The daily gazette., 1877-09-25

Full Particulars Of the Raid On the
X o Union Pacific,
HOW THE HIGHwAYMEN CAPTURE D
- THE EXPRESS TRAN AND GOT
AT THE -TREAsURE-ALL
THE PASSENGERS ROB-
RED EXCEPT THE
WOMEN. f
From the Chicago Times. =
OMAHA, Neb., Sept, 19.--rhe Union
Pacific east bound express train, due here
this afternoon, was robbed last night he.
tween 10 and IL O'Clock at Big Springs
station, three hundred and sixty miles
west of Omaha, by party of masked men
who got away with over $4,000. Four
masked men holding four revolvers walk
ed into Station Agent Barnhart's Office a
few minutes before train time, and one
of them directed him to cut off all tele-
graph communications by tearin e up his
instruments. Bernhart endeavored to
throw them off the track by taking up
only his sounder, but the men bade him
pull up the relay and hand 1t er,which
he did. The man who gave the COM
mands was captain, evidently telegraph
operator. Bernhart, under cover Of the
revolvers, and accordingly to the Captain
commands, next hung his red light to
stop the express, which soon came up
and stopped. Barnhart was rushed to the
door of the express car by the four rob-
bers, who made him knock for Express
Messenger Miller, who opened the door
few inches.
The highwaymen then,b some means
showed the door clear opened, jumped
in, and covered Messenger Miller will
cooked revolvers. They took Mlller's re.
golvers away from him, bruised him about
the head considerably, and then opened
one safe, fiom which they obtained the
treasure hoxes containing 100000 in gold
coin, which was shipment from Cali
fornia. and $46S in currency. They
tried to make Miller open the through
safe, which has combination lock anC
is not opened anywhere between the
termini Of the road, but as the messen'
gers do not know the combination he
could not comply with the demand, and
they let him off after explaining.
While this was going on in the ex-
press car, the other part of the gang haC
captured the engineer aid fireman anC
put out the fire in the engine, and tht
moment Conductor Patterson stepped OIL
the platform to see what orders were
waiting for him, as indicated by the red
light signal to stop, he, too, was corral
| led, being covered by cooked revolver
and ordered to throw up his hands. Pat
terson says there were from ten to .tifleeI
of them. After plundering the express
car the robbers went into the passenge
coaches and began robbing the passenger
securing abont half a dozen gold watche
and nearly $500 in cash and some ra l.
road tickets. A freight train now ap
preaching from the rear, Conductor Pat
terson was conducted by guard past tn
sleeping coaches short distance up th'
track, so that he could flag the approach
ling train to prevent a collision. Th'
guard then left him and joined the mail
body, who then retreated from the cars
/ They had no horses in sight, but hat
them concealed some little distance of
They soon disappeared as mysteriousl.
as they appeared, going north, as wa!
shortly afterward learned.
| Conductor Patterson sent the freigh
engine out at once to give the alarm a
the next station, and as soon as the tir
was up in his own engine resumed hi
"Trip. BY 7 O'Clock this morning, Super
Iintendent Clark having learned all tn
particulars, had telegraphed everywhere
and offered $4,000 reward.
Sheriff McCarty of Sidney and Sherif
Bradley of North Platte were sent GU
With a large force of mounted men. Sher
if Bradley seems to have got on the trai
as it is said that he found two revolver
and one empty coin box ten miles nortl
of Big Springs. 1t is suspected that thes'
men are same who have been robbin!
the coaches of the Black Hills stage line
1t is vet a mystery how the robbers open
ed the door of the express car, as it is 81
arranged as to open only SIX inches whel
the machinery is all right. 1t is also ba
lred with boiler iron, and messenger,
on the lookout for such an emergency a
this, could hold the fort against dozen
There were thirteen in the gang, am
six of them went into the passenger!
coaches and ordered all to hold up theil
hands, which they did. Then they wen
Through the passengers Systematically
collecting $1,000 according to the figure
of Conductor Kelly. One man the,
searched three times, but he managed t
conceal S4OO in large bills between hi
fingers.
The robbers tried to get into the SLEEP
ling car, but the door was too securel
)bolted for them. They did not rob tn
woman, and to two cripples they refund
ed what they had taken: A company @
soldiers left Sidney this morning in pur
suit. This evening several detective
under Chief Hanlon. an experienced o.
lfioer, left Omaha for the W est.
KANSAS CITY, Mo-, Sept. 19.-Ther
are good grounds for believing that tn
train robbery last night on the Unio
Pacific was perpetrated by gang from
southwest Missouri and this vicinity
headed by two OF the old guerillas. Th
friends of the three Youngers. now il
the Minnesota penitentiary for the at
, tempted bank robbery at Northtleld, hav
been plann ng for several months how t
raise a fund by which the escape OF th
bows might be effected. The Younger
in their palmy days never lacked friend