The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1874-11-19
Daring TKsan-Is0bbery-Tsae Baggage
mar, and ExpTessnaan EOund and
Gagged by Masked Men,

4 DaF1nE OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES Baggage
man and ExpTessnaan EOund an
4 Gagged by Masked Men.
From The Toronto Mail, November 14.l s
No inconsiderabie amount OF excitemen
prevailed in the city last evening In conse
4 Quence of arumor prevailing that giganti,
robbery bad been perpetrated on the trair
4 OF the Great Western railway, which arrives
in the city from Hamilton at o'clock.
From the best information obtainable il
appears that the American Express car at.
tached to the train which leaves Hamilton
at $50 2. NJ. was made the scene of one of
the most daring robberies on record. The
train In question arrived at Port Credit at
the usual hour-viz., within q minute of
6:3O-and having stopped there to land pas
sengers and baggage, started for this city.
This train does not stop at the Mimico sta
ton, but proceeds straight to Toronto, and
it appears that Immediately after the cars had
begun to move after leaving the former place
gang Of three men, with full masks con-
cealing their features and smocks thrown
over their ordinary clothes, entered the bag.
gage car. The baggageman was engaged in
removing some trunks, when the three men
in question laid hold of him, and having
thrown him down by main force, they hand
cuffed him. This mapacled condition of the
man not apparently being considered salts
factory, so far as danger to the robbers was
concerned, they proceeded to tie their pri-
soner to his baggage, and then threatened
his life if he tried to give any alarm. The
marauders, having made one prisoner, passed
through the partition into the car of the ex-
pressman, and by this time the gong had
been reinforced by two additional men, also
disguised in masks and smocks.
This small army of robbers, having enter
ed the express compartment, saw the eX-
presSman sitting by the stove engaged in
looking through some documents. AS the
official looked, he observed five strange men,
and that they were armed with reyolvers
and bowie-kniyes. Resistance was soon
rendered useless, for two of the robbers
presented pistols at the head of the official,
while third held bowie-knife to his
throat, Offering to useit if any struggle was
made. The eXpressman was then thrown
down, handcuffed, bound, and gagged, and
bis pockets rifled in order to find the key of
the safe, which it was intended to rob. The
whole Of the five men then turned their at.
tentiOn to ransacking the safe, from which |
they took valuables to the amount of from
Sl2 900 to SIS, 900, according to the lowest
estimate, and a much greater sum according
to other accounts.
The property stolen consisted Of bills,
gold, &c. The masked villains, however,
were most dainty in their selection, for a
cash-boX containing between fifty and sixty |
dollars in silver was left behind, it probably |
being thought too heavy to be conveniently |
carried. The expressman, for greater Secu-
rity, had been tied to the stove. srhe hand |
cuffs used to secure him were Of the most |
approved description, and he had to wear |
the same until he was subsequently relieved |
at the express office. 1t may be thought |
strange that no one on the train except |
ing the two men who were fettered !
and bound should have known any,
thing of this gigantic depreciation, but
the surprise will cease when it is remem- |
bered that the compartments where the Off.
Gals were employed were insulated from the |
other parts of the train. the post-otice di- |
yiding them from the engine, there being |
no communication at the end next the pas |
senger cars. Moreover, the noise made by |
the engine would prevent any cries from
being heard, and thus the train arrived at
the Queens wharf with several hundred
persons in the rear of the car little knowing |
that robbery, almost romantic i'll its incl |
dents, had been perpetrated within lew
feet of them.
On arriving at the wharf it is the custom
for this train to stop for the purpose of GER
tain railway correspondence being delivered
by the eXpressman to persons who are wait
ing to receive it. The train made its accus- |
toned halt, and a man was waiting ready to
take the correspondence usually delivered. |
but the expressman of course did not put in
an appearance. The consequence was that
the express car was entered, when the un-
comfortable state of things became apparent.
The safe was found unlocked and the door
open, and the whole contents in confusion.
The two railway servants were discovered
in their respective compartments. Both
men, in addition to being hand-cutfed and
bound, had been covered over with coats,
cushions, and rugs. 1t appears, as above
stated, that the train left Port Credit at 6:29
P. NJ, arriving at the Queens wharf at 600
p. NJ, thus allowing only twenty-siX min
utes in which to complete the robbery.
When the latter place was reached the mask
ed individuals had disappeared or at least
had assumed new role, perchance being
among those who declaimed most heartily
against the wrongs perpetrated. BE this as
it may, they had not been satisfactorily
heard of when we went to press, but it is to
be hoped that ere long the whole gang may
fall into the hands of the officers OF the law.
CAy1sG OLA COAL M1NE-FATAL RESULTS
Wilkesbarre, Pa, November 17.-An eX-
+onSiva cave occnrred at the Seneca mines,