Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1875-12-29
EXPRESS ROBBERY.
Railroad Train Boarded by Robbers and
&ZO,UOu Taken from the safe of the
United STATES Express Company

Railroad Train Boarded by Robber. an.
@ZO,UOU Taken from the safe of tn.
United States Express Company
On December 18th the passenger
train on the st. Louis, Kansas City and
Northern Railroad was boarded by rob.
bers near st. Louis, who robbed the
safe of the United States Express Cam
pany of $4,000 They locked the mes
senger up in his chest, deliberately
plundered the packages and escaped
before an alarm could be given. The
robbery was not discovered until the
train reached st. Louis, when the en-
ploYes OF the company, not seeing 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 extricat-
ed. He had not scratch or bruise
to show, but had been half smothered
by his confinement. The express car
is in an ordinary one, having a
door at each end, secured by a
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 lenving the
door unsecured. Kincaid says that
whom he took charge of the car in Kan
sas City he noticed that the staple hold
ing the chain of the rear door had been
drawn out, leaving the door secured
only by the lock. The express car was
h Ifoha6 fr fho 1.
baggage car. He says he thought little
of the insecure door during the early
part of the night; and when the train
passed Mexico he prepared to take a
nap, there being few more stoppages
before reaching st. Louis. He put
the heaviest package he had, weighing
about che hundred and fifty pounds,
against the door, and then went to
sleep. At st. Charles he got up and
put some wood in the stove. after which
he dropped off again. When he next
came to consciousness he felt hand
on his collar, and on looking up saw
two men standing over him, one hold
ing revolver in each hand, while the
other held him in a tight grasp. Not a
word was spoken, but a wrench at his
COldA DlOukuO UAO 1uCSoOukcx " Ills
feet. Looking him square in the eyes,
and apparently 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 opened the large messenger
chest and rapidly threw out the
packages. Before kincaid under
stood the plan, another wrench at
his coat collar wheeled him
around and tumbled him into the trunk.
A single package was thrown to him
"for 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 r-ticent about the amount of
the loss, but the contents of the safe,
in money and valuab.es, amounted to
nearly $12. 900. There was one money
package of 1000 One estimate puts
the loss at $4,000.
Kincaid is unable to give more than
the most vague description of the men.
One, he says, was about five feet ten
inches tall, and the other little leavi-
er built and not quite so tall. Both
wore short, dark coats, one a little
faded, and that is all he knows about
them. Both wore masks of black
cloth. The lock on the car is unbroken,
consequently they must have had q
key to the latch Of the door, and must
have entered by the rear platform,
where the chain was loose, as the
chain on the front door was I'M
disturbed. Nobody else on the
train saw the men on OF off,
and Kincaid can only guess that the
robbery took place this side of Fergu-
son, as there were no stoppages after
he was locked up. The whole affair is
very mysterious. The detectives have
been at work, but have scarcely a
clue. If Kincaid's story is correct,
the robbers probably jumped off when
the train slowed up in the suhmrds of
the city, and crossed over into Illinois
by an upper ferry.
IS Enulscl, Ev<rovorauon ~ r iv;,,n