Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1891-11-13

Soi aAoSk LILO CON6T OI Gu6 Tlu6B anu Iu6I
the work of blowing open the express ca
began.
BOMBS THROWN INTO THE CAR.
Several bombs-at least that is wha
the fireman thinks they were-were thrown
into the car. The explosions were terrific
and must have awakened every passenge,
on the train, but nobody appeared on tn,
scene.
The robbers numbered not less than 81,
or seven men, Judging from the manner il
which they conducted operations. 'Tht
at hand with which to cart away tn,
safes, which were taken bodily out of tn,
car.
The train was held for over half al
hour. The robbers efforts were centeret
on the express car, and not a passenger
was molested. Tbs fireman thinks there
were half dozen men, however, guarding
the coaches.
Some of the passengers who were ASLEEP
did not know anything about the robbery
until the train arrived in Milwaukee. Some
passengers thought there were twenty OF
thirty of the robbers; others thought they
saw only a dozen, while others said there
were more robbers than passengers. When
the train started again the passengers saw
the safes lying beside the track, but the
robbers had disappeared.
HOW THE EXPRESS CAR LOOKED.
When the train arrived at the Union
station at 2:2O o'clock the express cal
looked as if it had been attacked by artiI-
lery. Every door and window had been
blown out and the platform and walls were
shattered in half a. dozen places, while the
contents were piled in heap in the mid.
die of the car. J. G. Murphy, the mes.
senger, and his assistant, G. n. Cook, were
picking up fragments of way bills and
looking over the remnants left by the rob-
bers.
A report of the train robbery near West
ern Union junction has been received by
General Manager Earling of the Chicago,
Milwaukee and st. Paul railroad, stating
that the safes have been recovered, and
that the robbers did not get any booty.
They held up the engineer and fireman,
and when the train reached Franksville, a
small station of 200 or 800 inhabitants,
about three miles beyond the junction,
they made the engineer stop it at the muz-
zle of revolver. They then demanded of
the express messenger that he open the
door of the car, which he refused to do.
The conductor came up and was taken
prisoner.
BLEW OUT THE END OF THE CAR.
The robbers then broke in window of
the car, and threw in some kind of an
explosive which forced out the end of the
car. They then went inside and covered
the express messenger with revolver,
and tried to make him open the safes. This
he positively refused to do, and the safes
were thrown out of the car
In the meantime the rear brakeman, IN
derstanding the situation, rushed back to
the junction and got help and locomo-
tive. The locomotive and a posse at once
went to the scene, and the robbers fed
The train went on to Milwaukee, and the
ast-mail train, which leaves Chicago at
o'clock a. M, picked up the safes and car
ried them to Milwaukee. The police of
Milwaukee and the secret service of the
system, with the sheriff of Racine county,
were sent in pursuit of the robbers. Their
flight was SO hasty that they did not take
the precautions they had evidently intend
ed to take, so that the officers believe that
they will get them to-day.
THE MESSENGERS STORY.
]. G. Murphy, the express messenger, re-
ported at the managers headquarters this
morning and told his story. The train
was running at full speed when suddenly
the messenger heard O shot fired. He at
once locked and bolted the doors of the ex-
press car He had hardly done this before
the train began to slacken speed, and soon
it came to a full stop. Some one came to
the door of the express car and tried to
open it. Finding it locked, he called out
to the messenger to open the door. Muir
ply refused, and his helper, Charles 81.
Cook, refused also. Then the firing began
again outside, and another demand to
open the car was made. Murphy again re-
fused There was an interval of silence,
then quick retreat from the car, followed
by deafening explosion, which partly de-
molished one of the car doors. A man ap-
peared at the breach and demanded ad-
mission, but Murphy stood firm. In an
instant another explosion occurred and the
other door of the car was blown in. This
explosion was of sufficient force to ex.
tinguish the lights in the car and to thro "
down the lighter freight.
COVERED WITH wINCHEsTERs.
Before the messenger and his helper
could recover from the effects of the shock
three men with Winchester rifles entered
the car, forcing tho engineer to go before
them. They ordered the messenger to give
up the keys to the safe, and at the muzzle
of a Winchester rife he did 30. In like
manner the engineer was forced to opeI
the local safe, containing money and valu-
ables consigned from Chicago and points
between Chicago and Lacrosse. The rob-
bers then demanded the keys to the two
through safes. Murphy told them that ht
did not have the keys to them and they
threatened him with instant death i
he delayed. He pointed out the fac
that they were combination safes, anC
satisfied the robbers that he could moi
open them if he would. The robbers ther
compelled the trainmen to assist in throw
ing the treasure boxes from the car, ant
the fireman, messenger, and his helpe
were ordered to leave the car. FOLLOWED
by the three robbers, with rifles levellet
upon them, the four trainmen were com
PEELED to walk about quarter of mil.
up the track. Later they were conducted
back to the train. Meantime the locomo
tive headlight had been extinguished. Tn
| robbers then sent the engineer and fire
| man into the cab and ordered the train t.
pull out. AS the train got under way ST:
men were seen standing over the tw
| safes.
WHAT THE SAFES CONTAINED.
The way safe contained between 81, 90
and 81 900 and the way-bills, which wer
taken and probably destroyed. When tn
train arrived at Frankville a telegram wa
sent to Western Union Junction and
| posse was sent to the scene. A message t
Milwaukee at the same time was respond
ed to by the chief of police, who sent
posse by special train, and within thre
hours after the robbery skilful officer
were on the trail of the robbers
The treasure boxes were found wher
they fell, unopened, though there were il
dications that efforts had been made
burst the door. Those were placed undo
guard and sent to Milwaukee by the morn
ing express.
ANARCHISTS ARRESTED.
Revolvers Drawn by Reds'' in Chi
cago-Infammator Literature CaI