Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Instant Download PDF SELL 4 4th Edition Ingram Test Bank Full Chapter
Instant Download PDF SELL 4 4th Edition Ingram Test Bank Full Chapter
Instant Download PDF SELL 4 4th Edition Ingram Test Bank Full Chapter
https://testbankfan.com/product/sell-4-4th-edition-ingram-
solutions-manual/
https://testbankfan.com/product/sell-1st-edition-ingram-test-
bank/
https://testbankfan.com/product/sell-5th-edition-ingram-test-
bank/
https://testbankfan.com/product/sell-3rd-edition-ingram-test-
bank/
SELL Canadian 2nd Edition Ingram Test Bank
https://testbankfan.com/product/sell-canadian-2nd-edition-ingram-
test-bank/
https://testbankfan.com/product/sell-5th-edition-ingram-
solutions-manual/
https://testbankfan.com/product/sell-3rd-edition-ingram-
solutions-manual/
https://testbankfan.com/product/sell-canadian-2nd-edition-ingram-
solutions-manual/
https://testbankfan.com/product/orgb-4-4th-edition-nelson-test-
bank/
Chapter 6—Planning Sales Dialogues and Presentations
MULTIPLE CHOICE
2. It is essential for salespeople to focus on the customer when planning the sales call because:
a. Doing so reduces the probability of the buyer perceiving the salesperson as
noncustomer-oriented and/or overly aggressive
b. Doing so will guarantee the sale being made
c. Doing so will allow the salesperson to talk most of the time during the need-discovery
meeting.
d. It is the only way to ensure the canned sales presentation will work properly
e. Both a and d
ANS: E PTS: 1 DIF: Difficulty: Challenging
REF: p. 132 OBJ: LO: 6-1
3. In an organized sales dialogue (presentation,) the salesperson's ability to develop a customized solution
is heavily dependent upon:
a. The salesperson's ability to listen during needs discovery.
b. The salesperson's ability to speak convincingly.
c. The buyer's ability to articulate his/her needs.
d. The salesperson's ability to use visual aids
e. Both a and d
ANS: E PTS: 1 DIF: Difficulty: Challenging
REF: p. 132 OBJ: LO: 6-1
4. Which of the following best reflects the relationship between sales calls and sales dialogue?
a. Sales calls and sales dialogue are the same thing.
b. Many sales dialogues occur during a sales call.
c. Sales dialogue refers to business conversations which could include one or more sales
calls.
d. Sales dialogue occurs prior to a sales call.
e. None of the above are accurate.
ANS: C PTS: 1 DIF: Difficulty: Challenging
REF: p. 132 OBJ: LO: 6-1
5. Which of the following is not one of the common types of sales communications formats?
a. Canned sales presentation
b. Directed sales presentation
c. Written sales presentation
d. Organized sales presentation
e. Memorized sales presentation
ANS: B PTS: 1 DIF: Difficulty: Moderate
REF: p. 133 OBJ: LO: 6-2
6. Which of the following types of sales communications formats make the assumption that customer
needs and buying motives are homogeneous?
a. Canned sales presentation
b. Directed sales presentation
c. Written sales presentation
d. Organized sales presentation
e. Motivational sales presentation
ANS: A PTS: 1 DIF: Difficulty: Easy
REF: p. 133 OBJ: LO: 6-2
7. Which of the following types of sales communications formats is most likely to be associated with
telemarketing?
a. Directed sales presentation
b. Written sales presentation
c. Organized sales presentation
d. Canned sales presentation
e. Motivational sales presentation
ANS: D PTS: 1 DIF: Difficulty: Easy
REF: p. 133 OBJ: LO: 6-2
9. Limitations of the canned sales presentation include all of the following except:
a. It may alienate buyers who want to participate in the interaction.
b. Sales resistance may be increased because the prospect's objections cannot be anticipated.
c. It may be awkward to use with a broad product line.
d. It does not handle interruptions well.
e. It fails to capitalize on the salesperson's ability to tailor the message to the prospect.
