Being of an aspiring nature, Bass could not long content himself with the meagre returns of stage robberies, and his past experience fully satisfied him that a big bonanzas could only be struck along the railroads. In casting about as to the point that promised the greatest accessibility and the best avenues of escape his attention was directed to Allen Station. Tom Spotswood was familiar with the ground and surrounding country. The gang fully expected a rich return from this enterprise. To fail in going through any train or stage never entered into their calculations. So having received Spotswood into his counsels, Bass, at the head of his gang, approached the neighborhood of Allen on the evening before the arrival of the train, and sent Spotswood to the station after dark they hitched their horses and tarried around until the train was heard approaching. The night was very dark and damp and was very favorable for concealing their movements. When the train stopped Frank Jackson and Sebe Barnes leaped into the engine car with drawn pistols and held the engineer and fireman in custody, while Bass and Spotswood boarded the express car. The following account of the robbery, which appeared in the Galveston News of the 23^rd of February, 1878, gives one version of the robbery:

"Train No. 4 of the Texas Central road left Denison one hour late yesterday evening, reaching Allen Station, in Collin County, eight miles south of McKinney, where it was stopped, and pistol shots were heard from the direction of the car assigned to and used by the Texas Express Company, which on investigation was found to be surrounded by six armed and masked men, who, finding the express messenger, James Thomas had fastened the door from the inside, cut the car loose from the train and moved it, or made the engineer move it, several car lengths from the rest of the train, and then threatened if the messenger did not open the door they would burn it with its contents, himself included. This threat caused Thomas to open the door, when the robbers entered and took all the money and left, without disturbing or molesting any other portion of the train.

"It is believed that the robbers intended to catch the Central pay train, but missing it, grabbed the express car. The pay train had passed more than nine hours ahead of it. Strenuous efforts are being made to capture them.

"Thomas the express messenger, when told to hold up his hands, fired on the robbers and retreated into the car, intrenching himself behind some boxes, covering with his pistol the door, which he could not shut without exposing himself. One of the two shots heard was fired by the messenger, the other by a robber. Occasionally a robber more bold than the others jumped into the car door, only to become a target for the messenger, who fired three shots at them. It is supposed that Thomas' first shot took effect, as one of the robbers casually remarked, "One of our party is killed." Thomas asked if that was so, "No, no; but he is hurt." Thomas said he would not have surrendered if he could have reached his cartridge box, which, unfortunately, was in direct range and view of the robbers, and he had but one loaded cartridge left. Reports as to the amount of money taken by the robbers place the sum all the way from $1,500 to $2,000."

"The foregoing account does not fully agree with that given by the robbers themselves, who state that they only received $1,280, which was divided equally between them. According to their account, Spotswood held Thomas, the messenger, in duress while Bass pillaged the car. There were only four of the Bass gang present and they all excaped unhurt. As they divided their booty, one of them remarked to Bass, "Well, this is pretty good, old Honest Eph; what'll we do next?" Honest Eph, wich was the robbers' sobriquet for Bass, replied, "Well, I'll have to get a fresh horse before I make another strike and take a little rest on it." So Bass, Jackson and Barnes returned to their retreat on the banks of Hickory, where they remained several days waiting to see if any suspicion pointed to them. Spotswood .returned home in the cross-timbers in the eastern portion of Denton county, about fifteen miles from the scene of the robbery. Bass and his gang, finding that they were not pursued, and very little if any suspicions attached to them, left in a few days, for Cooke county and camped at their favorite stand near Cove Hollow. Here Bass traded his horse to Jim Murphy for another, paying $20 difference between them. Remaining here a short time he again drifted back to his rendezvous on, Hickory. On his way back he heard of the arrest of Spotswood, which was effected by Deputy Sheriff George Drennan at Pilot Point, the following account of which appeared in the Trenton Monitor of March 8, 1878:

