The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1885-05-08
A BOLD TRAIN RO8BER.
He Assaults the Two Occupants of
a Baggage Car.
Then Empties the Safe, Leaps Off
and Disappears.

The Louisville express train, on the Louis
vile, New Albany and Chicago railroad, due
at Chicago at 8 o'clock A. NJ, stopped
for water at Harrodsburg, Ind, at lille.
o'clock p. NJ. While there q tramp must
have entered the train, as it had scarcely
got in motion when the baggage
man, Peter Webber, and the express messen-
ger, George K. Davis, were attacked by a
man, who compelled Webber to open the
safe, when the robber rihed it of its contents
The story is best told by Weber, who gives
the following account of the robbery:
When the train stopped at Harrodsburg he
and Davis were asleep upon their train
chests. Both doors of the car were open.
and they had no suspican of anything wrong,
Just after the train got into motion Weber
was awakened by violent blow on the head
The force was such as to nearly stun him,
but, staggering to his feet he saw
tall, muscular man, struggling with
Davis. The messenger was bespatterel with
blood which was gushing from a wound in
his head, and he also had evidently been
struck with club while asleep The bud-
geon with which this had been done, large
hickory stick, lay on the floor covered with
blood and hair Webber was too badly hurt
to take u part i'll the fray, and fell to
Jue uOOT. ne 1ODDef was large
man, badly dressed, and had a bristing,
light mustache. He seemed to be about thir-
ty-five years of age. This much Webber
noticed as the two men struggled in each
others embrace. 1t was but for an instant.
Davis managing TO loosen his right arm drew
his revolver, but before he could fire the man
wrenched the weapon from his grasp, and
leveling it like lightning pulled the trigger
The ball struck the messenger in the head and
he fell dying to the floor. With the weapon
in his hand the murderer ordered Webber to
get up an open the safe. The baggage mas
ter endeavorel to obey, but could not I'M
fasten the locks. AS he worked with them
he felt the muzZle of the pistol pressed
against his head, and the robber coOlly told
him he would fire il he failed. In desperation
Weber stepped over the body of Davis and
took his bunch OF keys from his pocket.
With some difficulty he found the ones
that fitted the locks and in an instant the
safe was open. Keeping Webber constantly
covered with the revolver the robber deliber-
ately went through the safe taking out the
money packages and putting them in his
pocket. lie seemed to know exactly where
they were and made no mistakes. The papers
of no value he threw away at once.
The riiing of the safe occupied but a mo-
ment or two, and this done, he turned to
Webber and leveled the weapon at his head
care you going TO kill meF' the victim gasped
"Nes, by --, | am, replied the robber, fir
ing almost as he spoke The ball went crash
ing into Webbers head and he fell to the
floor. He was not, however, at once de-
prived of consciousness, and managed to
rise to his knees. A second after he fell
and snatched the bell rope. This effort ex-
hausted him, and he dropped to the floor
again. The robber calmly picked up his club
and while the train was slowing and just be-
fore it stopped, got off. This was in sub
stance, Webber's story, told with the greatest
difficulty, He said that he would be able to
recognize the robber anywhere. The amount
stolen is not known.
Davis lived at Louisville, was % years old,
and unmarried. Webber lives at New Albany,
is 2S years old, married, and has several chill
dren.