Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1890-08-21
AS9O,OOO EXPRESS ROBBERY
Immense Loss to the Pacific Express
Company.
The Old Nest Was Not Destroyed
When the James and YOungers
We're EXterminated.

KANSAS City, Mo.-Aug. IT, The Pa
cifc Express Company lost about 100000
by train robbery in the Missouri Pacific
railway early this morning. 1t was the
Kansas City limited express No. 3 that fell
into the hands of the bandits The train
was crowded with passengers and the safe
of the express company was stuffed with
money, consigned, much of it, to western
banks. The train left Upton, No., about
3 this morning. Two mysterious figures
around the forward end of the
paid to them. Just after leaving Upton
the fireman turned toward the tender to
fire up the engine, and looked squarely III
to the muzzles of two revolvers in the
hands of two masked men who were lying
on their faces on top of the coal. They
were doubtless the two mysterious men
who were noticed at Upton They had
evidently boarded the forward platform of
the ''blind' mail car at that place and
were crawling over the tender toward the
engine. One of the bandits covered the
fireman with his revolver while the other
took care of the engineer. They were
told to hold up their hands. Their hands
went up. Now you run this train to
Otterville water tank. y ordered the leader,
land stop there. If you attempt to
stop at any other place or give a signal of
alarm, you'll be dead men, and the
robbers placed their weapons close
to the heads OF their victims.
The engineer and fireman were at the
bandits mercy and could onl obey. The
Ottervile water tank stands in Robbers
Cut" just east of Otterville. 1t was there
that the noted outlaws, the flames boys,
committed one of their most daring rob
berries, and the Younger brothers per
petrated one of their boldest crimes. Rob
bers Cut is at the bottom of a steep
grade and when the train approached it
! the engineer had great difficulty in at
tempting to bring the engine to stand
still. His attempts were redoubled when
the leader of the two robbers pressed the
muzzle of his revolver against the engi
neers temple and just as the historic spot
was reached the train stopped.
AT THE POINT OF SIX REvOLvERs.
You come with me-" The leader ad
dressed Frank Droyer, the engineer, land
you tend to the ireman," he said to his
companion The tngineer was com.
the messenger to open the door. He die
so, under the threat of death if he should
fail. When he reached the express car he
found the two robbers had five confeder
ates stationed at convenient places about
the car, all heavily armed and their faces
concealed behind masks. He walked tC
the door of the express car and, covered
by the revolvers of three of the robbers
! II 4lo
Avery to open the door. Avery, suspect
door As he did SO the leader o.
their revolvers in and ordered the mes
sengers to hold up his hands. The order
was promptly obeyed and three of the rob
bers jumped into the car. They proceeded
Immediately to the safe which was locked
Avery was commanded to open i
and at the point of a revolver
! did so. One of the robbers un.
folded a gunny sack and into it were
placed the entire contents of the safe. The
robbers then made examination of the cal
to see if they overlooked everything
and finding nothing of value backed
out of the car, three revolvers Away:
pointed at the messenger. In the mean
time, the conductor, alarmed at the unusu
al stopping of the train, went forward t.
see what was the trouble. He got only
as far as the rear end of the express car
when he was halted by one of the robbers
who told him to 60 back and collect tick
cts "Well take care of this end of the
train, the robber added. The conductor
hurried back to the first passenger coach
and excitedly informed the passengers O.
what was going on and advised then
to hide their valuables Money, watches
jewelry, and everything valuable wa
showed into boot tops, into the cracks O.
the cushioned seats, and anywhere to ge
it out of sight The conductor had jus
warned the passengers in the second ca
when the train started on its journey
again.