New York Dispatch

THE TURPINS OF THE RAIL.
The Most Daring Railroad Robbery on Record—A Train Stopped on the Iron Mountain and Robbed of Money, Valuables, Express Goods, and United States Mails.
(From the St. Louis Globe, Jan. 31.)

Robbing is almost as great a science as anything else, and the old days of Dick Turpin and Jack Sheppard, when men were knocked down and robbed upon a public thoroughfare for a few paltry dollars, have given way to schemes that are fraught with more daring and that return more profit for the risk incurred. Scarcely a day passes but what we read of some daring bank robbery, where the thieves, perhaps, worked for months to accomplish their object, and finally succeeded in carrying away thousands of dollars. Railroad robbers have learned the same lesson of daring. It was only a few weeks since that we heard of a plan to stop a train running into St. Louis, on one of the main lines, and rob it of all valuables. Obstacles were actually placed upon the road and the train stopped, but, as there was a large number of passengers on board, no attempt was made to go through the train. The men did not leave their concealment, although it was known that they were secreted hard-by.

THE IRON MOUNTAIN ROBBERY.

The robbery which occurred yesterday on the Iron Mountain Railroad was not credited in St. Louis until a late hour last night. It could not be believed that a party of men could have the nerve to attack a train in a country so densely populated, and where it would be so easy to pursue them, and where it would be so difficult to escape. It is known, however, that near the Arkansas line a number of desperadoes have long resided, and that they care as little for life as a gambler would for a white chip. They have become inured to rough life in that country of law-breakers, and do not hesitate at the commission of a capital crime.

THE TRAIN
left this city yesterday morning at 9:25 o'clock, and was bound for Little Rock. It was made of two passenger coaches, a sleeper, express, and mail car, making in all five cars. Conductor Alfred was in charge of the train, and is regarded as one of the safest men in the employ of the company. Regular time was made until

GADSHILL
was reached, a station 120 miles from St. Louis and known in railroad parlance as a "pick up and put down" station—that is, the train only stops when it is flagged by the station agent in order to let parties get on board, and only when the conductor gives instructions to stop to let a passenger off. On nearing the station, a red flag was noted hanging in front of the platform, and the engineer sounded the signal for brakes. The train was running at slow speed before the station was reached, and the engineer noticed that the side track was open He did not entirely shut off steam, and the train switched off and moved alongside of the main track.

COLLARED,

As usual, the conductor jumped from his train, and hurried into the station to see what the matter was. There a couple of armed men, in full disguise, met him with revolvers pointed to his face. "Not a word!" they said; and he was taken inside, the door closed, and a guard placed over him.

In the meantime, some ten or twelve men, well armed and in disguise, boarded the train, and soon made their business known. The engineer was first attended to; a guard was placed over him and the fireman, with instructions to show them

BUT LITTLE MERCY

in case of resistance, or an attempt was made to move the train. Several others then rushed into the mail car and rifled the mail sacks, while others still made the express messenger and the treasures confided to his keeping an object of interest. It is stated that in a marvelous short time they had found everything of any value and confided it to the safekeeping of some associate in crime who had been left on the outside for the purpose of taking charge of the booty.

THE PASSENGERS' TIME

Then the passengers received their attention, and a clean sweep was made of all the valuables in their possession. No respect was shown for age, sex, youth, or beauty, but all were treated alike, and asked to disgorge the little heirlooms and mementoes that had been given to them in youth and cherished through the years that intervened up to the years of young man and womanhood. Watches were taken, pocketbooks were ruthlessly demanded, finger rings and diamond pins were not left unmolested, and as the marauders left the train, they carried with them the lingering hopes and fond regrets of many, perhaps, whom they had made paupers.

AMOUNT NOT KNOWN.

It is not known how much was taken from the passengers, but we have assurances that the valuables will aggregate a large sum, and that the express company and mail car were also heavy losers. We met a gentleman at a late hour last night who had $1,300 in the express car, and thought that he was interested in other sums that were being sent South. It is the season now for sending payments to the Southern States for payment of cotton purchased and it is feared that large sums were lost by the express company

It was impossible to obtain any information of the loss last night, owing to the fact that no trains arrived which had met with the unfortunate passengers. The road leading to Little Rock is a branch of the Iron Mountain main line, and trains going to the Arkansas capital do not meet with those coming through on the main line.

THE ROBBERS.

A dispatch received at a late hour last night stated that the robbers had been seen at Moark and Mill Spring, villages made of two or three shanties, a few miles distant from the road. Rumor has it that there were twelve or fifteen of them, and that they were well armed and excellently mounted.