ATTEMPT TO UPSET THE ANGLOINDIAN MAIL.

Kumara Times, Issue 1001, 15 December 1879, Page 4

ATTEMPT TO UPSET THE ANGLOINDIAN MAIL.

The "Daily News" correspondent at Rome sends some particulars of the attempt to upset the flying Indian," the only really fast train in the Peninsula, which was made on the ere of the 22nd of September, and on that part of the line of railway between Motta and Severe Every Sunday there starts from Bologna to Bridisi a special fast train for the conveyance of passengers and of the Anglo Indian mails, which, as is well known, consist of English postal corespondence with India, China, and Australia. On Sunday, the 2lst, this train left Bologna at twelve o'clock, and, running at the prescribed speed, reached the San Severo station at the hour marked in the time table. Beyond that station, at the wayside house 485, it was stopped by a surfaceman, who intimated that he had seen on the line some evildispoaed persons, who he thought, were attempting to wreck the train. The engine-driver accordingly slackened the pace to that of a pedestrian, the train being proceeded by several armed railway servants, who had been broight together in haste to frustrate the diabolical design. At the wayside house 486, it came to a full stop. Between houses 486 and 487 there had been placed on the line an obstruction consisting of tuffstrines from a neighboring wall, to the height of one metre and more than three metres in . breadth. This obstruction being removed with all possible despatch, the train continued it progress to Motta, after which precaution was no longer necessary, and it resumed its usual speed to Brindisi. It turned out that a band of ruffians had surrounded the surfaceman's house (487), -and tried, first with civil importunities and then with, threats of violence to get him to let them in, as they wanted water and lncifers. Finding foul mean 3 as useless as fair they told him bluntly they wanted nothing less than the signals, and more particularly the tools for loosening the sleepers, promising at the same time that they would guarantee his safety. The surfaceman who from the first appearance of the desperadoes had barricaded his house, expecting that they would break open the door, got out at a back window with a lantern. He made first for the open fields, and then worked round to the line of railway, calling for help as he ran along, and arriving just in time to stop the mail. A special engine was immediately summoned from Foggia with a trainful [of armed men, and from San Severo a strong patrol was also sent off. Hitherto however the authors of this fiendish attempt have escaped justice.