The Roanoke Times

THE TRAIN ROBBERS CAPTURED

It is Feared That They Will be

Lynched.

Tom Collins, One of the Robbers,

Confesses—He Described How the Train

Was Boarded—Not Certain Whether

He Fired the Fatal Shot or Not—The

Robbers'

Desperate

Attempt

to

Escape.

HUNTINGTON, W. Va., Dec. 14.—Bur-

rell Forgey, the wounded train robber,

was taken from his home to the county

jail this morning. Tom Collins was also

arrested this morning before daylight at

his home in Broderick, on the Ohio side

opposite this place. He was confronted

by Hon. Samuel Matheson who had the

fight with them on the train. He im-

mediately recognized Collins as he had

Forgey and denounced him to his face

as one of the robbers. Collins was

brought at once to this side and put in

jail. The evidence against these men is

growing stronger all the time. There

are ominous movements among the peo-

ple, and the authorities are preparing

for an attack on the jail to-night.

COLLINS CONFESSES.

Burrell Forgey refuses to say any-

thing.

Tom Collins, however, has

confessed.

He said: "It was Forgey

and I who attempted the robbery.

He

was the ring leader and first to propose

the job. I was reluctant and he over-

persuaded me into it. We had been

planning robbery two weeks and fixed

upon Tuesday morning to carry it out.

We procured weapons and armed our-

selves heavily. He thought we could

get through without trouble. Mrs.

Forgey fixed our masks and sewed them

into the front edges of our hats. She

told me she did not want her husband

to engage in such business as that we

were entering on. He insisted, however.

"We went to the passenger depot

shortly before midnight and waited

around for No. 4. As it started out we

boarded the coach in front of the sleeper.

We adjusted our masks in the vestibule.

Forgey passed rapidly through the car

to the farther end, brandishing a re-

volver in each hand and warning the

passengers to keep still. As he went

there was no trouble, but when he

reached the other end of the car I saw a

German jump on his back and hurl him

down.

"There was a struggle and confusion,

and I heard several shots fired. I

hesitated some, and then ran to his help.

As I came up to him I fired. I don't

know whether I hit the German or not,

but I think my ball went into the floor.

As this occurred I felt the sting of a

bullet and knew I had been shot. A

deathly sickness came over me and I

dropped my pistols and started for the

door.

A

passenger, Mr. Matheson,

grabbed me and said: 'You can't get

off.' I told him to let me off, that I was

shot. Then I ducked under him some

way and got out.

"It all appears like a dream to me

now. As I jumped to the ground I

pulled off my wig and Forgey's coat,

which I was wearing because of the

rain. My only thought was to escape

across the river and I ran with all my

might through swamps and briar

patches to the river bank. That is how

I got so terribly scratched up."

Collins showed how his hands and

clothing had been terribly raked by the

briars.

"After reaching home," he

continued, "I piled into bed with my

brother.

Next morning I told my

mother I had cramps and wanted turpen-

tine. She got me some, and I took a

drop or two to deceive her; then poured

the balance into my wound. I tore off

one leg of my drawers and bound the

wound up. Mother has no idea yet that

I was shot."

Collins made no reference to any

other parties being implicated. Forgey

has not yet been informed of the con-

fession and he and his wife are making

a bold show of a fight. The two men

waived an examination this afternoon

before Squire Taylor, who was called to

their cells, it being considered unsafe

to take them out.

Fears exist of popular violence.

One

of the most prominent and usually con-

servative citizens expresses a willing-

ness to take a hand in lynching the

desperadoes.

United States Marshal A. B. White,

who was on the train when the trouble

occurred, thinks Forgey shot the Ger-

man.