"On Wednesday of last week George Drennan, the gallant deputy sheriff of Denton county, located at Pilot Point, received information that Thomas Spotswood of this county, was the leader of the train robbery at Allen, and he immediately started to the livery stable for a horse. On the way, however, he. saw Spotswood enter the town in a wagon, accompanied by his little boy. He covered him with a six-shooter and ordered him to throw up his hands. This done, he soon found that Spotswood was unarmed, and had upon his person but about ten or twelve dollars. Spotswood protested his innocence; but the proof against him was such as to warrant Mr. Drennan in conveying him to McKinney, where he was identified by the express agent, who said Spotswood was the man who stood guard while the rest of the robbers pillaged the express car of two thousand and five hundred dollars. Spotswood was put under bond of $2,500 in default of which he was placed in jail"

On hearing of the arrest, Bass was surprised and remarked to his pals: "Well, that is nearly h--l! but no more than, I expected. No matter for him. Any man that will rob a train in fifteen miles of home and then return home and try to play old solid, he ought to be captured. But as he is a good one, if they have him in jail at McKinney after we get a stake, we'll try and get him out. But the next man that goes home after this and gets captured, he may go to h--l!" These are Bass' very words as reported by an ear witness. Spotswood lived in Denton county, and so far as the writer knows he had been an orderly citizen prior to the time. He was a man of very peculiar appearance, having a defeet about his eyes that was very marked. Of his antecedents, the Sedalia, Missouri, Democrat, in an issue about the date of the robbery contained the following, which is inserted for what it is worth:

"Tom Spotswood was well known in Sedalia, where he made his home just after the war. He was a drunken, carousing character, and generally regarded as a dangerous fellow, ever ready to use the knife, pistol or bludgeon. On the night of the 30th of August, 187-, on which occasion Howe's circus performed in this city, Spotswood got into a difficulty with an old man by the name of John J. Jones, a carpenter by trade, over which should escort a prostitute home. The old man seemed to be the favored one, and was walking away with the woman, when Spotswood stealthily approached him from behind dealt him a terrible blow with a huge boulder wrapped in his handkerchief, which he used slung shot fashion. The old man fell dead at his feet, and Spotswood fled from the scene and took refuge in Eph. Davis' stable loft, where he was found some hours afterward hidden away in the hay. He was arrested and locked up in the old log calaboose, then used as a county prison.

"When the time for his trial rolled around he applied for a change of venue, which was awarded to Saline county. Just before the time for his trial there, and while Spotswood was still confined in the old tumble down affair dignified by the name of a prison, a man apparently very drunk was picked up and thrust into the calaboose to keep Spotswood company. That night Spotswood made his escape, and it afterward transpired that the man simulated drunkenness, and carried secreted in his boots the files and saws with which Spotswood secured his freedom. It is generally supposed that he proceeded from here to Calhoun, near which place his relatives lived, and there he made arrangements to leave Missouri forever. Before leaving he had an account to settle with a popular merchant of Calhoun, named Edmondson, who had gained his ill will at a party some years before. He knew the habits of young Edmondson, and one night very late, just as he was in the act of' entering his store where he slept, Spotswood fired on him from a hollow where he was secreted in easy range, and lead the satisfaction of seeing his victim fall to the ground a corpse.

"Spotswood was then ready to leave the country, which he did at once on horseback, going direct to Texas, where he settled in the vicinity of McKinney. In 1871 he was implicated in killing two negroes in the neighborhood of McKinney. In 1873 or 1874 he was arrested on a requisition made by the governor of this state, and he was brought back for trial. He was taken to Saline county, and when the case was called all the important witnesses for the State were absent. The result was he was acquitted. He lost no time in getting away, as Mr. Edmonson, the father of the young man murdered at Calhourn, was preparing to take out papers for his re-arrest."

Spotswood was subsequently tried and convicted at McKinney, and punishment assessed at ten years in the penitentiary. He, however, obtained a new trial, which he is now awaiting in jail at McKinney. The foregoing account is not intended to prejudice his case. He protests his innocence. Bass and his pals reported the facts stated herein to a party which is reliable, and the paper extracts are given for what they are worth.