The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-11-13
THE MODERN BANDIT.
Opens Express Cars and Safes
With Dynamite Bombs.
/ WISCONSIN TRAIN HELD UP.
two Men Terrorixe Engineer, Fireman
and Express Messenger and Get
Away with $4,000.

MILWAUKEE,, Nov. 1.-THE midnight train
nom Chicago, on the Milwaukee & St Paul
rad, was robbed by two masked men near West
ern Union Junction at l o'clock this morning.
! The train had been out OF the junction, which
s twcnty-three miles south of this place, about
half q mile, when Fireman Edward Averill
Who was putting some coal into the furnace, was
Estartled by q noise behind him. He turned
around and discovered two masked men clam
kSering over the engine tender. Both leveled
1oubie- barreled guns at the fireman and En-
nncer Bill Mckay with the injunction: "Don't
love an inch till we tell you to,
- wen blow the top of your damned
@eads off," Engineer Mckay was directed
u run about one mile from the Western Union
/ 5unction. He was then commanded to stop,
4 and both men were then ordered to step down
/ cot OF the cab They were marched TO the ex-
press car under cover of the guns, and then the
! work OF blowing open the express car began.
several bombs, the fireman thinks they were,
we're thrown into the Car, and the explosions
/ we're terrific and must have awakened nearly
every passenger on the train, but nobody APP
peared on the scene. Fireman Averill's story
Was the most comprehensive:
They made rue walk ahead to the express car
6and gave me jimmy to pry open the boxes.
They got the messengers keys, though he was
/ h no hurry to give them up, and they will
have no trouble in getting away with all the
money.
/ The train was held for over half an hour. The
entire efforts of the robbers was centered on the
cypress car, and not passenger was molested.
Messenger Murphy said:
We were less than five minutes out of Western
sCnion Junction, when the train slowed up sud-
1eniy, = musket was poked through the top win
low of the car and a second later terrific ex-
1 Dlosion occurred that knocked both myself and
~ fsax<rf in hno Hall - dfxa Ia
SONS followed and both doors iew off the bolts.
Then two men, wearing big black masks,
climbed quickly into the car aud covered us
with muskets We were cautioned to maintain
j silence ON the penalty of getting our heads
blown of. After glancing hurriediy about the
car, the robbers fastened their eyes on two iron
boxes OF the American Express Company. The
robbers brought the fireman in little later. and
went through all the boxes. They compelled
Us to hand over the keys. They dumped the
boxes out on the roadbed: One OF the robbers
kept US covered with his musket all the time,
while the other superintended the operations OF
the fireman. They secured all the bills OF money
contained In the safe
/ The amount taken by the robbers was about
IsN0oo Some of the passengers who were asleep
Il did not know anything about the hold-up until
the train arrived in Milwaukee. Some passen-
gers thought there were twenty. or thirty rob-
bars. others thought they saw only dozen,
while Others said there were more robbers than
passengers. When the train started up again
Sthe passengers saw the safes lying beside the
track, but the robbers had disappeared. When
the train arrived at the Union depot at 200
o'clock, the express car presented sight that
would indicate il had been attacked by heavy
artillery. Every door and window was blown
out and the platform and walls were shattered
in half dozen places, while the contents were
piled unfortunately in heap in the center OF
the car. Messenger g. c. Murphy and his as
sistant, C. ii. Cook, were found gathering up
the fragments of way bills and looking over the
remnants LETT by the robbers.
The most experienced detectives in the EN-.
ploy OF the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul rail.
way. assisted by the sheriff of Racine county
and large posse of men, up to a late hour last
night, were unable to track the robbers. Sew
erai clues were followed up by them, none O!
them resulting in anything. Fireman Averill
aud Conductor Tucker are positive there were
spniy two rleu who did the job, and not six OF
more, originally stated The two combina
tons were found intact, and had been left be
frightened away before they had a chance &c
blow the safes open. The quality of nitro-gly
cerine which they left behind would have sui
feed to open ten more safes equa lily as strong
The claim agent of the St. Paul road believes
the robbery was the work OF Chicago crooks
CHICAGO. Nov l2-Exprsss Messenger Murphy
reported at the headquarters OF the American Elk
experience. He detailed the facts as given in
previous interview, adding that a number Of
shots were fired. Three OF the robbers, afte!
gaining an entrance, demanded and got tht
keys to the safe at the muzzles OF their guns
The engineer was compelled to force open the
local safe, containing money and valuables con
signed from Chicago for points between Chicago
and Lacrosse, but az the through safe
had combination locks the robbers were
unable to get into them. The rob
bers then compelled the trainmen tS
assist them In throwing their treasure boxes
from the ear, and the firemen, the messenge
and his helper were ordered TO leave the car
followed by the three robbers vita rifles ievelee
upon them. The three trainmeu were com
pelled to walk about quarter OF mile. In tn,
>>meantime the locomotive headlight had beer
extinguished. Then they sent the engineer and
fireman into the cab and ordered the train {,
pull out The safe contained between 5000 an(
5000 and way bills, which were taken ant
probably destroyed When the train arrived a
Frankville a telegram was sent to Western
Union Junction and posse sent to the scene.
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