Daring Tram Robbery.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume I, Issue 5, 18 June 1887, Page 2

Daring Tram Robbery.

The west bound express of the Southern Pacific Railway was s lopped and robbed at Papago station, 18 miles east of Tucson, Arizo.ia, on the night of April 28th by eight men, all masked, except the leader, who stood a little way off from the scene of operations, coolly directing the gang, and with a wide-rimmed hat slouched over his face. Obstructions had been placed on the track so that if the driver failed tn slow up at the danger signal shown by the robbers, the train would have been derailed, and probably many lives lost. As soon as the train stopped, a dozen or more shots were fired into the express car, and a man with a pistol in each hand boarded the locomotive and compelled the engineer to get down. Other robbers had, in the meantime, been trying to open the express car. Failing, they placed a large cartridge of giant powder under it, and compelled the engineer to light die fuse attached. To avoid being blown up, the mes. senger opened the car, and the robbers took possession. They went through the mail and express cars, but did not get more than s.ooodols., of which i,500d015., was in Mexican silver. They got two packages of railroad money—one of i,2icdols., and one of joodols., and also took two packages of postage stamps going to San Francisco. The express messenger threw 5,000d015., in gold into the stove before he opened the car-door and so saved the money. None of the passengers were molested. In their proceedings the robbers showed great method and some railroad knowledge of handling the train. Nine of the robbers were subsequently arrested and are now in custody in Tucson, Arizona. Two or three of the portyjare old railway hands.