A TRAIN ROBBERY.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume IV, Issue 189, 10 November 1876, Page 7

A TRAIN ROBBERY.

Concerning the Missouri Pacific express robbery, Miss Peabody, an ex-Jefferson City lady, who was on the captured train, gave the following interesting statement to the Jefferson City 'Tribune* reporter : — '

" After leaving Otterville," says Miss Peabody, " I was dozing in a reclining chair — probably fast falling asleep. Suddenly the train was brought to a halt, and a moment later a man rushed hurriedly through the car. I believe he was the express messenger. Some one asked him what was the matter.? ' The train is being robbed 5 that's what's the matter/ he hurriedly replied, and kept on. Then all was commotion and confusion. Including myself there were three ladies in the car. I confess that I was terribly frightened and thought I should faint" — and Miss Christine laughed at the remembrance—" 1 saw that there was no one handy to catch or care for a person in a faint, and concluded to omit this part of the programme. Meanwhile shots were being fired on the" outside, and we could hear numbers of men cursing and swearing. I suppose the shots were fired for the purpose of intimidation. I believe our car was next to the smoking car. Directly the door was thrown open, and in stalked two of the robbers. The leader put his hand on the shoulder of a brakeman and said, ' Here, 1 want you/ and hustled him out. We thought they were going to shoot him, but, I suppose now, they wanted him to identify the express messenger. It was rare fun — I mean ib is amusing to look back at it now, nothing funny in it then — to see the passengers concealing their valuables. Here you would see a man with his boots off, cramming his greenbacks in his socks ; several — Mr. Marshall, of Fulton, among the rest — tossed their cash, watches, &c, into a coal-box ; others were up on the backs of seats hunting holes for their pocketbooks. Wherever any thing could be concealed, something was sure to find its way. The conductor, excited and nervous, hurriedly passed through, and told all who had valuables to take care of them. The most ludicrous incident I can now recall was when a sanctimonious looking individual, evidently scared almost out of his wits, broke forth with the old familiar song, 'I'm going home to die no more.' His quavering, doleful voice echoed through the car with lugubrious effect. Some of the male passengers were ungallant enough to interrupt him with the remark that he had better be getting his money out of the way instead of starting a camp-meeting. Having finished the hymn he arose and gave in Iris experience. He stated that he had been a follower of the Lord for ever so many years ; that he was a true and consistent member of the Church; th?t he had never wronged a fellow-being, but that if he was doomed to be murdered he wanted his remains forwarded to his family in New York, and to write them that he died true to the faith and in the hope of a glorious resurrection. "The tumult outside continued. We could distinctly hear them pounding away at the Adams' Express safe, and their coarse oaths and imprecations at "being delayed. Occasionally shots were fired. The leader of the robbers, a tall, fine-looking man; accompanied by one of his comrades, passed through the car. ' You need not be hiding your money/ said the leader, 'we do not intend to disturb you/ He wore a red handkerchief over his face, with holes cut for his eyes and mouth. Below the handkerchief appeared his beard — very long, but probably false. His companion was a smaller and a rougher-looking man. His mask was simply a white handkerchief tied over the lower portion of his face. The upper part was plainly visible. ' He remarked that we must consider them an awful set of reprobates. The inquiry for arms showed three pistols in. our car. One of these was owned by a lady. Throughout the whole affair she remained perfectly cool and collected, and refused to accommodate a gentleman with the loan of her pistol. When some one said that this was the work of the James' boys, she laughingly remarked that her name was James, but she hoped none of her relatives were engaged in such disreputable business. " The newsboy had a pistol, and made his way to the front platform. Looking up the bluff, he descried the figure of a man and fired. In an instant the shot was returned. The ball passed between the plucky newsboy and a gentleman who was also on the platform, and both of them, sought shelter without ceremony. Thinking that the robbers might fire through the windows, I got off the chair and took a position on the floor. The sanctimonious New Yorker who was going away to die no more, thinking, doubtless, that I was engaged in prayer, softly approached and asked if I was prepared to die. I was not in a humor to enlighten him upon the subject. " We were detained about an hour, when the robbers, having accomplished their purpose, gave us permission to proceed. It was one of the episodes of my life I shall never forgot." — ' St. Louis Globe-Democrat.'

At the house of Mr. Thos. Caswell, 99, Warrington Road, Lower Ince, says the 'Wigan Observer/ may be seen playing together, in one ca^e, a monkey, eight chickens, and a kitten. The chickens and monkey are each a month old. The hen forsook her young as soon as they were hatched, and the monkey took to them the same day, and ever since has fid and cared for them. The monkey embraces them in its arms, carries them from place to place, huddles them together, and sleeps with them. It clings to and protects them when danger is near. It has also taken up with the young kitten, and treats it in the same kindly manner. The kitten sleeps in the same cage, and sometimes follows the monkey's example by embracing the chickens.