The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-08-06
ATTEMPT TO ROB AN EXPRESS CAR
The Robber Wounds the Baggageman, but Il
Driven Off by the Express Messenger


Special to the Indianapolis Journal.
CRAwFoRDsvILLE, Aug 1.-The attempted
robbery of the L., n. A. & @. express train last
night near Bainbridge was a bold scheme, but
the plan failed. The following is the statement
of the baggage master, John, P. Winchester, OF
New Albany, who was shot: just after we had
passed water-tank, north of Greencastle, some
person knocked on the baggagecar door, leading
10 the first passenger-coach. / supposed that
some passenger was wanting to see something
about his baggage, and said to hold on q mo-
ment.' After arranging some papers l
stepped to the door and opened IL,
when a man, having a revolver in each
hand, commenced shooting. l caught hold OF
his asrns and threw them up, and ran under his
right arm out into the passenger coach and
pulled the bell cord. After I passed the fellow
ae called for to halt, and fred into the coach,
breaking the glass in the door When getting
out of the cax discovered that the man had
black moustache. He had handkerchief over
bis face and one corner blew up, allowing good
view of the same. The fellow wore dark clothes
and was large man. The baggage car was No.
/ and did not have a partition in. Frank Per-
kns, the express messenger, was sitting in the
ut the robber Immediately. He fred FIVE shots
ut the intruder and he in turn must have fired
-st1east tea shots. The sides of the car are full
of bullet holes"
When Winchester pulled the bell-cord the rob-
Der jumped from the train and disappeared. Mr..
Perkins thinks that he surely hit the fellow.
from the way he acted when he jumped from
the train. This man got on the train at Green
castle, and paid fare to Bainbridce. A resident
Of this city, who formerly lived at Bainbridge,
says there is gocd-for-nothing fellow living
shere who answers the desrirtion of this man.
Mr.. Winchester was brought to this city, and
taken to the Mutt House, where Dr. S. l.. Ems
minger attended him. The ball had struck him
in the center of the breast passed around the
ribs. and come out just under the left arm, max
sng painful though not dangerous wound.
Where the bullet passed out, hole was cut
through the seam in the shirt, but no hole was
In the vest, showing that it must have passed out
at the arm-hole. There was no scratch on his
arm This proves that he was shot with the re-
volver in the left hand of the robber, just as he
slipped under his arm.
The train was In charge Of Conductor Nose
Frazee, and the engineer was Mat Hickey, the
same engineer who was engineer of the train at
the time of the Ches.ey Chambers robbery, near
Harrodshurg; and both of these trains were COM
ing from New Albany. Winchester did not know
that he had been shot until he felt the blood
trickling down his side. From the size of the
wound. it s thought that the revolver must have
been thirty two calbre Winchester has been
employed as baggageman for about six years,
and was q freight brakeman for number of
years prior to this.
Immediately upon the arrival Of the train in
this city, kilograms were sent all along the line
and to Indianapolis for the police to be on the
lookout for the man. The horse thief detective
companies are out on the hunt of the robber
and 1t is probable that he will be found, from
the fact that they have such a good description
of him.
Mr. Winchester was taken to his homo, at New
Albany, this afternoon.
Conductor Frazee says man got on the train
at Greencast'e, and presented ticket to Balm
bridge and asked If the train stopped there. He
told him that it did not, and the man replied:
'fWell, that will do" When he heard the shoot
ing he took a revolver from a colorei man, who
had heard the shooting and was hid behind a
seat When the conductor reached the door the
robber jumped from the train sideways. The
colored man says that the bagesge-man was in
she express car after drink of water, and this
fellow followed him out on the platform, where
it is supposed he placed the handkerchief over
his eyes and got his revolvers ready for action.
It is the supposition that the fellow was going
to rob the express messenger, but it is not
known whether there was large sum OF
aohey in the safe or not.