The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1875-12-23
EXPRESS CAR ROBBERY.
The Messenger Locked in Ohest--S2O.-
coo Taken by the Thieves.

st. Louis, December 1S.-Oncc q
year Missouri is good for bank or n
t train robbery, so easily and SO claverly
! accomplished that it forms q nine-day' 8
wonder This morning between 3 and
4 o'clock, masked men took possession
| of the United States Express car on the
St. Louis, Kansas City and Northern
| Railroad, about twenty-five miles be-
low the city, locked The messenger MP
IN his chest, deliberately plundeTed the
packages, and escaped. The robbery was
not discovered until the train reached the
Biddle street depot in this city, when
| the employees of the company, not see
ing the messenger, entered the car in
search of him. Faint cries from the
interior OF the chest, which was securely
strapped, attracted attention, and the
messenger, Charles kincaid, was
speedily extricated. He had not a
scratch or bruise to show, but had
been half smothered by his confine
nent. The express car is an ordinary
one, having q door at each end secured
by self-fastening lock and by chain
which is fastened loosely on the inside,
SO that the door can be opened few
inches but is still secure. The object
of this is that the messenger, when any
one knocks for admission, may be able
to see who Is there before leaving the
door unsecured. Kincaid says that
when he took charge of the car iii Kan
aas City he noticed that the staple hold
ing tile chain Of the rear door had been
drawn out, leaving tie door secured
only by the lock. The express car was
hitched to the tender and preceded the
baggage car. He says he thought little
OF the insecure door during the early
part of the night, bat when the train
passed Mexico he prepared to take nap,
there being few more stoppages before
reaching st. Louis. He put the heaviest
package he had, weighing about $50
against the door, and then went to
sleep. At st. Charles he got up and
put some wood i'll the stove, after which
he dropped of again. When he next
came to consciousness he felt hand on
his collar, and on looking up he saw too
men standing over him, one holding q
| revolver III each hand, while the other
| held him in a tight grasp. Not word
was spoken, but Q wrench at the collar
| brought the messenger TO his feet. Look
/ ing him square in the eyes, and apparent
| " reading his decision to remain passive;
/ they went Immediately to work. While
| one held him the other searched his
| pockets and got the keys. He then
rapidly threw out tie packages. Before
| Kinos,id understood the plan, another
wrench at his coat collar wheeled him
around and tumbled him into the trunk.
I a single package was thrown to him
| ssfor pillow" one OF the robbers re-
marked, and the heavy lid was shut
| down with thud and strapped. The
robbers then went through the contents
| of the car, including the safe, at their
| leisure. Nearly every package was
| broken open. Just where the robbers
| left the car nobody knows. The com
pany is reticent about the amount of
| the loss, but the contents Of the safe,
| in money and valuables, amounted to
nearly $4,000 There was one money
package of So, 600. One estimate puts
| the loss at $50, 900.
| Kincaid is unable to give more than
| The most vague description OF the men.
One. lie says, Was about five feet ten
inches tall, and the other little heavier
built and not quite so tail. Both wore
short, dark coats, one little faded, and
that is all he knows about them. Both
wore masks of black cloth. The lock
on the Car is unhrolzen, consequently
they must have had key to the latch
of the door, aud must have entered by
TIE rear retdllofH, "ueIe tiie cHaln WAS
loose, IS the chain on the front door was
undisturbed Nobody else on the train
saw the men on or off, and Kincaid can
only guess that the robbery took place
| this side Of Ferguson. as there were no
| stoppages after he was locked up.
The whole affair is very mysterious.
The detectives haze been at work all
day, but have scarcely clue. IF Kin
caid's story is correct, the robbers prob
ably jumped off when the train slowed
up in the suburbs OF the city, and cross
ed over into Illinois by an upper ferry.