Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1886-03-15
DARING TRAIN ROBBERY
The U. S. Express Company
Loses $25,G00
And a Heroic Messenger Beaten to
Death.
A Thrilling Story Told by the Bag
gage Man.

gage Man.
JOLIET, Ills, March lS.-Ons OF the
mos. daring and 5loody express robberie'
ever perpetrsted in Illinois occurred or
the Chicago and Rock Island and Pacific
west.bound express, last night, between
this place and Morris. The facts as learn
ed from the baggage man are that shortly
after the train which leaves here at l2:4j
a. m. had left this city he heard rap al
the baggage car door. Thinking it was the
express messenger he opened the door
and was met by masked robbers who GOV.
cred him with revolvers and demanded his
key to the exress car. The key was given
uI, and ore roboer who Was on top OF the
baggage car, held revolver on the bag
gsgeman through transom in the root of
the car, while his contederstes turned their
attention to the express car. 1t is thought
that they raped on the express car door
and informed the messenger, g. S. Mich,
OILS, that the baggage man wanted to get
in. At any rate, the express car door was
opened, and then occurred one Of the
most
BLOODY AND DESPERATE
struggle on record.
Being confronted by the murderous vii.
lians the messenger fought for his life and
the property in his trust. The interior of
the express car shows that he fought the
robbers from one end Of the car to the
other, but at last the murderous blows that
they rained on his head with an iron poker
forced him to succumb and he was left
dead in the car The robbers rifed his
pockets o! the keys to the safe, which the'
robbed Of all its contents vsriously est.
mated at from S25, goo to 100000. 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 on coal. At
Morris the local express messenger raped
on the express car door, but as the sum-
mons was not answered it was thought the
train messenger was asleep. Upon the
door Of the car being opened the dead body
of Messenger Nichols was discovered. In
one hand. which was clutched, the dead
hero had lock OF dark colored hair that
he must have torn from the head OF one
of the assailabts News was at once tele.
graphed to Ottawa, and Sheriff Reitz and
Chief of Police Murray at once organized
a posse and started on q special engine for
Morris, stopping on the way at the coal
chute two miles west OF here 10 see il the5
could find where the desperadoes boarded
the train at that point Snow was falling
lightly at the time, and the tracks, if any,
were covered.
a large force OF officers and men from
this place and Morris 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 in this town
is at fever heat and it will not be cafe for
the murderers to be brought here. The
dead messenger was married man, and
lived at Chicago. He has been in the
service of the United States Express Com
pany about ten years, and was one of their
most trusted EN- ployes. AS to where the
robbers boarded the train al as yet, is
mere speculation. Conductor Wagner
does not remember having seen any suspi-
cious characters aboard las night, but the
general opinion is that the gang got on
the train at the coal chute two miles west
of here and Jumped off just before the
train reached Morris.
The Rock Island road offers a reward Of
$4,000 for the capture Of the men who
committed the robbery, and 1000 for the
arrest ofany one of them.
THE Loss.
Chicago, March l3.-Mr. Wygant, the
agent OF the u. s Express Co., states this
evening that the loss by this mornings
robbery will be inside Of $4,000. There
was o little over $1,000 in money and
the balance OF the stolen matter consisted
of packages of jewelry and other thirgs
which he thinks were not valued over
$500. 1t is impossible ust now
to fix the loss exactly.
The express company ia working
Jointly with the Rock Island railroad in en-
deavoring to catch the. robbers, and $1,000
reward is offered jointly by the two COM
panies. Assistant Agent Hammond, OF the
United States Express Companys office in
this city, said in regard to the murdered
man; "Mr. Kellogg was brave and trust
ed employe," Among the unfortu-
nate mans fellow employees as
they came in from their trips and heard
the sad news, 1--WE have little or no protec.
ton on end door cars" said one Of the
messengers. The doors are chained, it
is true, but q jimmy inserted will snap the
little brass clasp like s'pips stem. Besides
Nick had to take charge Of two cars and
il is my opinion the robber got on at the
coal chute and entered the forward car
while he was in the rear with baggage"
THE BAGGAGEMAS's STORY.
The baggagemsp, N. q. Watt, who is
Young man about q years old, told the fol.
lowing story: Il was sitting in the cars
the thieves were upon the ioot which went
back 10 the train, but the door 10 the front
part of the car was not locked, as the car
ahead was the one in which the messenger
staid. He was checking up his run. !
sat on q trunk, and just after they had
whistled for Minoka / heard sort
OF scraping sound on the floor, but not
much, Just as though some one had rubbed
his foot on the door. Before / could turn
around
DIG GUN WAS PoKED OVER M SHOULDER
and man said, You open your mouth or
move q muscle and I'll blow your brains
out" could only see the lower part OF
his face; it was covered with some cloth
or paper. | sat looking toward the back
part OF the car toward the rear OF the train.
when heard some one at the safe behind
me and could here rusSliug and tearing OF
papers. This went on fur while and the