Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1891-12-01
THE DAILY TRAIN ROBBERY.
Trainman Killed, The Speakership,
BeaIs Keeps his Promise, VAST
Ing his Wife's Earnings, Incen-
diary Fires, English Syndicate
Again, Short in his Accounts,
Foreign and State News Etc.
A sourHERN PAoIFIc WILCOX.

IL llls du dCtlhCAAb OCCdAACA w ~ - .
freight train No. 81, one fourth mile
north of tunnel No. in Josephine
county, Oregon, resulting IN the
death OF Jack Coughlin, brakeman
on the train and the serious injury
OF james l. L,venture, tramp, also
slightly injuriug w. III. Jamison,
conductor and w. III. Howard, train
brakeman. The train consisted of IA
cars all loaded with freight pulled
by two engines.
AS the train passed out of tunnel
NJ. 8 it parted, two cars staying
with the engines and IL cars being
left behind. The parting of the
train set the air brakes on all the
cars aud brought the detached train
to sudden stop. The three bind
cars including the caboose not hav-
ing any air brakes were not checked
by the stopping aud owing to the
fact of being heavy loaded telescoped
each other. The body of the caboose
after the wreck was found square on
top of the fiat car In front of 1t
pinning james Laventure down to
the deck of the fat car from which
he was extricated by means of a
hydraulic jack to lift the body of
the caboose off Jack Coughlin, the
man who lost his life was covered
with ten to fifteen tons of lime rock
which constituted the load of the
fiat car. He had been driven partly
through the end of the box car In
front of where he stood. His neck
was dislocated and he lived only a
short time. The train crew were
apparently doing their duty as the
record shows they left Grants Pass
on time and the dead mans watch
stopped at two minutes to 5 a. M,
which shows the train was on time
and IN liking the ordinary speed.
The track was perfect, not a
spike having been found out of
placs after the wreck. James
Laventure, who was seriously hurt,
was slowed away in what is
known as "the cellar" tool box
which is suspended under the body
of the caboose, when the crash
came he found himself impaled be-
meath the body of the car with
the whole side of his face torn of
by splinterd boards, he soon at
tracted attention 10y his loud cries.
His brother-i n law keeps the
Minnesota hotel at Eugene, he
claims, jack Caughlin the dead
brakeman WAS new man on the
road and leaves no family as far as
known. Commissioner Colvlg was
at the scene of the wreck by IL am,
and took a full account of the whole
matter under oath and reu dered the
testimony 10 Writlng.
THE DAILY TRAIN ROBBERY.
ST.. LOUIS, Mo-, Dec. Ia bold
and successful train robbery took
place on the st. Louis and San
Francisco road near Glendale sta
tion, about ten miles from this city,
shortly before ten o'clock last night.
rhe robbers had their plans well
laid and they escaped with money
and valuables amounting to $50, 600,
possibly more. The Adams Ex-
press company was the victim, and
from the manner in which the
robbers used dynamite with fearful
effect both on the Car and
Messenger Mulrene who had
charge of the car, six men
participated In the robbery.
When the train reached Old Orchard
It is supposed four men boarded the
express car the other two 1t Is be-
lieved boarded the train at Glendale,
shortly after the train left Glendale
two men made their way to the
engine cab and placing revolvers at
the head Of the engineer and fire
man compelled them to stop the
train. The engineer complied with
alacrity. AS soon as the train came
to n stand still the engineer and fire
man were taken to the express car
In the meantime the express
messenger who suspected something
wrong closed and bolted the doors
of the car aud stood inside ready to
defend the property intrusted to
his care, but the odds were against
him aud the poor fellow now lies In
a dangerous condition at North
Springfield.
A stick OF dynamite was placed
against the car and exploded in .
minute another stick was exploded
at the car dolr, which fell in, th,
robbers then entered the car. Every
thing In the safe was taken and also
the messengers gold watch ana
chain. The estimates as TO the
amount secured vary widely rang
Ing from S2O,ODO TO $50, 900 but moth
ing definite is yet known. While
the two robbers were doing work al
the express ear the other foui
bandits kept the remainder OF the
train crew and passengers In state
Of terror A constant fusilade being
kept up all the while. Fourteen
shots were fired into the smoking
car but fortunately no Que was hit.
A large posse Il making search for
the bandits.