St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1874-06-19
Tragedy on a Train.

The robbery Of the express ear on
the Michigan Central railroad. on Fri
lay last. was of 50 tragical Il nature
that. represented upon the stage. it
would thrill the house" as the critics
say. According to the Detroit Tribune
of Saturday. the train was the fast night
express which left Chicago at > o'clock
y. III. The car of the American Express
company was next the engine. and was
only occupied by the messenger, being
lighted by single candle, and all the
doors locked. Several thousand dollars
were in the safe. before which sat the
messenger. Mr.. :. b. Heath. sorting the
packages of money. When the train
had reached Il point Il few miles beyond
New Buffalo. Heath. who was hcudin~
down. saw IL mans foot softly placed
between him and the safe. and before
he could turn himself he WAS struck IL
violent blow on the forehead. His
;lsSailant at the same momen: put ont
the candle and Selling ii package of
money dartcd out the front door. the
lock of which had been forced oft.
Heath. by this time had sprung to his
feet. but before, in his half->tunncd
conditi III. he could reach the door. an
other man was upon him. and terri
BILE life and death struggle cnSued.
Heath had revolver. and the robbcr IL
large knife. and the men cndeavored to
use their weapons. The fight was long
and desperate. From side to side and
end to end of the car the men rolled
and tumbled in the darkness, now one
uppermo>t. nov the other. and again
side 10y size. Heath trying to shoot and
the rohbcr to stab. At last. when Heath
WAS nearly tainting from exhaustion,
and .WaS lying underneath, he managed
to ssIoot his antagonist through the
head. The fellow, although not i'll
StHutly killed. rolled off the messenger
and lazy unconscious on the floor. Heath
then tainted, and remained in this con-
dition until the train reached Niles, Il
few miles heyoni. The sight that met
the eyes of those who entered the car
at Niles was Il terrible one. The rob
her was just breathing his last and
Heath, badly injured and covered with
blood, lay upon the floor unable to rise.
The man who escaped carried off 81,
200 in money, and seems to have left
his companion to his fate.
- \ lad went through the Rens-
sclaer \ Saratoga tain yesterday dis
trlbuting prize packages of candy, and,
on returning to gather them up. found
Il countryman cumplacently disposing
of the contents of the package that had
been dropped upon his seat. The lad
waited and held out his hand for ten
cents. The countryman stopped eat
ing long enough to ask what was want
ed. Il want pay for that candy =" said
the boy. For this candy ?" said the
countryman. ''Why. gol durn We. didn't
We heave ii into the seat to me ?" "IeS,"
said tie boy. ..but you must pay for it
if you want it, The countryman sat
in utter establishment. then slowly from
his mouth he dropped into the open
paper Il mouthful of half mastcated
fragments, and handed the package
back, remarking, TAX yur suger candy
eff WI want it, but eff We heave it at me
agin I'll swallcr it hull by thunder ="
The lad logged the countryman us far
as Saratoga for his ten cents. but he
didn't get them. The scene furnished
great sport for the passengers.-Rut
kdnd Globe.