ANS: B PTS: 1 DIF: Difficulty: Challenging
REF: p. 133 OBJ: LO: 6-2
10. Which of the following types of sales communications formats requires the least amount of buyer
involvement/input?
a. Directed sales presentation
b. Written sales presentation
c. Customized sales presentation
d. Canned sales presentation
e. Organized sales dialogues
ANS: D PTS: 1 DIF: Difficulty: Challenging
REF: p. 133 OBJ: LO: 6-2
11. Sally is interested in creating a completely self-contained sales proposal. She should probably develop
a ____.
a. Directed sales presentation
b. Written sales presentation
c. Organized sales presentation
d. Canned sales presentation
e. Customized sales presentation
ANS: B PTS: 1 DIF: Difficulty: Easy
REF: p. 134 OBJ: LO: 6-2
12. Ethan is a purchasing manager for an industrial chemical company. Kim is a salesperson for a raw
materials provider is contacting Ethan in an effort to initiate a relationship. Kim is adopting a
_______________________ format, which is probably the best format for this situation.
a. Directed sales presentation
b. Written sales presentation
c. Organized sales presentation
d. Canned sales presentation
e. Customized sales presentation
ANS: C PTS: 1 DIF: Difficulty: Challenging
REF: p. 133-139 OBJ: LO: 6-2
13. Ethan is a purchasing manager for an industrial chemical company. Kim is a salesperson for a raw
materials provider is contacting Ethan in an effort to initiate a relationship. Kim is adopting a
_______________________ format, which is probably the worst sales presentation format for this
situation.
a. Directed sales presentation
b. Written sales presentation
c. Organized sales presentation
d. Canned sales presentation
e. Customized sales presentation
ANS: D PTS: 1 DIF: Difficulty: Challenging
REF: p. 133-139 OBJ: LO: 6-2
16. Which of the following is a major advantage of effective written sales proposals?
a. They are able to continue selling in the absence of the salesperson.
b. They do not bind the selling organization to anything in particular.
c. They are easy to write and do not take a lot time to put together.
d. They are always more effective than oral presentations.
e. All the above are major advantages.
ANS: A PTS: 1 DIF: Difficulty: Moderate
REF: p. 134 OBJ: LO: 6-2
17. Tim, a buyer for a large office complex, releases an RFP. An RFP is a(n) ____.
a. Request For Proposals
b. Request For Parts
c. Reorder Failing Parts
d. Request For Personnel
e. Radio Frequency Protocol
ANS: A PTS: 1 DIF: Difficulty: Easy
REF: p. 134 OBJ: LO: 6-2
18. Salespeople know that buyers do not want to spend a lot of time reading sales proposals that are
inappropriate for solving their particular needs. Accordingly, salespeople need to make sure they write
an enticing ____.
a. Needs and Benefits Analysis
b. Company Description
c. Executive Summary
d. Cover page
e. Introduction
ANS: C PTS: 1 DIF: Difficulty: Easy
REF: p. 135 OBJ: LO: 6-2
19. Written sales proposals are designed to motivate the buyer to commit to the seller's proposed solution
(i.e., make a purchase). To facilitate the purchase process, each written sales proposal should contain
a(n) ____.
a. Executive summary
b. Pricing and sales agreement
c. Company description
d. Suggested action and timetable
e. Both b and d are important
ANS: E PTS: 1 DIF: Difficulty: Challenging
REF: p. 136 OBJ: LO: 6-2
20. Which of the following is not one of the dimensions typically used when evaluating sales proposals?
a. Reliability
b. Assurance
c. Resistance
d. Empathy
e. Tangibles
ANS: C PTS: 1 DIF: Difficulty: Easy
REF: p. 137 OBJ: LO: 6-2
21. Which of the following types of sales communications formats is most flexible?
a. Directed sales presentation
b. Written sales presentation
c. Organized sales dialogues
d. Canned sales presentation
e. Motivational sales presentation
ANS: C PTS: 1 DIF: Difficulty: Moderate
REF: p. 136-139 OBJ: LO: 6-2
22. Which of the following types of sales presentations depends heavily upon the salesperson's ability to
uncover the buyer's needs?
