Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1886-03-15
A BLOODY ROBBERY,
An Express Car Pillaged and Messenger
Murdered-Escape of the Thieves With
Large Sum-The Chicago, Rock Is.
land Il Pacific Road the Scene.
CHICAGO, March IL.

press roooerles ever perpetrated in Illinois
occurred on the Chicago, Rock Island & Pa
enc west bound express last night, between
Joilet, Ill.,, and Morris. The facts. as learn
50 from the baggage men, are that. shortly
after the train which leaves Joliet at l245 4.
NJ, had left there he heard rap at the bag
gage car door. Thinking it was the expres.
, messenger, he opened the door AMI was me,
by masked robbers, who covered him with
revolvers and demanded his keys to the ex.
press car. The key was given up and one
robber, who was on top of the baggage car,
held revolver pointed at the baggage man
through transom in the roof of the car.
whlie ms confederates turned their attention
to the express car. 1t is thought they tappsd
on the express car door and informed the
messenger, Mr.. Nichols. that the baggage
man wanted to get in. At any rate, the ex-
press car door was opened and the despers-
does entered, and then occurred one of the
most bloody and desperate struggles on rec
ord, Being confronted hy the murderous
Williams, the messenger fought for his life and
the property in his trust until he fell to the
moor corpse, mangled almost beyond recog
nltlon. The robbers then rifed his pockets
of the keys to the safe, which they robbed of
all Its contents, variously estimated from
S25, 900 upward. Checks and valuable pack
ages not containing money they left scattered
about the floor. Nothing was known of the
occurrence until the train reached Morris the
flrst stop west of here. where the train stops
to take coal. AT Morris, the local express
messenger raped on the express car door
but as the summons was not answered, it was
thought the train messenger was asleep
Upon the door of the car being opened, the
horrible evidences of the desperate struggle
and the dead body of Messenger Nichols was
discovered. In one hand that was cutched
the dead hero had lock of dark colored hair
torn from the head of one of his assalants.
large force of officers from this place and
Morris are now securing the country. and it
is thought that the guilty men will be cap
tured, in which event they will probably be
lynched, aspublic opinion is at fever heat,
and it will not be safe for the murderers to
be brought here.
Mr.. Wygant,the agent of the United States
Express Company, states this evening that
the loss by this mornings robbery will be in
side of $25, 900. There was little over
$1,000 in money and the remainder of the
stolen matter consisted of packages of Jewell
ry and other things valued at above $250O
1t is impossible just now to fix the loss ex-
actly. The express company is working
Jointly with the Rock Island railway in en-,
deavoring to catch the robbers, and the $1,000
reward offered is offered jointly. Assistant
Agent Hammand of the United States Ex-
press Company, in this city, said in regard
to the murdered man:
"Mr. Kellogg Nichols was a brave and
trusty employee of the company He was
about 40 years of age and had spent 20 years
with the company, being one OF the Oldest
employees running on any road out of this
city. Mr.. Nichols was married man but
had no children
General Superintendent Kimball of the
Rock Island road said at is our belief that
the men boarded the train at a coal chute
where the train stops, about one mile west of
Joliet. They either laid in wait there for the
train or left some of the cars of the other
tram when it stopped and went forward and
entered through the baggage car. Our best
information is that the baggageman saw two,
at least of the robbers"
At the murdered mans last residence, it
was learned that Mr.. Nichols left his home at
an early hour last evening, and WAS at the
theatre until time to go to his car. There
was the greatest excitement and sorrow
among the unfortunate mans fellow employee.
as they came in from their trips and heard
the sad news.
The baggageman, N. II. Walt, who is about
"a years old, told the following story: IL
the door which went back to the train, but
the door in the front part of the car was not
locked, as the car ahead was the one in which
was the messenger. He WAS checking up his
runs. | sat on a trunk, and, Just after thev
had whistled for Minooka, heard a sort of
scrapDg sound on the floor, but not much,
Just as though someone had rubbed his foot
on the door. Before could turn around,
big gun was poked ever my shoulder and a
man said you open your mouth or move
muscle, and will blow your brains out.
| could only see the lower part of his face.
1t was covered with cloth or paper. | sat
looking toward the back part of the car tow
ard the rear of the train, when / heard some
one at the safe, which was behind me, and
could hear the rustling and tearing Of papers.
This went on for a while, and the man who
stood over me said If you move or stir hand
or foot before the train stops at Morris, that
man up there will blow the top of your head
off. | rolled up my eyes, and there was a
mans hand stuck through the veDtiator with
| a gun in it. In about five minutes, as it
seemed to me, the train slowed up for Morris
and looked up The hand was gone and
jumped out of the car. heard no noise nor
any shooting. The first | heard was, as
said, the man speaking to me and at the same
time putting the gun over my shoulder. They
must have got into Nichols car first. and got
the key to the safe before thev came in to
me.