The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-03-14

They all wanted to know whether their
property WAS lost forever, and asked multitude
of questions. The express company acted
promptly, once they learned of the murder
They took. Immediately, steps to get track of the
murderers. A large force Of detectives were set
to work on the case.
Conductor Wagner, who had charge of the
train on which the express agent, Nichols, was
Morris. at 1:50 this morning, got out on the
platform. About the same time Watt jumped
off the baggage-car, as white as sheet and
gasped out: My God. my Godl look in there The
safe is all gone and the papers are all over the
car / looked in with my lantern. The safe
was standing open, the way-bills were all scat
tered around, and the drafts and other papers,
some of them torn up were all around on the
floor. I took my key and went to the other car
and called Nick, Nick but there was no an
swer AS swung my lantern in the car a hor-
rible sight was seen. There was blood scattered
around everywhere, and on the trunks. The To-
cal way bills were all covered with blood, and
the legs of the chairs were bloody. In the for
His face was covered with blood and great
pool was underneath him. The body
was still warm. The ear showed that there had
been big fight from nearly one end to the 9TH
or. On hook hung Big poker, which W, was
hands clinched, and, between the fingers Of one
hand, he held lock of black hair, while in the
other hand was lock Of red hair. The con-
ductor thinks the robbers got on at the coal
chute near Joliet, and had jumped off just as
the train slowed up at Morris.
The evening journal has information to the
effect that the Rock Island road will offer re-
ward of $40, 600 for the capture of the men who
committed the express robbery this morning,
and S. 900 for the arrest of any one of them
Mr.. Wygant, the agent Of the United States
Express Company, states this evening that the
loss by the robbery will be inside of $50, 900.
There was a little over 800 200 in money, and the
balance of stolen matter consisted OF packages OF
jewelry and other things which, he thinks, were
not valued above $4,000 1t is impossible just
now to fix the loss exactly. The express COM
pany is working jointly with the Rock Island
road in endeavoring to catch the robbers, and
the $40, 900 reward Is offered jointly by the two
companies
Assistant Agent Hammond, of the United
States Express Company's Office in this city,
said in regard to the murdered man: "Mr. Kel-
logg Nichols was a brave and trusted employe Of
the company He was about forty years Of age.
and had spent twenty years with the company.
being one of it's Oldest employees running on any
road out of this city. Mr.. Nichols was mar
ried man, but had no children"
General Superintendent Kimball, of the Rock
Island road, said: st is our belief that the
men boarded the train at coal-chute. where
the train stopped. about one mile west of Joliet
They either laid in wait there for the train, or
left some of the other cars. of the train when it
stopped and went forward and entered through
tho baggage car Our best information is that
the baggage man saw two, at least of the rob-
bers."
At the murdered mans home it was learned
that Mr.. Nichols left his home at an early hour
last evening and was at the theater until time to
go to his car.
among the unfortunate mans fellow employees as
they came in from their trips and heard the sad
news. I'VE have little or no protection on end
door cars" said one of the messengers; "the
doors are chained, ID is true. but jiiny inserted
will snap the little brass clasp like pipe stem.
Besides, Nick had to take charge of two
cars, and it is my opinion the robbers got on at
the coal-chute and entered the forward car while
he was in the rear with the baggageman. 1t is
also presumable that when he entered he recog-
nized some Of the gang, and they were compelled
to kill him. Last night. when Nick checked up
a $4,000 package, and in a Joking way remarked
that if he had that pile he'd take night off, he
little thought he'd lose his life while carrying it.
II went out with $4,000 the other night" said
another, ''and thought thousand times while
on the run what an easy thing it would have
been to have been robbed-how one man, at that,
could have done the job There was nothing
easier than for him to climb on Top Of the car
and wait until l had gone into che baggage car,
the safe off to confederates. and follow it. They
will take chances of broken leg in great
emergencies like that"
Six passenger tickets were sold last night at
the depot ticket-office, good from Chicago to
Mnooka, q little town about twelve miles this
side of Morris, and the circumstance was regard
ed as suspicious by railroad men.
The baggage man, N. FL. Watt who is a young
man about twenty four years old, told the follow
ing story: II was sitting in the carr the chains
were up on 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 trunk, and just
after they had whistled for Minooka heard a
scrapng sound or the floor, but not much just
as though some one had rubbed his feet on the
door. Before could turn round, a big gun WAS
poked over my shoulder, and man said, 'Yon
open your mouth or move a muscle
and Ill blow your brains out / could
only the lower part of his
face; it was covered with some cloth or paper.
ward the rear of the train, when heard some
one at the safe, which was behind me, and I
could hear the rustling and tearing of papers.
This went on for a while, and the man who stood
over me said to me, 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, l
rolled up my eyes and there y mans
hand stuck through the ventilator 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 1 heard no noise nor any shoot
ing. The first / heard was, as said the man
the gun over my shoulder They must have
got into Nicholas car first and got the key to
the safe before they came in to me-"
THE MONON ROBBERY.