The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1885-05-08
Robbing a Train.
A BOLD EXPLOIT BY AN INDIANA TRAMP

AS Wednesday nights Chicago ex-
press train on the Louisville and New
Albany Road Stacked up at the Har-
rodsburg, Ind, water tank, sleeping
passenger in the second-class car ava
kened Just in time 10 see shaggy
whiskered man dart up the rear plat
form of the baggage and express car
| Just ahead. A moment later he had
disappeared through the door. 1t was
nearly midnight and the sleepy pas
senger thought nothing of the incident,
and when the train resumed its jour-
ney he slept again. Two miles further
north and only short distance from
Bloomington he was again awakened
by the Stacking up of the train. The
door Of the smoking car opened and
man covered with blood and faint
staggered in and fell on the floor.
Somebody had pulled the bell rope and
the train came 10 standstill. Conduc-
tor Chambers ran forward. He was
shown tie PROSTATE man and recogniz-
ed him as Peter Webber, the baggage
master of the train. The appearance
of the shaggy-whiskered man on the
platform, the pulling of the bell cord
and the arrival of the wounded Web
Der on the smoker were the occur
rences of exactly nine minutes, but in
that brief time an unexampled train
robbery and probably cowardly muir
der had been committed. After hav-
ing been restored to consciousness Web
Der told the story of the assault to the
conductor, who reported the robbery to
the Chicago officials.
When the robber entered both Web
Der and George X. Davis, the express
messenger, were taking nap, Webber
being at the further end of the car.
Davis was sitting in his chair. The
robber opened the door stealthily and
approached to where Davis sat. The
first intimation of his presence was
terrific blow on Davis head, inflicted
with a club. Davis staggered to his
feet, but, blinded by the shock, he was
unable TO use his pistol. The robber
knocked it out of his hand, then pick
ed it up and deliberately shot him in
the head. Davis dropped to the floor
insensible. Meanwhile Webber had
been aroused by Davis smotdered cry
Of pain al the first onslaught, but he
was unable to render any assistance.
The deed was done so quickly that
when Webber had advanced from his
position at the front part of the car the
robber had him covered with Davis
pistol.
"Open the safe and hump yourself,
too," said the robber, with bated
breath, pressing the muzzle TO Webber's
ear.
81 haven't the keys" replied the bag
gage man.
"Yes, but you know where they are
Just as we'll as do. Search the stiff,
and hurry up about it or III lay you
out alongside of him."
Webber saw that he was parleying
with a desperate and acquesced.
When the safe had been opened the
robber took the contents,t threw his club
on the floor and shot Weber in the
back of the head, the bullet ranging
upward and tearing away the scalp
frightfully. Webber was stunned by
the shot and upon recovering he went
forward. 1t is supposed that the bell
rope was really pulled by the robber
and that he escaped from the train
only a moment before Webber appear
ed in the smoking car. The club was
delivered 10 the express office here.
1t is a green sapling about three feet
long and four inches in diameter,
weighing three pounds. The pursuing
party did not leave Bloomington until
this morning, and it is thought the
robber had such start that there is
little chance of overhauling him. The
first report was that the robber had
secured $4,000.
''He was not an adept said Mr.. o.
w. Barret, of the American Express
Company, "but merely a desperate,
who took his chances at finding money
in the safe. Had he known anything
about the business of the company he
would not have robbed north bound
train. There could not have been
much money in the safe, as the mes
senger took money at only two or three
stations The Southern business is
not done over this line. but is carried
north by way of Carlo. Now, had he
attacked the south-bound train there
would have been possibility of his
getting large sum of money. The
north run over this road seldom brings
to Chicago over $1,000. A little mon
ey is also carried for St. Louis and the
Northwest, but altogether the sum
could not be over $4,000 or $4,000"