Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1886-03-19
A Brutal Murder.
A Rock Island Express MeSSen.
ger is Murdered while De-
Tending His Safe.
The Baggage and Express Cars
Ritied. Booty to the Amount
of $35, 900 Secured.
The Baggage Man Obeys Orders
and Lives. His Account of
the Daring Crime.

Muroer and Robbery in an Express
Car,
A HORRIBLE CRIME COMMITTED NEAR
JOLIET ILLINOIS.
JOLIET, Ill, March 1S.-One of the
most daring and bloody express rob
berries ever perpetrated in Illinois oc-
CURED on the Chicago, Rock Island
x Pacific west bound express last
night, between this place and Morris.
Tae facts, as learned from the baggage
man, are: that shortly after the train,
which leaves here at 12:45 a. m., had
left this city, he heard rap at the
baggage door. Thinking it was the
express messenger, he opened the door
and was met by masked robbers who
covered him with revolvers and de-
manded his key to the express car.
The key was gwen up and one robber,
who was on top of the baggage car,
held a revolver on the bsggageman
through the transom in the roof of
the car, while his confederates
turned their attention to the ex-
press csr. 1t is thought that
they raped oa the express car
door and Informed the messenger,
Kellogg Nichols, that the baggage
man wanted to get in. AT any rate
the express car was opened and the
desperadoss entered. Being confront
ed by the murdsrous villains, the
| messenger fought for his life and the
property of his trust. The interior of
the express car shows that he fought
the robbers from one end TO the other,
but at last the blows that they rained
on his head with an iron poker, forced
him 10 succumb and he WAS
LEFT DEAD IN THE CAR.
The thieves rifled his pockets of
the keys TO the safe, which they rob
bed of all its contents, variously eS-
timated at from $4,000 to 5000.
Checks and valuable packages not
containing money, they left scattered
about the floor.
Nothing was known of the occur
renee until the train reached Morris,
the fast 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 eX-
press car door, but as the summons
was not answered, it was thought the
train messenger was asleep. Upon
the door of the car Icing opened, the
horrible evidence of desperate strus-
gle and the dead body of Messenger
| Nichols were discovered. In one
hand the dead man clutched lock
of dark colored hair, which must have
been torn from the head of one of his
asSaIlants.
News was at once telegraphed to
this city. Sheriff Rsitz and Chief of
Police Murray at once organized Il
posse and started on 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
| desperados boarded the train at that
point. Snow was falling lightly at
the time, and the tracks, if any, were
covered. A large force "t officers and
men from this place and Morris are
now securing the country.
! A LARGE REWARD OFFERED.
CHICAGO. March 13 The news OF
the robbery of the baggage car and
| the murder of the express messenger
prodaced the greatest excitement IN
the Rock Island office this morning
| in this city Division Superintendent
| Chamberlain, was in receipt of q
dozen dispatches detailing the partic'
ulars of the affair. The officers OF
| the road held a consultation aud 1T was
| agreed to send out special detectives
on the track of the ruflians at once.
| The Rock Island road will offer re
ward of SIC, 900 for the capture of the
men.
THE ATTACK ON THE BAGGAGE CAR
| CHICAGO. March 13. 3.-Baggageman
n. III. Walt, who is young man
about "a years of age, told the follow
ing story in response TO various ques
tions: | was sitting in the car and
the chains were upon the door which
went back to the train, but the door
in the front part of the car was moi
locked, as the car ahead was the on,
in which was the messenger. He wa'
checking up his runs and Just attel
they had whistled for Minoka,
heard sort OF scraping sound on tb.
floor, it was just as though some
one had rubbed his foot on the floor
and before | could turn around bil
gun was poked over my shoulder ant
man said: You open your moutf
or move a muscle and
ILL BLOW YOUR BRAINS OUT.
J. could only see the lower part o
his face for it was covered with som'
cloth or paper. l sat looking towart
the rear part OF the car when
heard some one at the safe, which
was behind me, aHd / coul'
hear the rustling and tearing o
paper. This went on Tor momen
and the man who stood over me sait
to me: eff you move or stir hand o.
foot before we stop at Morris that mal
up there will blow your head off.
/ rolled my eyes up, and there was ;
a mans hand shook through the hole
with a gun ia 1T. In about five min
utes, as i. seemed to me, the TRAN
slowed up for Morris, and | looket
up. The hand was gone, and
jumped out Of the car. l heard n'
noise nor any shooting. The first
heard was, as / said, man speakIn;
to me, and at the same time putting I
gun overy my shoulder. They mus
have gotten in Nichols car first, ant
got the key to the safe, before the,
| came 10 me.