The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1885-05-08
A BOLD ROBBERY.


A Solitary individual Enters an Express
Car Near Harrodsburg, Ind, Shoots
and Beats the Messenger and Baggage
man, Robs the Safe and Gets Away
with an Amount Estimated at About
$4,000.
CHICAGO, May 1.-The night express
coming north on tne Louisville, New Albany
& Chicago Railway had just left the water
tank near Harrodsburg, Ind, at eleven
O'Clock, "Wednesday night. when man
armed with a hickory club entered the bag
gage-car. Messenger George K. Davis and
Baggage-master Peter Weber were lying on
the benches. Both were doing. The
stranger sprang on Davis and beat him
over the head with the bludgeon, and when
Weber awoke he received the same treat
ment. Davis reached for his revolver, but
the stranger wrenched it from his grasp and
discharged it, the ball entering the side of
the messengers head. Turning his atten-
ton to the PROSTATE baggage master,
the daring robber covered him with
the revolver and ordered him to
take the keys from the pockets of the
unconscious messenger and to open the
safe. The safe being opened, the robber
rifed it with his left hand while with his
right he still covered the baggagemaster
with the revolver. Having secured all the
valuable money packages the robber turned
and deliberately shot Weber, The ball en-
tered the jawbone. Pulling the bell-cord
the robber, laden with booty, jumped from
!, the train as soon as its speed was slack
ened. Weber, covered with blood, stag
gered into the smoking-ear and gave the
alarm.
When the train stopped search was made
for the robber, but he disappeared in the
darkness. The place where he left the train
is a lonely defile surrounded by woods, and a
short distance from Bloomington, Ind. The
wounded men were left at Bloomington. In
the morning Weber. whose wounds are Sc
rious but not fatal, was sent to his home at
Louisville. Davis was still unconscious,
and it was deemed best not to move him.
The train kept on its way and arrived at
the Polk street depot in this city at eight
O'Clock yesterday morning. 1t consisted of
the baggage car, two coaches and a sleeper.
The interior of the baggage-car was
splashed with blood. The blood-stained
cudgel used by the robber lay in one corner.
1t was green hickory sapling three feet
long and three inches in diameter. Con-
ductor j. G. Chambers said that he knew
nothing about the robbery until after the
train was stopped, when he went forward
to the baggage-car, and found the messenger
and baggage-master both unconscious, each
having been shot in the head. When the
train reached Bloomington posse was Or
ganiZed and sent back to search for the rob-
Der. Owing to the darkness they returned
without effecting his capture. Only $1.50
was found remaining in the safe. Chambers
did not know how much it contained. He
did not think there was over 5000 in it at
the time of the robbery.
Conductor Chambers and the brakeman
went to the American Express office early
in the morning. They carried the blood
stained club with them, and told the story
of the robbery to the President and the
Superintendent. O. W. Barrett, the gem
eral agent, said the sum obtained by the
robber could not be over $4,000.
Superintendent Charles Fargo received a
dispatch at one o'clock yesterday afternoon
saying that Davis was still alive, but UNI
conscious. Both men in the baggage-car
had good look at the robbers face, Man.
ager Fargo said, and the company was con-
fident that he would be captured. All of
the station agents along the lin were tele-
graphed to be on the lookout, and the
Marshal of Bloomington went out with a
posse looking for the robber.