a. Directed sales presentation
b. Memorized sales presentation
c. Organized sales dialogue
d. Canned sales presentation
e. Motivational sales presentation
ANS: C PTS: 1 DIF: Difficulty: Moderate
REF: p. 136-139 OBJ: LO: 6-2
23. Which the following best describes the relative participation of the buyer and seller in an organized
sales dialogue (presentation)?
a. The salesperson does most of the talking throughout the entire call
b. The buyer does most of the talking when the salesperson is uncovering needs
c. The buyer does most of the talking throughout the entire call
d. The salesperson does most of the talking when presenting the solution
e. Both b and d are correct
ANS: E PTS: 1 DIF: Difficulty: Moderate
REF: p. 136-139 OBJ: LO: 6-2
24. Andy’s customers have different needs and different ways of interacting. Andy would benefit most
from utilizing:
a. A canned sales presentation format.
b. A written proposal format taking advantage of proposal boilerplates/templates
c. A memorized sales presentation
d. An organized sales dialogue
e. All of the above will produce similar results
ANS: D PTS: 1 DIF: Difficulty: Easy
REF: p. 136-139 OBJ: LO: 6-2
25. When uncovering needs for an organized dialogue (presentation,) approximately how much time
should the salesperson speak?
a. About 80% of the time
b. About 50% of the time
c. About 30% of time
d. About 100% of the time
e. About 0% of the time
ANS: C PTS: 1 DIF: Difficulty: Challenging
REF: p. 139 OBJ: LO: 6-2
26. Sales dialogue planning templates are primarily useful for ____ presentations.
a. Written
b. Organized
c. Canned
d. Directed
e. A, B, and C are correct
ANS: B PTS: 1 DIF: Difficulty: Moderate
REF: p. 140 OBJ: LO: 6-3
27. The _________________ is a flexible planning tool that assists the salesperson in assembling pertinent
information to be covered with the prospect.
a. Features and benefits schedule
b. Written sales presentation
c. Buyer profile
d. Sales dialogue template
e. Sales Call Flexible Planning Tool (SCFP)
ANS: E PTS: 1 DIF: Difficulty: Moderate
REF: p. 140-147 OBJ: LO: 6-3
28. A sales dialogue planning template may be helpful to salespeople for which of the following reasons?
a. It will help salespeople to make sure they identify and address all influential members of
the buying team.
b. It allows salespeople to track objections across customers.
c. It helps salespeople ensure that they address all of the buyer's objections.
d. It provides feedback to salespeople regarding the types of customers with which they are
doing business.
e. All the above are correct
ANS: E PTS: 1 DIF: Difficulty: Challenging
REF: p. 140-147 OBJ: LO: 6-3
29. The sales dialogue planning template contains sections for each of the following, except ____.
a. Customer value proposition
b. Sales call objective
c. Beginning the sales dialogue
d. Current Suppliers
e. Resolving complaints
ANS: E PTS: 1 DIF: Difficulty: Moderate
REF: p. 140-147 OBJ: LO: 6-3
30. The sales dialogue planning template contains sections for each of the following, except ____.
a. Customer value proposition
b. Sales call objective
c. Beginning the sales dialogue
d. Current Suppliers
e. Each of the above are sections in the sales presentation checklist
ANS: E PTS: 1 DIF: Difficulty: Moderate
REF: p. 140-147 OBJ: LO: 6-3
31. Which of the following is the best example of a customer value proposition?
a. Our product will help your employees be more productive.
b. Our product will help your employees increase productivity by 10%.
c. Utilizing the data analysis automation feature of our product will improve your
employees’ productivity by 10% within six months.
d. I propose that if you become our customer, our product will provide you added-value.
e. All of the above are good examples of customer value propositions.
