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Bandits Hold Up Santa Fe Pacific Train Near Grant's Station

Robbers cut train in two after seizing engine two miles east of town

A daring New Mexico train robbery, described at the time as the boldest in the Santa Fe Pacific's history, saw masked bandits seize the locomotive and split the train before making off with an express car.

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Mesa Free Press · November 19, 1897 · Page 2

1 min read

The boldest and apparently the most successful hold-up in the history of the Santa Fe Pacific railroad occurred Sunday night at about 9 o'clock near Grant's station, N. M. The regular passenger train reached Grant's about thirty minutes late, and consisted of mail, baggage car, an express car, a day coach, a chair car and two sleepers.

On going to the water tank at a siding two miles east of Grant's, known as Saints, the train was taken possession of by the bandits, the party being supposed to consist of four men, as no more than that number were seen. After securing the train, one of the men took the engine and another member of the party cut the train in two just ahead of the day coach, and the engine and the attached cars were taken half a mile farther east. At the point where the express car was cut off the messenger was ordered out of the car and none but the robbers went on ahead.

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