Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1891-11-20
Fuller Particulars of the "HOlding
Up" OF the Train on the Mil
waukee Road.
The Express Car was Blown Open
by the Explosion of
Bombs.
The Safes we're Opened and their
Contents Taken by the
Robbers.
Abrut SIS. OOO Stolen.

~AN wv = S"A Aouo - ~ 44AA
kee and the Northwest was held up by
train robbers about a mile this side Of
Western Union Junction and the ex
press car was dynamited and robbed
The sum secured by the robbers was no,
large, as the larger portion Of it was ir
the form of drafts, payment on which
will be stopped. The robbery occurred
about l o'clock a.. IN. About mile nortl,
of the station the fireman began shovel.
ing coal into the fre-box, when he was
startled by a noise, and on turning
about to ascertain the cause
Found Himself Covered
by a rifle in the hands of a masked man.
Another cleaning barrel was pointed at
the head of the engineer. The fireman
was compelled to 60 forward and ex.
tinguish the headlight on the locomo.
tive. This accomplished both he and
the engineer were marched at the head
of the robbers, who followed in single
file, to the express car. One of the rob.
bers raped on the door at the side and
ordered Messenger Murphy to open it.
This the latter refused to do. Then a
bomb was thrown through the window
and the demand was renewed. Still the
plucky messenger refused to open the
door. Another bomb was thrown, this
time square at the door.
A Terrible Explosion Followed,
the fierce Of which can be imagined,
when it is known that the heavy timber
running along the side of the car as the
foundation. upon which it is built, was
cut completely in two. A large hole
was made in the door, and before the
echoes of the explosion had died away,
and amid the smoke and dust, one of
the robbers sprang into the aperture
and covered the messenger and his
assistant with revolvers. Both men hal
been thrown down by the terrible con-
cussion. Even then it was some time
before Murphy would consent to sur
render the keys to the safes.
Two of the three safes on the train
were thrown out of the door, and
dragged off a short distance, when,
after a delay of about half an hour, the
train was allowed to proceed to this city.
The express car on reaching Milwaukee
was unloaded and taken to the shops
for repairs. Among the goods taken
out, a bale Of cloaks were fairly blown
into ribbons, having the appearance of
being put through a threshing machine.
A number Of hats. known among ladies'
as "shapes," were torn and riddled into
a shapeless mass. Messenger Murphy's
clothing was stripped into threads, and
it is a miracle how he escaped with his
life. Several holes in his hat and coat
sleeves were probably made by stones
in the dynamite bombs, as there are a
large number of them sticking in the
sides of the car, where they had pene-
trated half way through the
heavy boards at the side of the car. The
report that he had been shot at by the
robbers is probably without foundation.
as the only reports heard, aside from the
two explosions, We're those of the pistol
shots fired in the air before the assault
was made.
Amount Said to be Small.
The report that the train robbed was
the n that carries the largest amount
of money for the express mpa is
denied by Agent Dodsworth, who de-
clared that the money is not entrusted
to the night train. Mr.. Dodsworth will
not give out the amount of money
secured by the robbers, but saws it
is very small. This he has ascer-
tanned by checking up the
messengers report. It is ascertained
from railroad men that the safes of the
Adams Express company were in the
baggage a en- route for Milwaukee.
where they are turned over to the COM
pany's messengers.
The Fire and Marine Insurance bank
had a sealed safe on the train. which
CAM through all right, and was deliv-
cred this morning. About 1000 money
packages are received from railroad
station agents here daily, and there
were some thirty of these on the train
that was robbed. But they were not in
the express car and were therefore not
molested.
The Safes Unopened.
It is learned that the two safes
thrown from the train were not opened.
AACy "OAO pAONAOcu Will COmDlnat1Ol
locks and one was a through safe for
Milwaukee and the other for Mime.
apolis. They were picked up by a
freight train and carried toward Chi
cago until a passenger train was met, to
which they were transferred and
brought to this city. The only
plumber the robbers secured
was contained in what is
known as the messengers private safe,
of which he carried the key. In this he
deposits money packages picked ,uu
at stations along the road and at times
has A few With him when he leaves Chi.
cago. Inere are o1ren umes wnen this
safe comes through to Milwaukee
empty. as the midnight train only stops
three times between the two cities.
There was a light fall of snow al
Western Union Junction during the
night, and in the light covering Of
which was discovered the tracks Of sir
men leading away from the scene Of the
robbery. Twoswere going toward ira.
II MISUNDERSTANDING ~