ANS: C PTS: 1 DIF: Difficulty: Challenging
REF: p. 142 OBJ: LO: 6-4
32. Which of the following is not a recommendation for creating an effective customer value proposition?
a. Tell them what they want to hear
b. Be as specific as possible
c. Keep the statement simple
d. Include key benefits likely to be most important to the particular prospect
e. All of the above are appropriate recommendations
ANS: A PTS: 1 DIF: Difficulty: Moderate
REF: p. 142 OBJ: LO: 6-4
33. Sally is looking for a way to clearly communicate why her prospects should do business with her.
Sally should learn how to:
a. Negotiate effectively
b. Develop customer value propositions
c. Handle buyer resistance
d. Promote her product’s features and benefits
e. Develop effective visual aids
ANS: B PTS: 1 DIF: Difficulty: Moderate
REF: p. 142 OBJ: LO: 6-4
36. Bill is a salesperson in a highly competitive industry. Because his prospects usually evaluate multiple
offerings, Bill should make sure he:
a. Understands the competitive positioning of his product
b. Is able to handle multiple forms of resistance
c. Covers extra features and benefits
d. Covers the features and benefits his competitors’ products don’t possess
e. Is prepared to lower his price
ANS: A PTS: 1 DIF: Difficulty: Moderate
REF: p. 144-145 OBJ: LO: 6-5
37. Natalie’s customers are usually interested in features that help their companies save money. With
respect to the purchase decision process, these prospects are driven primarily by:
a. Physical buying motives
b. Rational buying motives
c. Emotional buying motives
d. Irrational buying motives
e. A combination of rational and emotional
ANS: B PTS: 1 DIF: Difficulty: Moderate
REF: p. 144 OBJ: LO: 6-5
38. Natalie’s customers are usually interested in features that help their companies appear more
“high-tech.” With respect to the purchase decision process, these prospects are driven primarily by:
a. Physical buying motives
b. Rational buying motives
c. Emotional buying motives
d. Irrational buying motives
e. A combination of rational and emotional
ANS: C PTS: 1 DIF: Difficulty: Moderate
REF: p. 144 OBJ: LO: 6-5
39. Natalie’s customers are usually interested in features that help their companies appear more
“high-tech” while at the same time reducing costs. With respect to the purchase decision process, these
prospects are driven primarily by:
a. Physical buying motives
b. Rational buying motives
c. Emotional buying motives
d. Irrational buying motives
e. A combination of rational and emotional
ANS: E PTS: 1 DIF: Difficulty: Moderate
REF: p. 144 OBJ: LO: 6-5
40. Victoria is selling a high-end commercial copy machine to medium-sized business organizations. The
machine’s ability to function on a wireless network is one of its ________________.
a. Features
b. Benefits
c. Rational buying motives
d. Emotional buying motives
e. Both a and c are correct
ANS: A PTS: 1 DIF: Difficulty: Moderate
REF: p. 144 OBJ: LO: 6-5
41. Victoria is selling a high-end commercial copy machine to medium-sized business organizations. The
machine’s ability to allow users to save time by sending work directly to the copier over the wireless
network is one of its ________________.
a. Features
b. Benefits
c. Rational buying motives
d. Emotional buying motives
e. Both a and c are correct
ANS: B PTS: 1 DIF: Difficulty: Moderate
REF: p. 144 OBJ: LO: 6-5
42. With respect to the purchase decision process, prospects are most interested in:
a. Features that produce benefits addressing their buying motives
b. All features and benefits of a particular product
c. Only the features and benefits they are familiar with
d. Only the features and benefits others have talked about
e. All of the above
ANS: A PTS: 1 DIF: Difficulty: Moderate
REF: p. 144 OBJ: LO: 6-5
43. During the first few minutes of the sales call, salespeople should:
a. Be friendly and positive
b. Be flexible
c. Have an agenda
d. Show sensitivity to the customer’s needs and opinions
e. Do all of the above
ANS: E PTS: 1 DIF: Difficulty: Easy
REF: p. 145 OBJ: LO: 6-3
44. During the first few minutes of the sales call, salespeople should do all of the following except:
a. Be friendly
b. Stick to the agenda
c. Be positive
d. Show sensitivity to the customer’s needs and opinions
e. They should do all of the above
ANS: B PTS: 1 DIF: Difficulty: Easy
REF: p. 145 OBJ: LO: 6-3
45. Bob is a salesperson for CDE Inc. and has just started a sales call with a prospect. The prospect wants
to discuss something different than what Bob had on his agenda. Bob should:
a. Be flexible and alter his agenda
b. Immediately change the topic of the conversation back to what is on his agenda
c. Ask to speak with someone else
d. Remind the customer of his agenda and ask permission to “get back on task”
