The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1891-09-05
DEEDS OF DARING ROBBERS.
A FruitIess Assault on a Cali
fornia Train.
Detecti'e Harris Perhaps Seriously
Wounded In the Mcicc Which Scared
Away the Robbers-Two Men Arrested
ON Suspicion-Thc Texas Train Robbers
Snid to Have Secured MS Much as
$4,000 Tuesday Night.

SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 4.-[Special l.
The Los Angeles express was held up
by two masked men few miles south
of Modesto last night. The robbers
boarded the train at Ceres, compelled
Engineer Nelr and Fireman Wallace to
extinguish the headlight and fill the
boiler with water. Then they made
them get down, go to tho express car
and ordered it opened.
Conductor Boche and the brakemen
were in the front car and at once went
on the pla form and looked out on the
east side of the car. At the sight of
the conductors lantern one of the rob.
bers called out for them to go back,
firing shot at them. The conductor
set the lantern back and fred two shots
at tho robbers. lie at once went back
into the car and sought Dettcsive Len
Harris, of Los Angeles, and Detective
Laws n, who CHANGED TO be on the train.
Harris got out OF the car on tho west
side and walked to where the robbers.
who had gone over TO that Side of the
express car, were. When about two car
lengths from the express car, Harris
opened fire with his revolver sending
two shots in their direction. The
robbers returned the fire, firing three
shots, all Of which took effect, hitting
Harris in the neck and over the left eye.
Meanwhile the robbers were compell-
ing Engineer Nell TO hold torch
while Fireman Wallace worked at the
door. They called severa! times to the
express messenger and his assistant to
open the door and como out, claiming
they would not hurt them, but they re-
fused TO open the door. a bomb was OK
loded against the door, Shattcring the
beams and making an opening large
enough for them To enter. But shooting
by Harris and also ten shots fired dur
ing the ARRAY by Brakeman Fox. evi.
IDENTIFY scared them off as the left with
out securing and treasure.
Harris was taken to MERGED whore he
is dying. As soon rs news of the rob
berry reached MERGED, special train
started for the scene bearing officers
and posse OF sixty men, who arc now
in pursuit. The officers also started
from Tulare, Modesto, MERGED and La
throp.
TWO OF THE ROBBERS ARRESTED.
MERCED, Cal, Sept. 4.-ISpecial l.
Two men suspected Of being implicated
in the robbery Of the south bound train
last night were arrested at Ceres early
this morning and taken to Modesto
One of the men was riding on the blind
end of the baggage car at the time the
train was held up. but claims that he
knew nothing of tho robbery.
MERGED officials guarded the bridge
over MERGED river during the night, but
as the river is low it could be forded on
horseback at any point. Tho general
opinion is that the robbers have made
for the mountains east of MERGED, in
which their capture is doubtful. physi-
clans who attended Detective Harris
here say his wound is not serious.
THE TEXAs TRAIN RoRBERs.
SAN ANToNIA, Tex, Sept. T. Spc-
cial The bandits who robbed the
Southern Pacific express train at
Samucls Tuesday night secured moro
booty than first reports of the robbery
stated. In each Wclls-Fargo car there
are two safes. one for local business and
the other for through business.
The latter is locked at Houston and
opened here, relocked here and not re-
opened until it reaches San Francisco.
The messenger does not know what tho
combination is, and i. IS contents are gen
orally very valuable. 1t was this safe
wi ich the robbers blew open. The loss
is therefore much heavier than at first
reported
Instead Of So 900 it will reach $4,000,
and may go even higher. The manager
of tho Texas division admits that the
amount secured is over $4,000.