New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-03-14
ROBBING AN EXPRESS CAR.
A MESSENGER KILLED By THE RUFFlANs.
THE BAGGAGF-MAsTER FORCED TO SURRENDER HIS
KEY-NN CLEW TO TIE ROBBERS


daring and bloody express Dbberes ever perporaed In
Illinois occurred the Chicago Rock Island and Pacific
wcst-bOuDd express last night between this place and
Morris The facts learned from the baggageman are
that shortly after The train which stats at 1913
had left this city he heard at the baggage Car door
Thinking it the express messenger he opened the
door and was me by masked robbers who covered MN
with revovers and demanded the key TO the express
Gar. The key given up and one Iobbe who was on
top OF the baggage car. held revolver the baggage
man through tTansOm In the rO)f OF tho whio his
coodeIates turned their attention the express
II is thought that they tapped the express door
and informed the messenger. II. 5. Nichols,
that the baggagoman wanted TO get in. At
any rate the express car door was opened and
the robbers entered and then occurred of
the most bloody and desperate struggles on record
Being confronted By robbers the messenger fought
for his life and the property in his trust The interior
of the expresscar that fought the robbers from
end Of 1t to the other but at last the blows that they
raned on his head with an iron poker forced
him to succumb and no was left dead
in the The robbers rihed his pockets of the keys OF
safe which they robbed OF all its contents variousy
estimated at from $4,000 to 100000. Checks and
valuable packages containing money they left scat
tered about the floor Nothing known OF the occur
renee until the train reached Norris the first stop
OF here except the coal chute. where
the train stops to take coal At Morris the local express
messenger raped the express door, but as the
summons not answered it thought the train
messenger was asleep Upon opening the door Of the
the evidences OF the desperate struggle and
the dead body Of the messenger discovered.
In hand that olinched the dead messenger
had lock OF dark coored hair that he have
from the head or one Of the assailants News at
teegraphed to Ottawa, and Sheriff Reitz and Chief
OF Police Murray organized posse and started
special engine for Morris, stopping the way at
the coal chute, two miles west OF here, to see
If they could find whether tho desperadoes
daH train n
Snow was falling lightly the time and the tracks. IL
any, covered. large force Of officers and men
from this place and Morris securing the
country, and It thought that the guilty Will be
captured in which they will probably be lynched
public opinion in this town is at fever
heat and it will not be safe for the
derers brought here. The dead
messenger was married man, and lived
Chicago He had been in tho service OF the United
States Express Company about ten and was one OF
their trusted employees AS to where the robbers
boarded the train all yet is speculation Con-
ductor Wagner does remember having any sus
pcious characters aboard last night but the general
opinion is that the got on the train at the coal
chute miles of here and jumped off just before
the train reached Morris.
The Epsnng journal has information to the effect that
Rock Island road Will offer reward OF $4,000 for
the capture of who committed the safe robbery
this morning and 900 for the arrest OF any Of tAem
The news produced the greatest excitement in the
Rock Island Office in this city this morning. Division
Superintendent r. II. Chamberlain was in receipt OF
dispatch detailing the particulars Of the affair The
officers OF the road held consultation, and It was agreed
to special the track OF the ruans at
once The train, No 3, left the depot last night at IL
o'clock. 1t consisted Of the locomotive, two baggage
two sleeping and three coaches In charge OF
Conductor Wagner 1t is thought that the men who COM
mitted the robbery and murder are cOnvicts lately
released from Joliet PenitentIary. The brakeman of
train No. says he six walking along the edge
Of the woods, Au Sable, which close to Morris
Officers from Joliet out after the Thoy left moth
ing by which they might be identified, except
a stove poker which was used by one OF them as
weapon Superintendent Chamberlain started for MOrrs
at 9lJ o'clock to investigate the affair and TO take
charge OF the body Nichols foryhye years OF
The first authentic Information Of the muir
der reached the express office in Washington
1t. this morning when tho incoming messenger,
W. NJ Turner reached here. His train met the one on
which Nichols was killed Morris. and Mr Turner
the place after the murder was discovered
The widest excitement prevailed about the depot at the
time Nichols found with his throat cut from ear to
ear the wound being an uneven. jagged CASH as If it
had been inflicted with hatche Turner had to start
for Chicago before the investigation was
well under way. II is found, however that
everything was right when the train drew up at
Joliet II started promptly and according to schedule
time was due Morris at 1870 in the morning
No stops made between these places and for that
train at Joliet. Arriving at Morris Nichols did not ap
pear the door Of the express to deliver his pack
ages as was his wont. The agent waited on
the platform for several minutes aud, tirng
OF the delay. finally opened the car door himself
The sight that his eyes horrible one. Nichoss
body covered with blood lying IN one corner OF the
car the safe open and the valuabes were missing
The United states Express Company officials hee say
that Nichols in his custody from $4,000 to $4,000
aud forty packages of ewelry consigned to ewelry
firms country The value OF jewery unknown.
but heexpress people cannot be than $4,000 ana
may be worth double that amount. The news OF the
killing spread rapidly down town. and in the forenoon
the express office thronged by merchants and
others who had vauabes in care Of the company to
various parts OF the They all wanted to know
whether not their property was lost forever and
asked multitude of questions. The express company
acted promptly. As they learned Of the murder
they took steps get track OF tho murderers, ana
large force OF detectives set to work on the case
Adspatch TO The Ereng Journal from Morris, Ill.,,
says Conductor Wagner. who had charge OF the train.
SAYS: As the train came to standsti at Morris at
1875 this morning got out the platform About the
same instant Watt jumped out of the baggage car as
white sheet and gssped out, my God! my God
look there the safe is all gone and the papers are all
over the carr looked in with my lantern and the safe
was standing open. the way-bs were all scattered
around and tho drafts and other papers, some OF them
torn up, were all around the floor. took my key
and went to the door and called, Nick! Nick!' but
there was no answer. As Iswung my lantern into the
car horrible sight was seen There was blood
scattered around everywhere and on the trunks
The local wayhils all covered with blood and the
legs Ct the chair bloody. In the forward part OF
the car found the body of Nick His face was COW
cred with blood and great pool underneath him.
His body was still warm Tho car showed that there
had been big fight from one end to the other. On
hook hung big poker which was also covered with
blood Nichols lay with both hands cnched. and be-
tween the fingers OF hand he held lock OF black
hair, while III the other hand lock Of red hair"
The conductor thinks robbers got at tho coal
chute Joliet, and jumped of just as the train slowed
up at Norris
Mr. Wygant tho agent OF the United States Express