e. End the sales call early
ANS: A PTS: 1 DIF: Difficulty: Moderate
REF: p. 145 OBJ: LO: 6-3
46. As a general rule, when should the salesperson begin focusing on the price of the product?
a. Never
b. Once the prospect’s needs have been defined and the salesperson has shown how those
needs can be addressed with the product or service
c. Once the prospect’s needs have been defined but just prior to the salesperson introducing
solutions.
d. At the beginning of the sales dialogue to ensure the buyer can afford the product (and
avoiding wasting time if the buyer can’t afford the product)
e. After asking the buyer to make a purchase (and then only if the buyer asks for the price)
ANS: B PTS: 1 DIF: Difficulty: Moderate
REF: p. 146 OBJ: LO: 6-5
47. The last section of the Sales Dialogue Planning Template is:
a. Earn Prospect Commitment
b. Build Value through Follow-Up Action
c. Handle Resistance
d. Assess Sales Call Performance
e. None of the above
ANS: B PTS: 1 DIF: Difficulty: Easy
REF: p. 147 OBJ: LO: 6-3
48. Requesting an appointment (i.e., sales call) with a prospect relative to making a cold call helps
accomplish which of the following desirable outcomes?
a. Communicate recognition that the prospect’s time is important
b. Improved time and territory management
c. Gaining the prospect’s undivided attention
d. Demonstrates a respect for proper business etiquette
e. All of the above
ANS: E PTS: 1 DIF: Difficulty: Easy
REF: p. 147 OBJ: LO: 6-6
49. Chris wants to improve the chances of getting appointments with prospects. Which of the following
will help Chris when making appointments?
a. Give the prospect a reason to grant the meeting
b. Request a specific amount of time
c. Suggest a specific time
d. Suggest a specific date
e. All of the above are helpful
ANS: E PTS: 1 DIF: Difficulty: Easy
REF: p. 147-148 OBJ: LO: 6-6
50. Chris wants to improve the chances of getting appointments with prospects. All of the following will
help Chris when making appointments except:
a. Give the prospect a reason to grant the meeting
b. Request a specific amount of time
c. Suggest a specific time
d. Take the prospect to lunch or dinner
e. All of the above are helpful
ANS: D PTS: 1 DIF: Difficulty: Easy
REF: p. 147-148 OBJ: LO: 6-6
TRUE/FALSE
2. Sales dialogue refers to business conversations between buyers and sellers that occur as salespeople
attempt to initiate, develop, and enhance customer relationships.
3. Sales presentations are comprehensive communications that convey multiple points designed to
persuade the customer to make a purchase.
4. A sales call is an in-person meeting between a salesperson or sales team and one or more buyers to
discuss business.
6. When engaged in sales presentation planning, a salesperson should first determine how the benefits of
his/her product will benefit the prospect, and then set a specific objective.
12. Canned sales presentations assume customers' buying motives are fairly homogeneous.
13. During a canned sales presentation the salesperson talks most of the time.
15. The written sales proposal allows for interaction between the buyer and seller.
17. As multimedia technology becomes more prevalent among salespeople, written sales proposals are
becoming less important.
18. A written sales proposal should be somewhat vague so that the buyer must meet with the salesperson
in order to learn the details of the proposal (thus giving the salesperson another opportunity to meet
with the buyer).
ANS: F PTS: 1 DIF: Difficulty: Challenging
REF: p. 134 OBJ: LO: 6-2
19. Written sales proposals are often difficult and time-consuming to write. However, once written a sales
proposal can be used over and over with many different types of buyers.
20. The Executive Summary is the portion of the written sales proposal that is written only for the buying
organization's upper management (executives).
21. The Needs and Benefits Analysis section of written sales proposals should focus on all of the benefits
the seller's product can provide.
23. A written sales proposal should not include an implementation timetable because it assumes the buyer
will make a purchase (which irritates most buyers).
