The Great Flatonia Train Robbery. (original) (raw)

On Friday night of last week between 12 and 1 o'clock a most daring train robbery was successfully perpetrated on the east bound passenger train about a mile and a half from Flatonia.

As the train started from Flatonia two men boarded the engine. The engineer started to kick them off, thinking they were tramps, but at the muzzle of two drawn pistols was quickly convinced of his mistake.

They made him put on extra steam until about a mile and a half east of Flatonia, when he was made to stop the train over a trestle and by a big fire that had been built beside the track. The other robbers who were waiting here boarded the train and went to work.

They beat the express messenger over the head and got, it is thought, about $600, the bulk of money having been secreted before they reached him. Then they went through the sleeper and other cars taking such money as was not hidden and beating passengers over the head with their pistols when they did not wake up fast enough and shell out their valuables.

During this performance the train was delayed about an hour, when they desisted, being told by the conductor that there was great danger of a collision with another train. From the passengers they got about 600inmoneyand600 in money and 600inmoneyand1000 worth of jewelry. The robbers numbered about 12 men.

After quitting the train they mounted their horses, which were tied near by, and rode off in different directions. The posses sent out after them returned without a clue.

Three arrests were made Monday, on the line of the Southern Pacific, and the parties taken to Flatonia for identification. One of them said that George Shoaf, a noted San Antonio gambler was one of the bandits who helped in the robbery, and he was arrested in San Antonio and jailed.

He [Shoaf] says he can prove by a number of witnesses that he was playing poker in that city the night of the robbery. It appears that all the men connected with the recent robbery have been spotted.

Wells Fargo & Co. have offered 1000rewardforthecaptureofeachoneoftherobbersandhisconviction.Thegovernorwastelegraphedtobytheexpresscompanyonthesubjectofastatereward.Thegovernorrepliedthatthestatewouldgive1000 reward for the capture of each one of the robbers and his conviction. The governor was telegraphed to by the express company on the subject of a state reward. The governor replied that the state would give 1000rewardforthecaptureofeachoneoftherobbersandhisconviction.Thegovernorwastelegraphedtobytheexpresscompanyonthesubjectofastatereward.Thegovernorrepliedthatthestatewouldgive500 for the capture and conviction of each one, and would also use its power to hunt the robbers down.

The Southern Pacific offers 250andtheUnitedStatesgovernment250 and the United States government 250andtheUnitedStatesgovernment200, which will make a total of $1950.