The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1877-07-10
EXPRESS ROBBERS,
A Brllliaat Police AChievem ent
on the Lake shore Railroad.

Early Saturday morning desperate
attempt was made to Fob the express car
of Lake Shore train from Chicago to
Toledo. The express train known as
No. 6 arrives at Toledp at 2 40 a. m :,
and just a. the train left Lignnier, In
diana, four men, two of them masked,
and two with their faces blacked, enter
Ell the car, and presenting revolvers at
the breast of the messenger, attempted
to gag and bind him The Chief of the
Toledo Police, two railway detectives
and two policemen were concealed in
tue car, aud fierce & ,ht Immediately
ensned The robbers were finally hand
cuffsd and taken to Toledo They gave
their names as Milton N Laddy. farmer;
A. C. Bellmsn, former Lake shore con-
ductor; Emery Christie, formerly q
brakeman; and Frank Hathaway. 1t
seems the United States Express COM
pauy had had suspicious that the at
tempt would be made, and the Chief Of
Police and other officers had made sew
eral trips on the same train, concealed
in the express car. The names of the
officers and men who accomplished the
arrest are W. r Bressie, agent for c.
Cone, of the United States Express;
Chief of Police Purdy, Detectives Tib.
bits and Cavannaugh, OF the Lake Shore
road; Officers Brown and Sullivan, Tim
othy Hart, Esq., Transfer Agent, and
A. Carleton, Messenger of the United
States company.
Chief OF Police Purdy gives a Blade.
reporter the following account of the
affair:
II stationed Brown, Cavanaugh, and
Tibbits so that II the robbers entered
the car those officers would be in the
rear OF them. Sullivan. Hart and my.
self we're so stationed that, should they
enter the car, we would face them. The
others were stationed on either side.-
There was narrow aisle through the
stacks Of baggage just wide enough to
allow party of men to pass through
single file. Manager Carleton sat in the
center Of the car in small area where
the express matter had been cleared
away.
The train got under headwsy, and was
about two miles away from the station,
running at full speed, when the door
was opened, and four men, two with
blacked faces and two wearing masks,
entered the car. The messenger was
quietly and coolly looking over his bills.
/ had previously instructed him as to
his method ofprocedure, or rather more,
non-procedure. The men walked into
the car single file, and Detective Caya-
naugh reached his hand quickly out and
closed the door. They did not notice
che move. One Of. them laid his hand
on the shoulder OF Messenger Carieton n
and said, "Hello" Carleton, who had
before been oblivious to all surround
ings, started up and saw three revulvers
pointed toward him. 1t required the
utmost GOODNESS for him to sit still in
that situation, but he acted as if it were
the most usual thing in the world to pass
through the ordeal which he was then
undergoing.
"The man with his hand on the Mes
senger's shoulder was about to pull the
ropes, with which to gag and bind him,
from his pocket when gave the signal
and we all sprang from our places OF
concealment. The robbers started to
rush out of the car but they were inter-
cepted by officers Brown, Cavanaugh
and Tibbits. We pounced upon them
from all sides and each selected his man.
Then occurred one of the most desper-
ate fights / ever witnessed. The men
knew that they we're struggling for lib
erty, and they were desperate as tigers
The air was filed with yells and the
sight which presented itself was that of
a confused mess of struggling, yelling
humanity.
sit was long time before the men
were overpowered. At last they were
hand-cuffed, and utterly exhausted, we
SAT down to contemplate the result. l
expected to find that some of the men
had been seriously injured, but aside
from some bruises, the most severe ones
being administered to Lsddy, no one
was injured"