24. Most buyers are willing to overlook poor spelling and grammatical mistakes in a written proposal as
long as the product is beneficial and affordable.
25. An effective written sales proposal should include a suggested action and timetable section.
26. When conducting a sales dialogue, the salesperson should do most of the talking.
29. The Sales Dialogue Planning template is a tool that can help salespeople facilitate trust building.
31. The only objective that should be included in any sales dialogue planning is to “close the sale.”
33. One of the disadvantages of using Customer Value Propositions is that they are meant to be complex
and therefore, difficult to understand.
34. Customer value propositions should be specific with respect to tangible outcomes.
35. “Our product will help you increase your revenue” is an example of a good customer value
proposition.
36. When making a customer value proposition, it’s okay to set the prospect’s expectations too high
relative to the value you can deliver.
37. The most important factors driving the customer’s purchase decision process are referred to as buying
motives.
40. “I am looking for ways to improve our image” is an example of an emotional buying motive.
41. “I am looking for ways to improve our image” is an example of a rational buying motive.
43. Features address rational buying motives and benefits address emotional buying motives.
45. In order to complete a Sales Dialogue Planning template, a salesperson will need identify his/her
prospect’s current suppliers.
46. When planning for the sales call, the salesperson should develop an agenda.
47. Salespeople should propose and agenda for the sales call but be flexible enough to revise the agenda
during the sales call.
48. Because a salesperson will see the same prospects multiple times, “first impressions” aren’t that
important.
ANS: F PTS: 1 DIF: Difficulty: Easy
REF: p. 146 OBJ: LO: 6-3
49. When planning for a sales dialogue, the salesperson should attempt to anticipate objections the
prospect may raise.
52. When attempting to schedule an appointment with a prospect, the salesperson should suggest a date
and time.
53. When attempting to schedule an appointment with a prospect, the salesperson should avoid suggesting
a date and time.
55. Relative to cold-calling, setting an appointment demonstrates respect for the prospect’s time.
57. When scheduling an appointment with a prospect, it’s a good idea to specify the amount of time need
for the meeting.
COMPLETION
1. A _______is an in-person meeting between a salesperson or sales team and one or more buyers to
discuss business.
4. ________________ are sales presentations that include scripted sales calls, memorized presentations,
and automated presentations.
7. In a written sales proposal, immediately following the executive summary is a description of the
customer’s _________________and proposed solution(s).
ANS: Needs
11. With respect to evaluating sales proposals, ________________reflects the salesperson’s ability to
identify creative, dependable, and realistic solutions and strategies and match them to the buyer’s
needs and wants.
ANS: Reliability
12. With respect to evaluating sales proposals, ________________builds the buyer’s trust and confidence
in the salesperson’s ability to deliver, implement, produce, and/or provide the benefits.
ANS: Assurance
13. With respect to evaluating sales proposals, ________________confirms the salesperson’s thorough
understanding of the buyer’s business and his or her specific needs and wants.
ANS: Empathy
PTS: 1 DIF: Difficulty: Challenging REF: p. 137
OBJ: LO: 6-2
ANS: Assessment
ANS: Discovery
ANS: Activation
ANS: Projection
ANS: Transition
19. The sales dialogue ______________ is a flexible planning tool that assists the salesperson in
assembling pertinent information to be covered with the prospect.
ANS: Template
20. The ______________________________is a statement of how the sales offering will add value to the
prospect’s business by meeting a need of providing an opportunity.
ANS: Simple
22. One of the recommendations for writing an effective value proposition is to promise only what can be
_____________________delivered.
ANS: Consistently
23. _______________are a need-activated drive to search for and acquire a solution to resolve a need or
problem.
24. _____________buying motives are typically related to the economics of the situation, including costs,
profitability, quality, services offered, and the total value of the sellers offering as perceived by the
customer.
ANS: Rational
25. _____________buying motives include motives such as security, status, and need to be liked.
ANS: Emotional
26. ____________ refer to a quality are characteristic of a product or service that is designed to provide
value to a buyer.
