Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, Ramsey Co., Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1905, 1886-03-20
A BLOODY DEED.
Bold Robbery Of an Express Car
Messenger Killed.

JOLIET, ILL.,, March 13.-One of the
most daring and bloody express robber-
les ever perpetrated in Illinois occurred
on the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific
west bound train last night between this
place and Morris. Shortly after the
train had left this city at l o'clock a. m.
the baggage man heard a rap at the a
door and thinking it was an express
messenger he opened it and was met by
masked robbers who covered him with
revolvers and demanded the keys to the
express 'rhe key was given up and
the one robber who was on top of the
baggage car held a revolver on the bag
gageman through a transom in the roof
Of the car while his confederates turned
their attention TO the express q It is
thought they raped on the express a
door and informed the messenger, HIS.
Nichols, that the baggageman wanted I"
get in. At any rate, tho express car door.
was opened and the de~speradoes entered.
Then occurred one of the most bloody
and desperate struggles on record Being
confronted by the murderous Williams
the messenger fought for his life and the
property in his trust. The interior Of
the express Cur shows he fought the rob-
bers from one end of tho car to the other,
but at last the murderous blows rained
on his head with an iron poker forcen
him to succumb, and he was left dead
in the car. The robbers yifled his peck.
cts Of the keys to tho safe, which they
roboed Of all its Contents, variously esti.
mated at from s25 600 to 100000. The
checks and valuable packages not con
tanning money were left scattered about
the floor. Nothing was known of the
occurrence until the train reached Nor.
ris. At Morris the local express mes.
seuger raped on the express u door,
but as the summons was not answered
it was thought the train messenger was
asleep. Upon the door Of the cur being
opened the horrible evidences of the
desperate stl uggle and the dead body o.
Messenger Nichols were discovered. In
one clenched hand Of. the dead hero had
a lock Of dark colored hair torn from
the head of one Of tho assailants. The
news was at onc ~telegraphed to Ottawa
and Sheriff Reitz and Chief Of Police
Murray organized a posse and started
on a special engine for Morris, stopping
on the way al a coal chute two miles
west Of here to sec if they could find
|! where the desteradoes boardedth the train.
At that point 10 was falling lightly a,
tho 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 though,
the guilty men will be captured, in
which event they probably will be
lypchcd. The dead messenger was a
married man who lived in Chicago. He
had been in the service Of United States
Express company about ten years, and
was n of the most trusted employees.
| Where the robbers bearded tho train is
mere speculation. Conductor Wagner
docs not remember having seen any sus-
picious characters aboard last night. bu,
the general opinion is the gang got on
the train ut the coal chute two miles
west from here and jumped off just be-
fore the train reached Morris.
Bradstreet's.
Bradstrtet's, tho weekly financial and
commercial newspaper published by the