The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-08-13
PERILS OF THE RAIL.
The Robbery of the Central Railroad Exp ress
TrRIn-ThrillinR Details-Wbere Suspicion


The Robbery of the Central Railroad Exp ress
TrRIn-Thrilling Details-Wbere Suspicion
Rests.
Relative to the robbery of the American ex-
press cars on the New York Central Road on
Wednesday night, the Utica On. " Observer
Eight men entered the express, baggage, and
mail car of the Pacific express going east last
night and after an hours deliberate work left
the train richer by hundreds of thousands of
dollars-it may be million-their booty being
the gold, securities, and valuables of all kinds
gathered by the express company between
Omaha and this city for transportation to New
York. Utica contributed $4,000 to the pouches
of the robbers.
When the Pacific express train arrived in
Utica shortly after 10 o'clock last night on its
eastward way, il was in command of Conductor
Day, who was in his usual good spirits, and
never more virtuously opposed to the occurrence
of the slightest improprety or irregularity on
his train. His faithful and trusty brakesmen
were with him and prompt in the discharge of
their duties. The American Express messenger,
having money packages in his charge, lit
tie but plucly man named Beattie The bag
gageman was larger person named Con<lin
The messenger and baggageman occupied tn
same car. Another man is said to have been i'm
the car, but we have not learned his name.
With them and under their charge were
First. The express cOmpany's safe, cOntainin
the money packages collected at leading point
in the West including Omaha, Chicago, etc, 70
transmission to the city of New York. In thi
safe were $4,000 in securities, etc, which the
night clerk of the Express Office in this city
placed in the hands of Beattle after the train
halted in the Utica depot.
Second The baggage of the passengers on the
train.
Third. The United States mail-bags, contain
ing the through mail for Albany and New York.
The train moved out of the depot at 1885, the
men and passengers unsuspecting the impending
crime.
1t was at Fonda that the robbers are supposed
to have come upon the train. They may have
been among the passengers along distance back,
coming aboard either all together or one by one;
but this is at present only conjecture. At Fonda
they managed to get upon the platforms be-
tween the express car and another without being
observed: at least without exciting suspicion.
When the train began to move rapidly one of
them thrust key into the lock of the door ut
the end of the car which contained the treasure
they sought and in less time than it takes to
write it eight strangers were inside the car and
had begun the work Of Overpowering, binding,
and gagging the resisting inmates. The latter
struggled hard, and it is reported that Beattie,
the express messenger, was rendered insensible
before he was completely secured
OF course, when the men were bound the work
of pillage was easy. The keyt the express
safe was taken from the body of the PROSTATE
messenger, and the robbers were now in
possession of all the means they required for
securing their booty.
But while they were doing this, and awaiting
n suitable opportunity TO get away With their
acquisitions a little by-play was necessary. One
of the robbers, about the size of COnklin took
his cap and personated the baggageman at Sche
nectady. He put out the baggage destined for
that station, and received that which was to be
taken on board. The light in the car was not so
bright as usual, it is remembered and he was
not detected. ''Is there anything more to come
out p was asked by the station baggage-master,
and the answer, was returned by the bogus bag
gageman, mo" 'What name?' was inquired
in the customary manner. "Conlln" was
promptly replied by the bogus. At this time
COnklin and his companions were lying bound
in a corner of the car, and the confederates
were also concealed.
At West Albany the train was ''rung up by
pull from the baggage car and the patent brakes
were set. The train stopped, and the rob-
bcrs fled.
1t is not an unusual thing for railroad en-
ployes to ring up" train at that point for the
purpose of getting off near the Central Railroad
works: and Conductor Day ordered his train to
proceed without any other suspicion entering
his mind than that some railroad men had played
this trick upon him.
1t was not until the Pacific Express reached
Albany, and the messenger and baggageman
were found helpless, that the robbery became
known.