Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1891-11-21
DYNAMITE USED.
Desperate Capture Of q Chicago
Express Train.
4 Small Amount of Money Taken From
the Safes-A Dynamite Bomb Used
to Wreck the Express Car.

MILWAUKEE, WIS, NOV. l3-An eX-
press train on the Chicago, Milwaukee
& St Paul route, for Milwaukee and
the northwest, was held up by train
robbers about mile this side of West
ern Union Junction, and the express
car was dynamited and ROBBED.
The robbery occurred about oclocl,
Thursday morning Wednesday even.
ing five or six men left Racine on a
freight train which they left at Western
Union Junction, remaining there until
the express train from Chicago came in
sight
They boarded the train, and unknown
70 anyone made their way to the tender
snd lay in wait for the favorable mo-
Aent. 1t soon came. About mile
north of the station the fireman began
shoveling coal into the nre-box, when
he was startled by noise and, on
turning about to ascertain the cause Of
the trouble, was covered by rifle in
the hands Of masked man.
Another barrel was pointed at the
head of the engineer. Tie lights were
then extinguished. The conductor and
engineer were marched ahead of the
robbers, who followed in single file to
the express car One of the robbers
raped on the door at the side and Or
dered Messenger Murray to open it
This the latter refused to do
Then bomb was thrown through
the window, and the demand was re-
newed, Still the plucly messenger re.
fused to open the door, A terrible ex-
plosion followed the force 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 completely torn 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 revolvcrs. Both
men had been thrown down by the ter.
rible conclusion. Even then it was
some time before Murphy would con-
cent to surrender the keys to the
safes. The explosion had thrown the
inside of the car into the greatest con.
fusion.
Two safes in the car were thrown
out of the car and dragged off a short
distance, when, with delay of about
half an hour, the train was permitted
to proceed on its way, arriving in this
city Thursday morning at 1922
Prompt action was taken, and as fast
as special trains could be made ready
detectives were sent to the scene of tho
robbery. There are to-day 90 detec-
tives working on the case, belonging to
the city forces and the companies
specials.
The express car on reaching Milwau-
kee was unloaded and taken to the
shops for repairs. Among the goods
taken out bale of cloalts was fairly
blown into ribbons, having the appear
arce of being put through a threshing
machine. A number of hats, known
among ladies as shapes were torn
and riddled into shapeless mass.
Messenger Murphy's clothing was
stripped into threads and it is mira
Gle how he escaped with his life Tho
report that he had been shot at by the
robbers is probably without founda-
tion.
Mr. Dodsworth, the agent, will not
give out the amount of money secured
by the robbers, but says its is very
small This he has ascertained by
checking up the messengers report. 1t
is learned from railroad men that the
safes of the Adams Express Co. were in
the baggage car renroute for Milwaukee,
where they are turned over to the COM
pany's messengers.
The Fire and Marine Insurance bank
had sealed safe on the train, which
came through all right and was deliv-
cred Thursday morning. About 1000
money packages are received from rail-
road station agents here daily, and there
We're some of these on the train that
was robbed, but they were not in tho
express car and were therefore not mo-
Tested