The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1874-11-26
MisfeAanp.
ANOTHER DARING EXPRESS ROB-
Berry.

Yesterday evening the city was thrown
into state of intense excitement by a
report that robbery-the most daring
and successful that had ever been per-
petrated in Canada--had been commit
ted on the Great Western Railway. The
evening train leaving Hamilton at about
FIVE o'clock arrived at Port Credit on
time. Shortly after leaving Port Credit
man entered the rear door of the bag
gage and express car, and simultaneously
four men came in at the other door, all
disguised by having white smocks drawn
over their heads, covering the greater
part of their dresses, with holes in the
upper part to allow of their seeing their
way for the carrying on oftheiroperations.
The man at the rear door kept guard, so
that no escape, however dangerous that
might have been, could be effected in
that way. The other four advanced in
the opposite direction, apd two of them
seized the baggageman, named Mont
gomerY, and first gagging him with a sort
of wad, previously prepared, securely
tied him, throwing him on the floor of
the car. The other two desperadoes at.
tackled the messenger, Dunden, in the
employ of the American Express Com
pany, who was knocked down, and also
gagged and bound The men then
searched his pockets and found the key
of the iron box in which the valuable
packages were deposited, and had no
difficulty in possessing themselves of the
whole of them The train proceeded
toward the city at more than ordinary
rate, and, as usual, upon approaching
the numerous switches near the junction
OF the Great Western and the Toronto,
Grey & Bruce Railways, slackened speed,
when the ruffians who committed the
outrage jumped f omthe carand escaped.
Such was the account given by the two
men, when, upon the train reaching the
Queens wharf, they were discovered
bound and gagged, lying on their backs.
On examination of the car, it was found
that the bell rope had been cut be-
tween the car and the engine, which
must have been done by the four men on
the front platform before they entered
the car, thus effectually preventing any
alarm being given to the engine driver
by the expressman or baggageman, even
ifthey had not been so speedily over
powered.
The amount stolen is variously esti-
mated at from $4,000 to $4,000 but
from careful inquiries it is probable that
the total will be something short Of $780,
600. There are some portions of the ac-
count as stated above which might be
more fully explained. The car in which
the robbery was effected is one of the or
dinary baggage and express cars, placed
next to the engine. These cars are gen.
orally divided into two sections, one for
the express company and the other for
the ordinary baggage. In this case the
portion allotted to the express company
was forward, next the engine, and the por-
ton used tor baggage in the rear. 1t
would be interesting to know, therefore,
how four men could gain access to the
front platform of that car, cut the bell
rope, with nothing to which to attach the
forward end of the rope, remain there
long enough to attire themselves in their
Wnlle SOWHSb anu OpSn Tue uOOI anu
enter the car without the engine driver
observing anything unusual. Then again
the baggage car is, almost without ex-
ception, used by the brakesmen between
stations, and it is mere matter of fact
that, especially in the evening, they go
there to smoke and chat, notably the
brakesmen who has charge of the front
car In this case, however, no person
entered that car from the time of leaving |
Port Credit until the arrival of the train !
in or near Toronto. Then, again, it is
usual for the conductJr to go into the
baggage car to collect tickets after leav-
ing Port Credit, as passengers generally
go there to smoke and chat. In this case
he could not have done so, or the rob-
bers would have ben prevented from car
rying out their plan. These are thoughts
which the facts as stated by the persons
interested naturally suggest, though they |
may be open to very satisfactory expla-
nations = Toronto Globe, Nov. I4th.