The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-11-13
TRAIN HELD UP.
fZpFeSS-Car Robbed by a Gang
Of Masked Men.
Doors Blown From Their Bolts and Wrecked
by Dynamite Bombs.
The Local Safe Rifed, Two Treasure Boxes
Thrown Out and the Engineer Or
deFed to Pull Out"
EreeiaI 20 TUE MoRNINs GALE.

MILWAUKEE, Nov. 1.-THE midnight
train from Chicago on tine Milwaukee and
St. Paul Road was robbed by masked men
near Western Union junction at l o'clock
this morning. The train had run out of the
June ton, twenty-three miles south of this
place, about half mile, when the fireman,
Edward Averill, who was putting some coal
into the furnace, was startled by noise be-
hind him. He turned around and discOv-
cred two masked men clambering over the
engine tender. Both leveled their double
barreled guns at the fireman and engineer,
Bill Mckay, with the injunction: Don't
move an inch till We tell you, or we will
blow the top of your heads off" Engineer
Mckay was directed TO run the train to
within a point about one mile from the
Western Union Junction. Here they COM
manded Mckay TO stop.
COVERED BY GUNS.
Both men were ordered to step down out
of the cab. when they were marched to the
express car under cover Of the guns, and
then the work of blowing open the express
CIR began. Several bombs-the fireman
thinks there were-were thrown into the
car, and the explosions were terrific and
must have awakened every passenger on
the train. but nobody appeared on the scene.
The robbers undoubtedly were not less
than six OF seven in number, judging from
the manner in which they conducted the
operations. The trainmen believe they had
a team close at hand with which TO cart
away the sales which were taken bodily
out of the car
Fireman Averil?s story is the most COM
preheDsiye He said: They made me
walk ahead of them to the express car, and
they then gave me a jimmy 10 pry open the
boxes. They got the messengers keys,
though he was In no hurry to give them up,
and they Will have no trouble in getting
away with all the money. The train was
held for over a half hour. The entire eff
forts of the robbers were centered on the
express car ard not passenger was mo-
Tested" The fireman thinks there were
half dozen men guarding the coaches, how
ever
TERRIFIC EXPLOSION.
LESS than five minutes out Of Western
Union junction." said Messenger Murphy,
'the train was slowed up suddenly, a mus
ket was pOked through the top window of
tile car and second later terrific eXplo-
sion occurred that knocked both myself and
Mr.. Cook in a heap. Half a dozen more
explosions followed, and both doors few off
the bolts. Then two men wearing big
black masks clambered quickly into the car
anu covered US with muskets. We were
cautioned TO maintain silence at the penalty
of getting our heads blown off. After
glanc.ng hurriedly about the car the robbers
fastened their eyes on two iron boxes of
the American Express Company. The rob-
brrs brought tie fireman in u little later
and " ent through all the boxes. They COM
PEELED US to hand over the KEYS. They
dumped the boxes out on the rOad-b-d.
One OF the robbers kept US covered with his
muskeI ell the time, while the other super
intended the operations of the fireman."
LARGE AMOUNT OF MONEY.
Messenger Murphy stated he secured all
TIL bills OF the money contained in the safe
and that the sum was Uubtedly a very
large one. 1t is probable the total amount
of the robbers booty will amount TO
500, 000. and possibly more
An offical Of the ST. Paul road said the
train which was held up was one which
generally carried all the money received by
tie Milwaukee banks from the East in the
morning.
Agent John F. Bell of the American Ex-
press Company said to Il reporter that an
approximate statement OF the amount taken
BY the robbers could not be learned. He
said 5000 in the local pa kages were GER
ttinly gone, besides sum contained in two
sealed envelopes.
EFFECT OF THE BOMBS.
When the tram arrived at the Union De-
pot, at 80 o'clock, the expTeSs-car pre-
sented an appearance that would indicate
that it had been attacked by heavy artil-
lery. Every door and window was blown
out, and the platform and walls were shat
tered N half dozen places. while the con-
tents were piled in an indiscriminate heap
in the center Of the car.
Messenger q. c. Murphy and his assist
ant, c. II. Cook, were found gathering up
the fragments OF the way-bills and looking
over the remnants left by the robbers.
The first news of the robbery was brought
TO Western Union Junction by the 1lagman.
The Milwaukee and Racine police were TEL
egTaphed for Immediately, aud Detective
Hanstn was provided with special train,
On which lie left at 40 o'clock.