ANS: Feature
27. The added value or favorable outcome derived from features of the product or service the seller offers
is called a ____________.
ANS: Benefit
PTS: 1 DIF: Difficulty: Moderate REF: p. 144
OBJ: LO: 6-5
28. The last section of the sales dialogue template is Build Value Through _______________ Action.
ANS: Follow-up
* * * * *
Mrs. M. E. Burrow:
As I feel better this morning than I did yesterday I will write you
a few lines. Elizabeth you all rest easy about me for I think I will
best my case—my trial is set to come up the first Tuesday in
March. You have $200.00 on hand by the 15th of November to pay
my Lawyers with. One of them is a better lawyer than Frank
Summers is. So if you could employ Summers to help them in my
case it would be an advantage to me to have counsel from my
own state. Tell pa that I will answer his letter soon. Tell the children
that I will see them again. Brock’s trial was put off so he could be a
witness against me. Write all of the news.
J. B. Burrow to Mrs. Burrow.
But Jim, not being a convict and therefore not required to labor,
soon began to chafe under the restraint of prison life, which was
aggravated by a depressing attack of nostalgia, which soon developed
a fever, resulting in delirium. During his ravings, which were continuous
for about a week, he talked about his wife and children, his home in
Alabama, the stolen money he had hidden, his boyhood adventures
and his experiences in Texas, but his statements were so incoherently
mingled that it was impossible to make an intelligent narration of them.
On October 5, 1888, his earthly career was terminated by death, and
his unhonored grave is surrounded by those of such hapless fellows as
have succumbed to the rigors of prison experience, leaving their
bodies with their captors, while their spirits have slipped through the
bars and gone for final trial before the Last Tribunal.
JIM BURROW.
WILLIAM BROCK.
CHAPTER X.
THE DUCK HILL, MISS., ROBBERY—THE KILLING OF
PASSENGER CHESTER HUGHES.
ON the cold and cheerless night of December 15, 1888, the north-
bound express train of the Illinois Central Railway, which left New
Orleans for Chicago at seven o’clock A. M. pulled into the station of
Duck Hill, Miss., twenty-five miles south of Grenada, thirteen hours
later. The manner in which the engine was boarded and the train
stopped is best told in the language of Albert Law, the engineer in
charge of the locomotive. He says:
“I pulled out of Duck Hill Station at 10:05 o’clock P. M. The
fireman called to me to look out; that there was a car of cotton ahead
on the side track. I pulled slowly by, in order to avoid igniting the
cotton by sparks from the engine, and when I passed the cotton the
fireman said: ‘All right, let her go.’ I started ahead lively, and
presently saw the robbers climb up on my engine from the east side.
“The smaller man got on first. I thought they were tramps, and
was in the act of slowing up to put them off when the smaller man
covered me with a big pistol and said, ‘Don’t stop here! go on! go
on!’ I then saw that the men were masked. I asked, ‘Where do you
want to stop!’ He replied, ‘I’ll tell you where to stop.’ I pulled along,
and when we had gone about a mile he said:
“‘Stop here—stop now!’ I put the air on full and stopped as
quickly as I could.
“The little man did all the talking. When we stopped he got down
on the ground and fired his revolver two or three times. The train had
hardly stopped when he commenced shooting. The other man said,
‘Get down!’ My fireman and myself were then made to go ahead, on
the east side of the train, to the express car. Here they stopped us,
and the tall man called out to the messenger, ‘Open up! Open up!’
The messenger looked out of the door and the tall man said, ‘Where
is your other man?’ The messenger said, ‘I have no other man—no
one here but me,’ to which the reply was, ‘Help this man into the car!’
The messenger being covered by the revolver of the larger man,
extended his hand and helped him into the car.
“About this time Mr. Wilkerson, the conductor, came out of one of
the rear coaches with his lantern, and the smaller man, who stood
guarding us, told me to tell him to go back. I did, and the conductor
went back, but in a couple of minutes came out again. I saw two
forms get out of the car. They had no lights. I said, ‘You had better go
back, or they will shoot you; they are robbing the express car.’
