Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1885-05-28
GREAT EXPRESS ROBBERIES.
0Jd-Time Affairs Involving Large
Sums Revived by the Monen Out
rage-Sam Bass Career i'm Texas
Desperate Struggle to Save Hun
dreds of Thousands of Dollars.


A party of gentlamen were can
vassing the details of the atrocious |
murder and express robbery on the |
Louisville, New Albany and Chicago
railroad, says The indianapolis Jour-
nal, when the conversation took q
comprehensive turn, and brought up
incidents of like character that have
occurred within the past ten years.
1t was also lobserved, by one of ex-
perience in the express business, that
ia the somewhat long list of depreda-
tions Of this class state governments
did not appear to good advantage,
that they did not fulfill as energetical-
lv the requirements of protection of
the express business as those of other
classes. Said he: ''It may be said
that if the express or railroad conI~
panies should call in advance on the
State, and present sufficient evidence
that an attack on their trains was ex-
pected, that assistance would be rem
dercd, but that is simply impossible.
A series of large robberies of this kind
is always accomplished by the same
band, or if otherwise, by different
parties under the same leadership.
in such contingency. and, of course,
IN single instances of express depre-
dations as well, the whole power of
the state government would be
brought to bear promptly and ener-
Qetically in securing their capture
dead or alive. If the state authors
ties fail in this, it is the duty of the
general government to exercise its
power and authority in seeing that
the trains on which the mails are car
ried are fully protected. Giving it 40
severe term, the apathy of state
authorities ia regard to outlaws OF
this character needs no worse example
than that of the officers of Missouri
or Indiana relative to the James
brothers, the Y0ungers, and the
Renos. For twelve years the James
and Younger bands terrorized Mis-
souri, before the robbery of the United
States and Adams Express companies,
near Otterville, in that state, led to
the first indictments against them.
For years the Renos, unchecked,
added crime to crime in their motor
ious career of express robbing along
the Ohio and Mississippi railway be
fore they received check, and this
Express company demanded prOtec-
ton of its property and the punish
ment of the men who had violated the
law of the state in robblng their
messengers. Until then no one of
sufficient courage appeared to fight
the gang. The late atrocity should
receive, at once, the attention of the
state authorities, but | fear that there
will be several more affairs Of the
character before the guilty are pun
ished.
''Was the late Smithville job the
work of a PROFESSIONAL" asked the
writer.
Very likely. I do not see how a
chance tramp could be so well ac-
quainted with conditions favoring the
success of such a robbery. If it was
the depreciation of a tramp, he had
devoted considerable time in securin g
the information he wanted relative to
the inmates of the car, their habits,
and so on. He went about the busi-
ness as one fully equipped, knowing
Just what he had to contend with, and
where to find the spoils without loss
of time or bungling search for valu-
or at least, one so far advanced in the
lnitiat0ry degrees of express robbery
that it would be paying but little com
pliment to his skill to grade him as an
apprentice. He knew all about that
train and the express run"
Said another of this party: "That
robbery, in which one man against
two comes out victor, calls to mind
an attempt to rob an express safe that
happened on the Baltimore and Ohio
railroad, when a plucky messenger
and baggageman saved $50, 600 and
other valuables by beating off five
robbers. 1t was near z o'clock in the
evening of April Is, 1878, that an east
bound express train stopped at Wash.
ington Junction for water. The mes
senger, Stephen Miller, took the op~
portunity to look into the safe to see
that the $4,000 was secure. While
bending over the safe, he was startled
by a voice, Eyes, he has got the
money; let's go for him" Miller
quickly arose, and saw two men. He
!. instantly grasped his revolver, when
the two men escaped from the car,
followed by two others whom the
messenger did not at first see. But
The fifth man, more plucky than his
fellows, who.had been waitiag outside
the turn of events, leaped into the
car, brandishing a club. lie was pow
erfully built, and apparently had
double the strength of Miller, but the
messenger accepted the ODDS and
dashed for his antagonist, whom he
caught about the neck and body. A
SfYlI0D a p11S11a6 Thaf -.a
suited unfavorably for Miller had not
the baggageman, hearing the noise,
come to his rescue. At this the rob
Der broke away from the messen gers
grasp, jumped from the car, and es-
capped"
Sk"Do you remember" said another.
anxious to contribute his portion to the
record of outlawry and robbery,
that during the war one of the large
exnraSS oomOsnieS lost q cousidera n Is