Weekly commercial herald. (Vicksburg, Miss.) 1884-18??, 1886-03-19

CHfcAGO, March 13-A Joliet (ILl.)
special to the Evening News, says one
ii the most daring and bloody express
r0bberies ever perpetrated in Illinois.
occurred On the Chicago, Rock Island
q Pacific west-bound express last
night, between this place and Morris.
The facts, as learned from the baggage
master are, that shortly after the
train. which leaves here at
1tA5 am. had left this city,
heheard rap at the baggage car-door.
thinking it was the express
messenger he opened the door and was
met By masked robbers, who covered
him with revOIyers and demanded his
Key to the express car. The key was
uiyen up and one robber, who was on
top OF tie baggage car, held a revolver
on the baggage man through the tran.
som ii the roof Of the car while his
c~0nfederates turned their attention to
the express car. 1t is thought that
they raped on the express a door
and informed the messenger that K. S.
Nichols, the baggage man, wanted to
get 10. At any rate the express car
door was opened and the desperadoes
entered and then occurred mi
81 the most bloody and deS-
perate struggles on record. Being con-
fr0nted by the murderous villains the
messenger fought for his life and the
property In his possession. The iRte-
FioF Of the express car shows that he
fought the robbers from one end Of
the car to the other. but at last the
muTdeEOus blows that they rained on
his head with aniron poker forced him
TO succumb and he was left dead in
the car. The robbers rifled his pockets
Of the keys to the safe, which they
robbed Of all its contents, variously
estlmatedat from $4,000 to $780, 900.
Checks and valuable packages, not
containing money, they left scattered
about the floor. Nothing was known
Of the occurrence until the train
reached Morris, the first stop west of
here, except the coal chute, where the
train stopped to take coal. AT Morris
the local express messenger raped on
the express car door, but as the sum.
mons was not answered, 1t wal
thought the train messenger wa
asleep. Upon the door Of the car be-
ing opened the horrible evidences of
the desperate struggle and the dead
body Of the messenger was discovered.
In one hand, that was clutched the dead
hero had a lock Of dark colored hair that
be must have torn from the head Of
n or the assailants. News was at
once t~elegraphed to Ottawa, and Sheriff
Reitz and Chief Of Police Murray at
once organized a posse and started on a
special engine for Morris, stopping on
the way at the coal chute, two miles
west OF here; to see If they could find
whether the desperadoes boarded the
train ct that point. Snow was falling
lightly al the time and the tracks, IL
any, were covered. A large force Of
officers and men from this place and
Norris are now securing the country
and it Is thought the guilty men will
be captured, In which event they will
probably be lynched, as public opinion
ia this town Is at fever heat and It
viii not be safe for the murderers to
be brought here. The dead messenger
was . married man and had been in
the service Of the United States ex-
press company for about ten years,
and was one of their most trusted
employees. His home is at Chicago
Is TO where the robbers boarded the
train as yet, is mere speculation.
! Conductor Wagner does not remem
Der having seen suspicious characters
aboard last night, but the general
opinion Is that the gang got on the
train &C the coal chute, two miles west
Uf here, and jumped of just before the
train reached Morris,
The Evening Journal has informa-
ton to the effect that the Rock Island
road will offer a reward Of $4,000 for
re capture Of the men who committed
ne express robbery this morning and
5000 for the arrest Of any one of
them.
CHICAGO, March 13.-The news of
tie robbery Of Che express car, and the
murder Of the express messenger, pro-
daced the greatest excitement in the
Rock Island Office in this city this
morning. Division Superintendent r.
H. Chamberlain was in receipt of a
dozen dispatches. detailing the particu-
lars Of the affair. The officers of the
road held a consultation, and it was
agreed to send special detectives on
the track Of the rufians at once.
The train. No. 5, left the depot last
night at II o'clock. II consisted Of
Tie locomotive, two baggage cars, two
sleepers and three coaches, in charge
Of Conductor Wagner. kellogg
Nichols, Of this city, was the express
messenger. II is thought that the
men committed tbe robbery and
murder are convicts lately released
from Joliet penitentiary. The brakeman
81 train No. 16 says he saw six men
walking along the edge Of the woods
near Ausable, which Is close to Norris.
Officers from Joliet are out after the
men. They left nothing in the car by
which they might be identified, but a
stove poker, which was used BY ons Of
them as a weapon. Superintendent
Chamberlln left for Morris at $40