“The fireman and I were between the robber and the rest of the
train. He kept us in front of him as a sort of breastwork. Some one in
the direction of the passenger coaches called out: ‘Law, where are
you?’ When I answered a voice said: ‘Look out! I am going to shoot!’
I stepped back from the train and the firing commenced, and I broke
and ran for the woods, which were close by.”
Meantime the robber who had entered the car handed a sack to
Southern Express Messenger Harris and bade him deliver up the
contents of his safe. At this juncture the firing on the outside of the
car had commenced, and advancing to the door, still keeping an eye
on the messenger, the robber fired three shots into the air.
Conductor Wilkerson had, on first coming out, taken in the situation,
and going back into the coaches announced to the passengers that
the train was being robbed, and asked who would assist him.
Chester Hughes, a brave young fellow, from Jackson, Tenn., arose
quickly and said, “I will, if I can get anything to shoot with.” Two
colored men seated near by had each a thirty-eight caliber
Winchester rifle, and these weapons were quickly gathered by the
conductor and his gallant passenger, and loading them with
cartridges furnished them by the owners they went forth to do battle
with the robbers. It was conductor Wilkerson who had warned the
engineer to protect himself, and he fired the first shot at the robbers.
Advancing abreast of each other these brave men fired shot
after shot at the dark form of the robber who stood as a sentinel on
the outside of the car, and who unflinchingly held his ground,
returning with steady aim charge after charge from his trusty
revolver, until finally young Hughes dropped his Winchester, and
exclaiming “I am shot!” fell to the earth. Wilkerson raised the brave
young fellow to his feet and dragged his unconscious and bleeding
form into the coach, and returning to the steps of the front coach
renewed the firing at the robbers.
The robber had, meantime, secured the money from the
messenger (about two thousand dollars), and backing out of the car,
still holding his pistol on the messenger, joined his comrade on the
ground, and under the fire of the conductor both retreated to the
woods hard by.
Chester Hughes had been in charge of a widowed sister, who,
with several small children, were en route to Jackson, Tenn. The
sister knew nothing of her brother’s participation in the fight with the
robbers until he was carried back into the coach, when she
prostrated herself in affectionate embrace over his body, from which
life was fast ebbing away. The scene was an agonizing and affecting
one.
The unerring aim of the robber had sent three shots through the
body of young Hughes, all entering the stomach within a radius of six
inches, and the unfortunate but daring young fellow lived only a few
minutes. The same train on which he had erstwhile embarked in the
vigor of health and buoyant spirits, bore his lifeless form to the home
of his widowed mother at Jackson, Tenn.
The Southern Express Company and the Illinois Central Railway
promptly presented his grief-stricken mother with a fitting testimonial
of appreciation for the heroic conduct of her son. While
THE reader may well ask what the detectives of the Southern
Express Company were doing while these men remained in Lamar
County and the adjacent country, from the time of the Duck Hill
robbery until the summer of 1889.
In the contiguous counties of Lamar, Fayette and Marion the
kindred of the Burrow family abounded on every hand. The homes of
his kinsmen, notably Cash, Terry, Barker, Smith and Hankins, not
only furnished a safe refuge for the robbers, but they were worshiped
as heroes, and each household vied with the other in its fealty and
loyalty to the robber chief. “Rube never robs a poor man,” they were
often wont to say, forgetting that one never gets blood out of a turnip.
These people were of a thriftless, restive spirit, and among them
were many shrewd and cunning natures, who became the paid
scouts of the outlaws. A code of signals was established, and the
appearance of a detective or a stranger of any kind in that section
was at once ascertained, and the information conveyed to the
outlaws. The firing of a gun in a certain locality, the cracking of a
whip, the blowing of a horn, and the deep-toned “ah-hoo,” as well as
scores of other signals, all had their meaning. They gave the
fugitives warning of the approach of danger; and so, when
occasional raids were made, a house was surrounded, a trail was
covered, or some solitary scout from among Rube’s clansmen was
encountered, the stillness of the air would be broken by a signal
which plainly told the detectives that their presence was known and
the robbers were on the alert. It was even impossible to trail the
messengers who carried rations to the robbers while in camp, for