The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1877-09-27
THE TRAM ROBBERs.


THE TRAIN ROBBERs.
Details or their Remarkable
EOray NJ Blg Springs.--s1xty
Th0Msana D0llaTs In Gold Coin
Pat into Sacks and Carried on,
Especial tothe Chicago Tribune.
| OMAHA, Neb. Sept. l9.-One Of the
most daring and successful railroad
express robberies ever perpetrated In
this country occurred last night a,
about l0:45 o'clock at Big Springs, a
small and isolated station on the
Union Pacific Railroad, 36l miles west
Of Omaha. The details of the robbery
have obtained from the Union Pa
cific officials, who, early this morning,
were In receipt Of dispatches announ-
cling the startling news.
Just previous to the arrival of the
express train No. 4, bound east, in
charge of conductor Patterson, two
masked wen stepped into the Office OF
the station agent, Mr.. Barnhart, who
was taken completely by SURPRISE
They pointed four cooked revolvers at
him and ordered him to tear up his
telegraph instrument. Mr.. Barnhart
tried to deceive them by taking up his
sounder, but they stopped him and
made him take up his relay, which
they carried off with them. The per-
son who gave tho orders was the Cap
tain, and seemed to be an intelligent
man, and Mr.. Barnhart is of the OPP
inion that he is a telegraph operator.
They then ordered him to put out his
red light, all the time keeping him
covered with revolvers. After the
red light was hung out on the track
they commanded Barnhart to get his
mail ready as usual.
Their arrangements were now conf
plete for receiving the expected train,
which soon came along, and, of course.
stopped In obedience to the red light
signal. The masked marauders, there
UCiHS SCSCu VI thChA III tuU poAtJ /,
then at once began to carry out their
well laid plans. The four who had
Barnhart in charge took him to the
door of the express car and made him
knock as he usually does when he
wishes the express messenger to open
the express door. Miller. the express
messenger, having no suspicion that
any other person except Barnhart was
outside, opened the door little way,
when three of the robbers caught the
door, and throwing 1t wide open, pre-
sented their revolvers at the messen-
ger. They then went through one Of
the safes in the car aud secured the
treasure-boxes, containing $4,000 in
gold coin. The through safe, which
has combination lock which is only
unlocked at each end Of the Union
Pacific Road, they did not touch, rs
the messenger did not know the COM
bination, and could not, therefore, re-
veal the secret to them, notwithstand-
ing their threatening demands. The
robbers did not interfere with the
United States mails, but went from
the express car into the first-class pas
senger coaches and robbed the passen-
gers, after which they disappeared.
They had no horses in sight. but 1t
Is supposed that they had their steeds
concealed near by.
Above are the particulars according
to Barnhart's despatch. Further de-
tails are learned from conductor Pat
terson's kilograms In which it was
stated that the party numbered from
ten to fifteen men.
When he arrived at Big Spring
Station they had, as stated above, cap
tured the Agent, cut the telegraph In
struments, and hung out red light
for orders. When he stepped upon
the platform to get his telegraphic Or
ders two men with cooked revolvers
In each hand told him throw up his
hands, which he did. They had al
ready captured the express messenger,
engineer and fireman. Besides the
coin they got Sass in currency from
the express car. From passenger
named L. Morris, they got q gold
watch, $3.50 In money and ticket to
Chicago.
While they were robbing the pas
sengers, freight-train No. 10 came
along, and this interrupted them In
their plundering process among the
passengers. As the freight was ap-
preaching Conductor Patterson was
allowed to 60 under guard to flag it.
A guard accompanied him until he
passed the sleepers, When the guard
rejoined the main gang, who then
quickly disappeared.
They had extinguished the fire in
the engine Of the express train, when
the freight came up, Conductor Pat
terson started the freight engine out
to spread the news and get up q party
to pursue them. Miller, the express
messenger, was somewhat bruised
about the head, but not dangerously,
at the hands Of the robbers, who took
his revolver away from him.
The country in which. the robbery
was committed 10 wild and dreary,
and some trouble may be experienced
In striking the right trail. 1t is
thought they have gone north, and
that they are the same robbers who
have recently been plundering Black
Hills stage coaches.
Upon receipt Of the dispatches IN
Omaha, before daylight this morning,
they were carried to General Superin-
tendent's Clark, at his residence, and
he was soon at his Office. The first
thing that he did was to notify all
telegraph stations along the line and
in the Black Hills, Offering a reward
Of SO, 600 for the capture Of the thieves
and money, or proportionatea amount
for either. He then telegraphed the
information to all parts Of the coun-
try.