away and piloted Superintendent Sadler and others to the river about four miles from where the robbery oc curred, where the safe was found. The robbers failed to get into the safe and had tied a rope to it and threw it into the river. It is thought that they were afraid of being caught if they kept on hauling the safe and threw it into the river in tending to return later, open the safe and get their booty. Of course there are suppositions, but so far as known there is no ac tual clue as to who the robbers were. Sheriff Dukes and his deputies re turned home this afternoon. STORY OF THE RECOVERY OF SAFE FROM STREAM. The dispatch given above briefly tells of the recovery of the through safe taken from the car and hauled away in a wagon by the train robbers. It was known here early yesterday that the safe had been found in the river; that it had not been broken open and that its contents were se cure. The amount of those contents has never been made public. Some say that it was large; the express officials convey the idea that it was small. At 1 o'clock yesterday morning Messrs. Sadler and Richardson and several other express officials went to the scene of the trouble. They were accompanied by two Columbia detec tives, Messrs. Bishop and McCabe, and Dr. Stanford and Coroner Green with the fine pair of bloodhounds owned by Dr. Stanford. At King ville the five bloodhounds from the State farm were picked up, making seven in all. "Fifty- Eight" was reached before daylight and Charleston, Augusta and Charlotte detectives were there. Coroner Green and Mr. Stanford returned in the afternoon with the Columbia dogs. Mr. Green tells of the day's work. A CAREFUTL NEGRO. The detectives were not at work long before they found a negro liv ing near the depot, who said that the men had made him turn over his wagon to haul the safe. He told them that they had carried the safe to a point six miles away on the river, and had there dumped the safe into the river and left. He had followed them though ordered not to do so, t)> see that the mule was not overdriven or taken away altogether. When he came up to the river bank they forced him to help them unload the safe. He says he only saw three men; they were white men, but he did not know them. They shot two or three times when they first came to his place The negro's story is conflicting in some respects and the officers believe he knows more about the affair than he told. He has been arrested in consequence. wANTED TO HIDE TREASURE. The officers made the negro pilot them to the spot where the safe was dumped in the river. It was about five feet from the bank under six feet of water, but could be seen. A rope had been tied around it and the end fastened two feet under water at the bank. The officers got a larger rope around the safe and managed to pull it out, finding that it had not been opened. The men evidently intended to come back at some time, pull up the safe and blow it open. THlE DOGS. The Columbia hounds were at once put out for a ran. They caught the scent and followed a trail down the river to a b)oat landing where there were two empty boats moored. There they lost the trail. The State farm dogs were tried then and they did the same thing. For the time being the use of the dogs was aban doned. The detectives, however, have gone ahead scouring the country. THE SAFE OPENED. The afer was then loaded on e wagon and taken back to "58," where the express officials opened it and re moved the contents. They told none what the contents were. The safe was in good condition though some water had oozed in. Mr. Green says the people in the vicinity seemed disposed to aid in the chase in everyway, readily furnish ing meals, horses, wagons, pistols, guns, etc. The safe was located and recovered at 8:45 o'clock. Messrs. Richardson and Sadler re mained at the scene. Up to an early hour this morning on news of the capture or location of the robbers had reached Columbia. WEAT THE GOVERNOR DID. When the matter was reported to the governor on Monday night that official determined that the robbers should be captured if such a thing were possible. He thought it safest for a posse to take the trail at the scene with the bloodhounds and for sheriffs forming a circle about the scene to become active on the outer edges. He thereupon wired the sher iffs of Colleton, Dorchester, Orange burg and Charleston as follows: "Do all in your power to assist in capture of express robbers who held up Southern railway train near Branchville night of 27th. Organ ize posses if necessary and use every endeavor to capture while trail is fresh. Reward of $400 offered for capture guilty parties. Advise by wire of your movements and any in formation you may be able to ob tain." A telegram making a reqnest of the sheriff of Richmond county, Ga., and the detective force of Augusta was also sent. The sheriff of Charleston yesterday morning answered as follows: Telegram received. Will act im mediately as directed. J. Elmore Martin. Sheriff. At 10:28 a. n., from Oranrigeburg, the following was received: Your telegram received. Sheriff Dukes and W. Hampton Dukes, dep uty sheriff are now with a posse on trail of robbers who held up South ern Railway train near Branchville. Will keep you advised of movements, etc. Alex. W. Tharin, Sheriff's Office. At 10:48 from Orangeburg came the following gratifying News: Got safe out river. Not broken. Dogs on t.rail. Alex. W. Tharin, Sheriff's Office. The Modern Pirate. In Frank Leslie's Popular Monthly for Feburary, Carl Hovey has much that is entertaining to tell of the Wa ter Front of Greater New York. The true river pirate, he says, is really a modest- seeming gentleman, in charge of his own saloon, "hop joint," 01 waterside lodging house. He stands well with the police, although he has "done his bit" in prison for felonies. One well-known character, whose name it would hardly be fair to print, is so fond of telling a certain little story, however, that almost any one who drtops into his place and mnakes the proper salaam to the disting. uished old rascal may hear it. "I'll tell you how my hair turned white," he begins, with an indefinite slyness of manner. "I was learning my trade as a shoemaker out in Tren ton, in Jersey, when a copper comes into the prison shop and looks me over. Thinks I, 'Hie's after me foi that job I (lid mn Hoboken. My God he's going to put me away again af ter I get ont of here.' It was onl3 a n,'nute he looked me over, ani then went on as if he did'nt knov me. Bnt just in that time my hai: turned white as snow." saves Two From Deaith. Our little (daughter had an olmost fa tal attack of whooping cough and broni chitis " writes Mrs. W. K. Hlaviland, o Armnik, N. Y., "but, when all othe remedies failed, we saved her life wit] Dr. King's New Diseovery. Our niec'. who hsd conti:mption in an advance< stage, also used this wonderful medi eine and to-day shie is perfectly' well Desperate9 throat and lung diseases yeild to Dr. King's New lDiscovery ~ to no other medicinle oni eart h. Inofalli ble for coughs and colds. 5Q% and $1.0 guaranteed by all drvggists. Trial bol ties free. CONCURENT RE8OLUTION. To Investigate the Affairs of the 8tate Dis pensary. Following is the text of the con current resolution to investigate the affairs of the State dispensary: Whereas, there are rumors being circulated charging a lack of business methods in the purchasing of winea and liquors by the State board of di rectors of the dispensary; and where., as, it is due to the State and to the State board of directors that the said rumors shonld be.investigated; there fore be it resolved: Section 1. That a committee con sisting of two on the part of the sen ate, to be appointed by the president of the senate, and three on the part of the house, to be appointed by the speaker of the house, be appointed for the purpose of investigating the affairs of the State dispensary. Sec. 2. That said committee shall have the right to employ an expert bookkeeper and a stenographer, to send for persons and papers, to swear witnesses, to require the attendance of any party or parties whose pres ence shall be deemed necessary and to investigate fully all transactions concerning the management and pur chase of wines, liquors, beer, bottles and other supplies for the State dis pensary by the State board of direct ors, and said committee shall have power and authority to take charge of all books and papers and.vouchers connected with the State dispensarys Sec. 3. That said committee at any time they deem .it necessary may call to their assistance the attor ney general of this State. Sec. 4. That said committee shall report its findings to the general as sembly during the present session if practicable, and if not then to the governor as soon as it may be able to conclude its findings, together with the testimony taken during the in vestigation. Sec. 5. That said committee shall begin its investigation at once, and may. sit during the recess if deemed desirable. THE XERRY GO BOUND. Postoffice Robbed at Walterboro-About S250 XIssing. [Special to The State.] Walterboro, Jan. 27.-Safe crack ers were iL town last night and blew -N open the safe in the postoffice. Post master Levy does not know exactly what his loss is at this time, but says it will not be less than $250 in mon ey and stamps. 1 he robber broke into Mr. E. P. Knights' blacksmith shop and secured the tools necessary for their work, and after securing their booty left them lying around on the floor in the postoffice. The explosion occurred about 2:15 this morning and many people heard it, but paid no attention to it, think ing that some mischievous boy had fired a cannon cracker. There is no clue at this time that would lead to the identification or capture of the parties. Some one heard a buggy pass the Henderson house, supposed to be going in the direction of Jack sonboro, a few minutes after the ex plosion. Men. Men are born with two eyes, but with one tongue, in order that they shall see twice as much as they say -Colton. Men have feelings; this is perhaps the best way of considering them. -Richter. Nature never meant her secret to be found, and man's a riddle which man can't expound.-Paine. The man who fails in business, but continues to live in luxury, is a thief .-Spectator. When a man does a noble act, date him from that. Forget his faults; let his noble act be the standpoint from which you regard him. There is much good in most men.-Dr. -Bellows. The best men are but men. The Sagency that makes them holy leaves them human; there is nature in them as well a og rnace-Tnnner.